Can Katie Price Overcome Her Latest Chaos in British Showbiz?

No one brings drama quite like Katie Price. With nearly thirty years of tabloid fame, stemming from her brief singing career to her Cinderella-esque wedding, the model and reality star seems to be in the midst of her most tumultuous chapter yet. On 30 July, a warrant for Price’s arrest was issued after the 46-year-old missed a bankruptcy court hearing concerning an unpaid tax bill. This marks her second bankruptcy declaration.

At the time of the court hearing, Price was reportedly abroad, filming a documentary about cosmetic procedures in Istanbul, which is often called Europe’s plastic surgery capital. Following the news of her arrest warrant, Price released a defiant statement on Instagram, insisting she isn’t “running” from her problems. She stated, “Despite consistent stories trying to humiliate me on my personal misfortunes, I am neither embarrassed nor ashamed. I own my situation and I am trying my best to work my way out of it and put matters right.” Nonetheless, on 8 August, she was arrested at Heathrow Airport and held at a west London police station.

These events are a far cry from her mid-2000s career peak when she had an estimated net worth of around £40 million from an array of enterprises including fashion lines, fitness DVDs, and bestselling books. In 2007, her novel “Crystal” even outsold the entire Booker Prize shortlist.

This recent chapter has all the hallmarks of a Price-centric media frenzy: financial troubles, legal issues, and cosmetic surgery. It offers plenty of fodder for her critics. A quick glance at any British tabloid’s showbiz section reveals headlines about her “sixth facelift” or the state of her so-called “mucky mansion”—her Sussex home often portrayed as being in a perpetual state of disrepair. Despite these low points, Price has a history of bouncing back. Stories about her rise and fall have been told countless times, yet she continually defies them. She is the ultimate survivor of British showbiz, living by her motto, “never underestimate the Pricey.”

Price has spent her entire adult life in the spotlight. She began by sending photos to a modeling agency, which led to her featuring on Page Three in The Sun in 1996 at just 18. She and her agent chose the name Jordan because it was catchier than Katie. She went on to become a staple in lads’ magazines, frequently undergoing multiple boob jobs. Price built a successful career amid the 1990s and 2000s lad culture, and her relationships with celebrities like singer Dane Bowers, Ace from Gladiators, and Gareth Gates ensured she was never far from the tabloids.

In 2004, Price reinvented herself by joining the third season of “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” in the Australian jungle, where she met Peter Andre, a minor pop star known for his song “Mysterious Girl.” Viewers watched them fall in love, and Price transitioned from the larger-than-life “Jordan” to the more relatable “Katie,” who was funny, vulnerable, and a devoted single mother. Her son, Harvey, born in 2002, has Prader-Willi syndrome and has been raised primarily by Price, given that his father, footballer Dwight Yorke, has been largely absent from his life.

Price and Andre married in a fairytale ceremony at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, with Price arriving in a pink carriage pulled by white horses. Their relationship became the basis for numerous fly-on-the-wall reality shows, saturating ITV2 with “Katie & Peter”-branded content covering their wedding preparations and family life.

The authenticity of these reality TV programmes often leaned towards the candid end of the spectrum. Even after their 2009 split, both continued to document their lives in separate shows. Price’s show was aptly titled “What Katie Did Next.” Their relationship and break-up were subjects of intense public interest, covered extensively in showbiz magazines and tell-all interviews.

During this period, Price became a multi-hyphenate, bringing her name to perfumes, bedding, underwear, and even a bid to represent the UK in Eurovision with a duet of “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin” with Andre. Capitalizing on her long-time equestrian interest, she launched a line of riding clothes, introducing some flamboyant pink horses’ leg warmers among other items.

Her books proved to be particularly successful. 2004’s “Being Jordan” garnered £4.7 million, leading to a six-figure publishing deal. Her 2006 debut novel “Angel” also became a bestseller, followed by “Crystal.” Despite the snarky comments, the British public clearly found her fascinating.

Following her breakup with Andre, Price’s personal life became increasingly chaotic. She had a brief marriage to cage fighter Alex Reid in 2010, followed by another to Kieran Hayler in 2013. The latter relationship ended after she discovered his infidelity. The couple filed for divorce in 2018.

The years that followed were turbulent for Price, who called it her “breaking point.” During a 2018 trip to South Africa, she was hijacked and raped at gunpoint while filming a TV series. She developed PTSD, attempted suicide, and checked into The Priory for treatment for alcohol and cocaine abuse.

More recently, Price joined OnlyFans, offering exclusive content to subscribers. Despite charging fans for shower videos, this move has attracted more headlines about her finances and the ongoing saga of her “mucky mansion.” Yet, these stories don’t fully capture Price’s reality. Beyond the chaotic public persona, she remains a devoted parent and advocate for her son Harvey, even producing the BBC documentary “Harvey and Me” about their relationship and his transition to adulthood.

Price exemplifies contradictions—both resilient and vulnerable, a savvy media operator seemingly losing control of her narrative. Unlike other female stars like Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson, who’ve received reassessments, Price’s story resists that comfortable narrative, perhaps because she’s deemed too “messy.” Regardless, never underestimate the Pricey.

Source: Insider, The Guardian