Kerry Katona says she's 'lonely and heartbroken' ahead of first Christmas since split

Kerry Katona has admitted she isn't feeling the Christmas spirit as she prepares to spend the holidays single for the first time in six years, following her split from her fiancé

With a week to go before Christmas, Kerry Katona would usually be filled with festive joy, happily adding her final touches for the big day. But this year, the 44-year-old is nursing a broken heart and struggling to muster any Christmas spirit. Just last month, Kerry parted ways with her partner of six years, fiancé Ryan Mahoney, who has now moved out of their shared Cheshire home.

While she’s putting on a brave face, the mum-of-five admits it’s not been easy. “I’m still feeling very heartbroken over my split from Ryan,” Kerry candidly admits, during a chat with OK!: “I’m struggling to move on. It’s going to be so strange waking up on Christmas morning without him. I’m so used to having him there that it will be really weird. I’m not feeling very excited – it’s my first Christmas as a single mum again. I thought I’d be with Ryan forever, so I didn’t expect to spend Christmas alone.”

After meeting online in 2018, personal trainer Ryan popped the question to Kerry in 2021, and the couple appeared to be going strong. However, the relationship went downhill earlier this year when Kerry admitted she felt “unsupported” by her fiancé during her mum’s health battle. While she initially insisted the pair would work through their differences, she later confirmed Ryan had left the family home after what she called a “breach of trust”.

At the time, she wrote in her OK! column: “We are no longer together and it’s been a really tough week – I never in a million years thought this would happen. Without going into too much detail, there’s been a breach of trust between us. I don’t know if we’ll be able to work it out or not, but I do still love him so much.

“I feel like everything has heaped on recently and it’s so much to deal with, I’m really struggling. But I know I can get through it, no matter what happens. I’ve been through break-ups before and come out the other side, so we just need to see what happens.”

She may not have Ryan by her side this Christmas, but Kerry will be surrounded by her loving children: Molly, 23, and Lilly, 21, who she shares with first husband Brian McFadden; Heidi, 17, and Max, 16, from her second marriage to Mark Croft; and youngest DJ, 10, who she shared with her late husband George Kay. But while the former Atomic Kitten star is trying to remain positive for her brood, she’s struggling with the memories and traditions from previous years.

“Each December, I’d come home from work every day and would have Ryan there to be excited with,” she tells us. “We’d play games and have fun with the kids. It’s difficult to accept he’s not going to be here. I keep hearing Christmas songs on the radio but
I’m still not getting into it, which is a shame because I usually love this time of year.

“It’s hard seeing other couples happy and thinking of how I was always with Ryan at Christmas. I’m struggling to feel that spirit. It was six and a half years of my life, and all the memories from that time. I’ve spent some days crying all day because I do really miss him. I’m just heartbroken,” adds the star, deflated.

During their relationship, Ryan took on the role of stepdad to Kerry’s children, and formed a particularly close bond with her youngest, DJ. Previously detailing how Ryan was set to adopt DJ, whose dad George passed away from an overdose in 2019, Kerry explained, “[DJ has] only ever really known Ryan. She was just four when Ryan came into our lives and her own dad passed away. I love Ryan and he wants to officially adopt her. He’s had her name tattooed on his back, not mine!”

While it's been a tough time for not only Kerry but her children to navigate, the family are looking forward to being together this Christmas. Alongside her kids, Kerry will also be joined on Christmas Day by close friend Katie Price – who she is currently starring alongside in a panto production of Cinderella at Northwich Memorial Court theatre.

Looking on the bright side, Kerry says she knows that, despite her heartache, they will all come together to make it a joyous time. “I know Christmas will be good fun with the kids, and I’ll have Katie there too, which will make it even better,” she says.

Kerry’s eldest, Molly, may also be giving her mum a very permanent Christmas present this year. “Molly is going to bring her tattoo gun and give me and Katie matching tattoos – that will be a Christmas memory!” laughs Kerry. We’re sending you love and Christmas spirit, Kerry.