Pop stars back in the day didn’t really make it as far as we thought—even chart-topping bands like Atomic Kitten.
Kerry Katona, who was an original member of the girl group from 1998 to 2001, has revealed the shocking amount she and her bandmates earned… and it’s not what you’d expect.
Now 44, the Warrington-born star was part of the original line-up with Liz McClarnon and Heidi Range, with the latter being replaced by Natasha Hamilton in 1999.
Together they achieved a top ten debut single in the UK with “Now” while continuing to release their debut album. Unfortunately, the record peaked at number 29 after a series of singles that failed to ignite chart success, leading to Carey leaving the group, also due to conflicts with the other girls.
But despite having another single under their belt (almost – Carey left days before the official release) and a legion of loyal fans, Atomic Kitten were far from millionaires.
As Kerry has now revealed, the trio actually took home £250 a week.
Appears on Paul C. Brunson’s hit We Need to Talk Podcast .
After examining the so-called “bad management” that was enduring the group at the time, Carey replied, “Oh, we were only on $250 a week.”
“I left Atomic Kitten with 36 grand in my bank account and bought my mom a house and moved to Ireland. It was ridiculous, you get everything for free,” she revealed.
Carey went on to discuss her departure: “I left just before everything went to number one again – it’s my single, my song, my vocals and then Jenny (Frost) came in to finish the promotion because I came in pregnant with Molly.
“And I really realized I didn’t want to be rich and famous; I just wanted to be a mom.”
I am a member of the celebrity camp who delved further into the appeal of Atomic Kitten, which she puts down to their northern spirit and lack of media training, which made them “unique.”
And while Carrie’s Atomic Kitten days are now behind her – she briefly rejoined the group with Lisa and Natasha in 2013 for a big reunion – she still speaks fondly of it.
After their “amazing” success together, while Carey vowed to “never, ever forget” the euphoric feeling of having a top 10 single, she admits she may not have appreciated her lifestyle as much as she should have at the time.
“I don’t think I really appreciated it at the time, to be honest with you, Paul,” she confessed to the celebrity dating expert. “You’re so busy – it’s not what you think it’s going to be.
“I loved climbing, I loved doing concerts, getting recognized, people asking for autographs. I was an entertainer; I was a loose cannon, you know. I cheered everyone on.”
“Then when you become super famous, and there’s always one of you in the group that the press decides to focus on.”
The singer went on to joke that before any musical was released, the members each had to “sit down with lawyers” to discuss personal issues that might arise or make the press, with Carey spending “hours” reciting past ordeals, from parenting struggles to addiction struggles.
In the years since she’s been in the band, Carey has been a very open and honest book when it comes to her struggles.
The mother of five has made no secret of her substance abuse, having entered rehab multiple times for alcohol and drug abuse. In the 2000s, she was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which her mother also has.
Additionally, Carrie has been married three times: to Brian McFadden from 2002 to 2004, Mark Croft from 2007 to 2011, and George Kay from 2014 to 2017. Kay died of an overdose in 2019.
And while her love life has always been a hot topic of conversation, Carrie is now being romanced once again and is happier than ever with a younger man.
Enter personal trainer Paolo Margaglione, 33, who she met on the recent episode of Celebrity. They reportedly moved in together a few months after filming ended.
When it comes to her finances, Kerry definitely earns a lot more than £250 a week, and it’s all thanks to that alone.
The former Icelandic ambassador charges £19.99 a month for subscribers to access her adult content – a career choice that she said made her a “millionaire again”, having gone bankrupt in 2008 and 2013.
Revealing her new millionaire status, she previously told The Sun that her children had returned to private education while she used her earnings to buy an “astonishing” and flashy Lamborghini.
“It has a lot of sexy images similar to what I’ve done before in magazines, but new,” she said of her NSFW content.
“It made me a millionaire again.”
As for Atomic Kitten, Natasha confirmed her departure from the group late last year to pursue solo music. Lisa also recently shared that she is pregnant with her first child after two miscarriages.
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