‘She used me!’ CBB winner Paddy Doherty wages war on ‘pompous’ pal Kerry Katona… read the inside story of bitter fallout

FRESH from threatening to knock out “cocky and arrogant” Mark Wright, Paddy Doherty has kickstarted another celebrity feud – this time taking aim at one of his oldest showbiz pals who was once dubbed his “forever friend.” In an exclusive interview, The Big Fat Gypsy icon has launched a blistering attack on former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Kerry Katona, and reveals all the excruciating details of the feud that has firmly ended reality TV’s most unlikely friendship. Paddy has accused his former Celebrity Big Brother pal Kerry Katona of “using” him and claimed their friendship broke down over an alleged charity snub Credit: Getty Paddy and Kerry struck up an unlikely friendship on Celebrity Big Brother in 2011, with Paddy famously calling himself “the father Kerry never had” Credit: Shutterstock Talking to The Sun, Paddy, 67, says: “You get pompous celebrities who are full of themselves. Like Kerry Katona. She’s a pain in the arse, that one. She used me.” Paddy went on to explain that the tension started after she refused to support a charity event he was involved with. He continued: “We were at this function and this man comes over and he says, ‘Paddy, can I get a photo with you?’ So I did. And he asked Kerry and she wouldn’t get a photo with him. “He said, ‘Paddy, I’m doing a charity for deprived children, will you come to it?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and she wouldn’t go to it.” When approached for comment, Kerry’s spokesperson said she strongly disputed Paddy’s account, insisting she has “no recollection” of the incident and saying she was left shocked by his remarks. A representative for Kerry told The Sun: “Kerry has no recollection of what Paddy is talking about and would never say no to anyone, especially when it comes to charity work. “Anyone who knows Kerry knows full well she would never turn anyone down for a picture. “Kerry is very hurt and shocked that he said this. Kerry thought they were still on good terms and there was no issue. “Last time Kerry spoke to him was wishing him well after him having a heart attack.” Her response paints a very different picture of their relationship, with Kerry insisting she believed they remained on good terms – making Paddy’s public criticism all the more unexpected. For Paddy, however, it seems the final straw in what had once been one of his closest celebrity friendships. The pair have now drifted so far apart that, according to the reality star, they no longer speak at all. The extraordinary outburst comes just a day after Paddy challenged former TOWIE star Mark Wright to a celebrity boxing match, insisting he would knock him out in the first round. But Paddy’s row with Kerry is perhaps even more surprising given just how close the pair once were. They first met on the eighth series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2011, where Paddy was crowned winner and Kerry finished runner-up. During their time in the house, Paddy became fiercely protective of Kerry, who had entered the show shortly after her tumultuous divorce from second husband Mark Croft. At the time, Kerry was rebuilding both her confidence and her public image after a turbulent few years, and Paddy quickly emerged as one of her biggest supporters inside the house. The reality star later described himself as being like “the father Kerry never had” – a particularly poignant comment given Kerry’s complicated relationship with her own father and the fact she has previously spoken about growing up without a close relationship with him. On the night of the Celebrity Big Brother final, Kerry described Paddy as her “forever friend”. Their close bond struck a chord with viewers, who watched Paddy repeatedly offer Kerry reassurance whenever she doubted herself during the series. She told then-host Brian Dowling: “I met some solid friends in there, Paddy being the main one. That man helped me every single day to believe in me.” Their friendship continued long after the cameras stopped rolling. Just days after leaving the house, the pair posed together for an OK! magazine photoshoot at a lavish stately home, with Kerry glammed up in a feather headband while Paddy donned a tuxedo. Paddy was still speaking warmly about Kerry the following year. He said in 2012: “I met some really nice people. In fact, I’ve even been on the phone to Kerry Katona just this morning.” And in 2014, after a trip to Ireland brought back painful memories of her first husband Brian McFadden, Kerry revealed Paddy was the first person she turned to. She said: “I was depressed when I got home so I went to see Paddy Doherty who soon cheered me up! I love Paddy, he’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.” Months later, they were still inseparable, attending the Genesis Appeal Crystal Ball in Manchester together, where Kerry planted a kiss on Paddy’s cheek as photographers looked on. Kerry has strongly disputed Paddy’s claims, insisting she has “no recollection” of the incident and saying she is “very hurt and shocked” by his comments Credit: Mcpix Ltd Despite the drama, Paddy says he’s busier than ever, with a third autobiography on the way and a film based on his life currently in the works Credit: Alamy Now, however, that once-close friendship appears to have completely unravelled – although Kerry insists she believed there was “no issue.” It also means Kerry joins a growing list of celebrities Paddy has publicly taken aim at this week, after he set his sights on former TOWIE star Mark Wright. Paddy’s attack on Kerry comes just a day after he threatened to “knock out” Mark. Paddy said he would love to face Mark, 39, in a celebrity boxing match and even claimed he could knock him out in the first round. He said: “I’d love to fight the fella out of Essex, he’s really cocky and arrogant. Mark Wright. “I would love to fight Mark Wright, he’s cocky, arrogant, above himself. I’d love me and him in the ring. “I’m a lot older than him but I guarantee I’d knock him out in the first round.” Paddy went on to reveal he had a run-in with Mark at the BAFTAs back in 2011, when Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and The Only Way Is Essex were both nominated for the YouTube Audience Award. He recalled: “I met him at the awards, at the BAFTAs. He wasn’t rude to me. I wouldn’t let him be, not in a million years, but he had that look, like, ‘Look at me.’ You get it on, I’ll do it!” Despite making headlines for his outspoken views, Paddy insists he’s busier than ever, with a string of new projects already in the pipeline. Further along in the chat, Paddy also exclusively revealed he is releasing a third autobiography. He previously shared his life story in Hard Knocks & Soft Spots in 2012 before releasing a self-published follow-up, My Own Words: Celebrating 10 Years Since Big Brother, in 2021. Of his latest book, he says: “It’s been fantastic, the feedback, I couldn’t have wished for any better. It came out better than I thought. I was lucky, you know.” And Paddy says his remarkable life story is now heading to the big screen. “It is, yeah, it’s happening now,” he says. “I’m not allowed to say, but it’s going through it now. Yes, I am involved. A geezer has been cast as me, he’s a good actor, but I’ve not met him yet. I can’t say who it is. And I forget things fast!”