Her husband Lee Andrews is facing accusations of swindling women out of thousands of pounds – but for some critics of Katie Price, the question arises whether the focus should be solely on him. As one mate put it this week: "When it comes to controversy, the two of them are like Bonnie and Clyde. Wherever one goes, drama seems to follow."
It might seem extreme to draw parallels between Katie and her alleged conman spouse. Particularly as he's reportedly been holed up in the infamous Al-Awir prison in Dubai and she has never knowingly been implicated in any suspected scam.
However, it mirrors a growing sentiment within her circle that her involvement and poor decision-making in a series of contentious ventures, including a previous connection to a fraudster, have evaded proper scrutiny for years. The friend says: "Everyone wants Katie to condemn Lee, but the reality is she can't as her own business dealings have, in their own way, been problematic."
I've spoken to several women who are still awaiting reimbursement after losing thousands of pounds to a rogue trader whom former glamour model Katie encouraged her millions of followers to invest in. Five years ago, they even joined forces to try to recoup their money but were unsuccessful.
On at least two occasions, Katie took to Instagram to commend "foreign exchange trader" Josh Chandler, claiming he represented a "safe income". One post said: "Hey guys, so I want to tell you about a friend of mine called Josh. He's amazing at what he does." Another stated: "If your [sic] looking for something new to make a good income from home, especially with it being such a difficult period, Josh Chandler is the man you need to get in contact with."
Despite Katie, now 48, pledging to seek justice for those affected in 2021, none have received any compensation to date. This was despite her reportedly earning around £3,000 per post.
Among the victims is Kerry Meissner who lost nearly £3,000. She told me: "I think it's absolutely disgusting that Katie Price and her boyfriend at the time Carl Woods promoted this scam. I lost over £2,700 and didn't get a penny back from Josh or Katie. I find it crazy that she seems to promote scams and then does nothing to help the poor people who lose money after believing the scams are legitimate ways to make money."
Caroline Eastell, 55, who lost £1,000, told me: "I was a single mum with three kids and recently divorced, and it was to make my kids' summer better. When I realised I'd been scammed, it hit my stomach and I didn't know whether to panic, laugh or cry. I felt so stupid, as I'm an intelligent woman. Even though Katie wasn't the sharpest tool in the box, I thought that her recommending it meant it was OK."
Reality TV star Katie later apologised to her fans about Chandler, stating how he "conned not only me but my family, friends, loyal fans and supporters." But Caroline added: "We didn't see any money from her, despite getting in touch."
The same year, Katie was earning thousands in collaboration with a fraudster who was responsible for setting up deals with brands she was paid to endorse. Despite being alerted several months later about their criminal past, which included a prison sentence, and promising to sever ties, I can disclose that she continued to work with them, earning thousands of pounds in fees for social media posts.
A source said: "Katie didn't seem to care as long as she got paid. It perhaps explains a lot when it comes to Lee. Whereas most people would run a mile when things like fraud are mentioned, on the face of it, Katie couldn't care less."
It's well-known that she has a history of showing complete disregard for other people's money. She owed creditors £3.2million after being declared bankrupt in 2019. Katie was then made bankrupt again in March 2024 over an unpaid tax bill worth more than £750,000. This was despite a judge accusing her of lavish spending, which included numerous holidays every year and endless cosmetic surgeries.
For Katie, it seems the only person who matters is herself. Even the women warning her about her husband are getting short shrift. She said last week: "I think some of these women are bitter exes. They've done enough warning now, just leave it. I'm a big girl."
The dismissive attitude extends to other ventures she has pursued. She is presently hawking dresses and £10 "lucky dip" bags from JYY London. As the brand's figurehead, she has been relentlessly pushing the company across her social media platforms. However, almost 70% of the 400 reviews on Trust Pilot are one-star, with countless complaints about orders failing to arrive, and the quality being substandard.
