Her husband Lee Andrews is facing allegations of fleecing women out of thousands of pounds, but for some of Katie Price's critics, the question is whether the spotlight should solely be on him. As one friend 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 may sound extreme to compare Katie to her alleged conman husband, especially as he has supposedly been languishing in the notorious Al-Awir prison in Dubai and she has never knowingly been involved in any suspected scam. But it reflects a growing belief in her circle that her role and poor judgment in a series of controversial ventures, including a previous link to a fraudster, has escaped 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 a number of women who are still waiting to be reimbursed after losing thousands of pounds to a rogue trader who former glamour model Katie urged her millions of followers to invest in. Five years ago, they even teamed up with one another to try to get their money back but were unsuccessful. On at least two occasions Katie went on Instagram to praise 'foreign exchange trader' Josh Chandler, saying 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.'
Caroline Eastell lost £1,000 after taking Katie's advice. Another read: 'If your 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, vowing to seek justice for those affected in 2021, none have received a penny to date. This was despite her being paid around £3,000 a post.
The victims include 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, lost £1,000 and 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, saying 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 raking in thousands working with a fraudster who was tasked with setting up deals with brands she was paid to promote. Yet despite being alerted several months later to their past, which included a jail term and vowing to cut ties, I can reveal she continued to work with them, raking in 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 is well-documented that she has form for displaying a total disregard for other people's money. She owed creditors £3.2 million 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 extravagant spending, which included countless holidays every year and endless cosmetic surgeries.
For Katie, it appears 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 applies to other ventures she has embarked on. She is currently flogging dresses and £10 'lucky dip' bags from JYY London. As the face of the brand, she has been aggressively promoting the firm on her social media channels. But nearly 70% of the 400 reviews on Trust Pilot are one-star, with numerous gripes about orders not arriving, and the quality being poor. 'Katie Price should be ashamed,' said one customer last week. Don't hold your breath…
