Katie Price has opened up about the emotional impact her drug use had on her children, Junior and Princess, after they broke down in tears while filming her new documentary, Nothing To Hide. The former glamour model admitted she had no idea how deeply her children had suffered during her breakdown, when she turned to drugs to numb the pain.
Children's Condition for Participating in Documentary
During an appearance on This Morning on Wednesday, Price revealed that her son Junior told her before filming that he and Princess would only take part in the documentary on the condition that they could be brutally candid about what they had gone through. “I told them to speak from their heart,” Price said. “Junior said after [the interview] he broke down, as did Princess.”
The documentary, airing on Sky, chronicles Price's time in the public eye, her drug use, the toll it took on her family, and her relationships. In one particularly moving moment, Princess and Junior break down in tears on camera as they described feeling 'lonely and unloved' when Price 'could not look after them' due to her drug use.
Price's Reaction to Children's Pain
Price admitted she had been oblivious to how difficult things had been for them at the time, owing to her own struggles with mental health. She told hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard: “[It was] awful … They are amazing. And when they done the interview … They said: 'Mum if we're going to do this, we're going to be brutally honest … and I said: 'I want you to speak from your heart.' And Junior said: 'I proper broke down' and Princess said: 'So did I' and I was like 'Why?'
“I never knew because obviously I wanted to kill myself and I did try … That period of my life, I don't think people realise when I said when I said I had a breakdown, I wanted to die, didn't want to be here.”
Price Reflects on Her Parenting During Breakdown
Price continued: “And so as much as I thought I was being a mum, I wasn't. I was vacant. For young kids like that wanting their mum. I was trying to be the perfect mum and obviously I wasn't. It kills me I put them through that.
“Obviously we've come through the other end and they're like: 'We've got our mum back' but what confused them is that I was such an amazing mum, had the breakdown, didn't have the mum that they needed and wanted.
“I wasn't mentally there to be able to do it. And it kills me that I put them through that … The kids knowing I wasn't right … I put all my family through it … it's awful but it's real life. It can happen to anyone.”
Price on Watching Her Life Back
Speaking to Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, Price said: “It's so weird to watch your life back. It's like a movie but it's my life. I always regard myself as being completely honest anyway.
“This is a insight into someone who has been thrown into it and guided through it. You've seen my ups and downs, and there have been some ups and downs! No one can take away from me how ambitious I am. I speak about everything and that's got me in trouble sometimes. I've never been manufactured - what you see is what you get.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year, and you can find more information on their website.
