Katie Price, 48, has reportedly booked her second boob job since marrying Lee Andrews, sparking concern among her children and family who worry she is changing her body for the wrong reasons.
A source said Katie is "all over the place with Lee" and that her self-esteem is suffering. The former glamour model appeared on Olivia Attwood: The Price Of Perfection last week, where she admitted she often has surgery to please her partners.
"I've realised there's a reason why I do it all. And it is to do with men," she confessed. "I've always said I haven't got body dysmorphia, because I didn't think I did. But I realise I do."
Family fears over surgery
According to a source, Katie's loved ones fear she is having the work done in response to being "all over the place" with Lee. "When Katie's stressed and doesn't know what to do with a guy, and her confidence is low, she goes for surgery," claims the source. "And she's all over the place with Lee – she knows the world hates him and her family don't like him."
During a recent episode of her daughter's reality show, The Princess Diaries, Katie revealed the procedure is booked for next month. The news shocked Princess, 19, who questioned if she's going to have her "twenty hundredth boob job". Katie explained she's having surgery because her breasts are different sizes, saying, "It's booked in for September. Only one, because it's a bit smaller."
Katie's surgery history
The mum-of-five, who married fourth husband Lee, 43, in January just days after meeting him, last week revealed she has lost count of the number of procedures she's had. When asked how many boob jobs she'd had, Katie admitted she has "no idea" before adding, "But many." When asked if the estimate of 17 or 18 was correct, Katie replied, "I don't think I've had 17, but I couldn't tell you." However, she guessed she has had between 30 and 40 surgeries in total.
Despite appearing blasé about going under the knife again, her loved ones are concerned. "Her family are extremely worried about it and think it's the wrong thing to do. She doesn't need to have any more surgery," says the source. "She's had it so many times and, of course, there's always the risk of infections and complications. She's nearly 50 now and it gets more dangerous the more you have. But you can't tell her."
Children's distress
Son Junior, 21, expressed his despair on his sister's reality show last month, saying it makes him "sad". In a heartbreaking scene, he said, "My mum's had so much surgery – I don't know how many operations she's had, probably 30 to 40. It's ridiculous. I don't know how her body can deal with that. I do get a bit scared because it's dangerous. But she doesn't love herself and I wish she did. I love her and I tell her she's beautiful, but it's sad because she can't see it."
Princess added, "For as long as we can remember, we've seen her bandaged up from surgery, so when we see her looking different, it's not a shock for us. I think Junior, more so, feels sad because he doesn't want mum to feel like she has to change things about herself."
Psychological perspective
TV psychologist Emma Kenny sheds light on why Katie may feel the need to change her body during a relationship crisis: "The concern with Katie is that cosmetic surgery appears to have become woven into the way she responds to difficult periods in her life. We cannot know precisely what has motivated this particular decision, and it would be unfair to claim that any reported uncertainty surrounding her relationship with Lee is definitely responsible. However, there does appear to be a broader pattern in which surgery becomes particularly prominent during moments of emotional turmoil, relationship difficulty or personal crisis."
Emma explains that because relationships are "unpredictable", altering her appearance may provide Katie with a "temporary sense of control". She says, "Other people's behaviour cannot be controlled. Public opinion cannot be controlled. However, an operation can be booked, a date can be placed in the diary and a new version of the self can be imagined."
Just last month, Katie admitted the turmoil surrounding her and Dubai-based Lee's marriage had become "overwhelming", in light of reports he had attempted to sell a sex tape featuring the star. "It's just become one whole noise," she said. "I don't know what's going through his head."
Emma warns that "attempting to resolve emotional distress through physical transformation" is a dangerous step. "Katie has spoken about the relationship between her feelings about her body and her experiences with men," she says. "That connection is important. If someone has repeatedly felt criticised, rejected, compared with other women or made to believe that their value rests primarily upon their appearance, they may begin trying to reshape themselves in the hope of becoming impossible to abandon."
