Kerry Katona All Smiles on Spanish Holiday After Stroke Fears
In a heartwarming turn of events, Kerry Katona has been spotted beaming in the sunshine during a family holiday in Spain, just days after a terrifying health scare that led to an ambulance dash over fears she was having a stroke. The 45-year-old celebrity, known for her resilience, decided to plough on with her planned trip to Marbella to celebrate her daughter Dylan-Jorge's 12th birthday, aiming to take her mind off recent health woes.
A Sudden Health Scare During a Play
The ordeal began earlier this week when Kerry fell ill while watching her eldest daughter, Molly, perform in a new play. Midway through the performance, she started to feel unwell, and after the show, she realised she couldn't smile properly—a major tell-tale sign of a stroke. Speaking about the incident, Kerry recounted, "As the day went on, I didn’t feel well. I went to the toilet and noticed my face wasn’t right. And Heidi was like, ‘Mum, what’s wrong with your face?’ I started panicking."
She discreetly left the venue and returned to her hotel, where she requested to see a doctor, telling staff, "Something’s not right." However, with no doctor available for four hours, the mum-of-five took a taxi to St Thomas’ Hospital in London. There, medical staff treated her condition as a potential stroke, blue-lighting her in an ambulance to King’s College Hospital for urgent care.
Hospital Tests and Diagnosis
At the hospital, Kerry underwent various tests, including CT scans, which ultimately ruled out a stroke. Instead, the scans revealed that a part of her brain was "broken" and unable to send signals to her face due to stress. Kerry explained, "It was a suspected stroke, but luckily that was ruled out after my scans. Instead the CT scans showed there’s a part of my brain that’s broken and isn’t able to send signals to my face due to stress."
She has since spoken to Anna Williamson from Celebs Go Dating about the condition, learning that it can also occur when feeling content, as delayed stress hits suddenly during moments of peace. Kerry added that she occasionally experiences shooting pains in her head and notices issues with her speech, where words don't sound right even though she thinks she's saying them properly.
Celebrating in Spain Despite Health Setbacks
Despite the scare, Kerry was well enough to fly to Spain with her boyfriend, Paolo Margaglione, and her blended family for the birthday celebrations. During the holiday, she bumped into Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ester Dee at the lavish Laguna Beach resort, where the pair posed for a photo, showing Kerry in high spirits. Ester Dee shared on Instagram, "Jeez, you come out for a quiet drink at @laguna_beach_estepona and you end up seeing the most loved up couple @kerrykatona7 and her sweetheart @paolomargaglione1."
Kerry admitted that she's feeling run down, possibly from balancing family life, and lacks a social life outside her close circle of Paolo and her children. This setback follows a string of health-related problems over the past year, including two heartbreaking miscarriages in 2025 after falling pregnant by Paolo, and a hospitalisation in January this year due to severe stomach pain diagnosed as colitis—a chronic illness causing inflammation of the rectum and colon.
As Kerry continues to recover, her sunny disposition in Spain serves as a testament to her strength and determination to enjoy life amidst challenges.
