Katie Price's latest documentary, Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, aired on Sky Documentaries and is now available on Now. The one-woman phenomenon, known for her outspoken nature, delivers her typical candour, including a surprisingly frank comment about Hugh Hefner's body. However, the series offers little in the way of genuine insight, remaining a carefully manufactured product of the Price brand.
The Price Phenomenon
Price, also known as Jordan, has dominated headlines and television for three decades. Her ruthless self-commodification, vaulting ambition, and belligerence are as terrifying as they are fascinating. The documentary, directed by Paddy Wivell, who usually focuses on non-celebrity subjects, features interviews with Price's mother Amy, siblings, and exes. Amy provides a mix of enduring love, bafflement, and fury at her daughter's life decisions.
First boyfriend Gary Bolingbroke, a friend of her stepdad, appears, but the documentary does not press this point, suggesting Price retains control. Dane Bowers, Gareth Gates, and Alex Reid also give insights, but Dwight Yorke and Peter Andre are absent.
Candour Without Insight
Price is as candid as ever. She admits she didn't become Hugh Hefner's girlfriend after her 2001 Playboy cover because she thought it would be like sex with her grandad, and she was surprised by how young his willy looked. She recounts going to the abortion clinic three times when pregnant but leaving each time, reasoning that Yorke's wishes didn't dictate hers. She acknowledges hurt from breakups but says she always gets on with it.
However, candour is not insight. The documentary fails to contextualise her experiences within the misogyny of the era, and friends and family only assure us that Katie can be hard as nails but has a softer side.
A Carefully Manufactured Product
The documentary is as unreflective as any Price product. It does not explore what Price might have done without her looks, how she would have channelled her ambition, or whether her lifestyle is sustainable. Answers come there none. It is not her way.
