‘I wiped my hands of her’: Kerry Katona fights back tears over not doing more to prevent aunt’s death from alcoholism

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Kerry Katona fought back tears as she confessed she ‘could have done more’ to prevent her aunt’s death from alcoholism.

The Atomic Kitten star, who has battled substance abuse in the past, joined Kym Marsh and Gethin Jones on BBC’s Morning Live where she opened up about losing her beloved family member Angela to addiction earlier this year.

‘As a family member, because I’ve been on the other side of it, even I wiped my hands of her, God um,’ Kerry said, visibly upset.

‘That sense of guilt, even her own children, we all feel that we could have done more and as a family, if you can’t see something it’s really hard to understand it.’

She continued: ‘If somebody comes to you and says I’ve got cancer, people are a lot more understanding but if somebody comes to you and says I’m an alcoholic, you get angry because technically you’re doing that to yourself and you can’t understand why you’re doing that to yourself.

‘Why can’t you stop it? Because I did stop myself with my addiction, I should know better but there’s that sense of anger with a family member that you know, you want to shake them but it isn’t that easy.’

Kerry also spoke about overcoming her own addiction battle and stated that if she can do it, so can others.

‘I think also as well, surrounding yourself with the right people who are your friends as well and exercise is a massive, massive factor,’ she said. ‘But what I have just achieved, after 13 years of being bankrupt, twice, I’ve just finally bought my own house!

‘So for me that’s a huge achievement, from going from the depths of low and despair and drugs and drink and divorces, I mean I could be here all day but I don’t think we’ve got the time!’

Morning Live airs weekdays at 9am on BBC One.

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