Kerry Katona admits Whitney Houston’s death was a wake-up call: ‘It could have easily been me’

Kerry Katona thinks the deaths of Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston were a wake-up call (Picture: John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images)

Kerry Katona has revealed that watching the headlines about Whitney Houston’s death was ‘the biggest wake-up call’ to her about her own drug use. 

The former Atomic Kitten star, 40, admitted the deaths of other stars made her realise how easily she could have been in their shoes. 

She wrote in her column for New! magazine: ‘This week marks 10 years since Amy Winehouse died. I can really relate to Amy. 

‘Her death on the front page of the newspapers could have easily been me. I remember the day she died, I just thought to myself, “I’m so glad I sorted my s**t out.”

‘And then a year later, Whitney Houston died. That was the biggest wake up call for me about drugs ever.’

This year marks a decade since Amy Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning in July 2011, while Whitney drowned in the bath with cocaine use listed as a contributing factor in February 2012.

Amy Winehouse died in 2011 at the age of 27 (Picture: JMEnternational/Redferns)

Kerry has been open about her past struggles with cocaine and how she has turned her life around in recent years. 

She explained: ‘It wasn’t that I was addicted to cocaine, I was just so lost and so lonely, that it was my only friend.

Cocaine was ruled a contributing factor in Whitney Houston’s death (Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

‘It was all I had at the time and I wanted to die. I’m so lucky to be alive.’

The mother-of-five recently shared her joy at getting herself a new home, signifying how far she had come since the darkest times in her life. 

More: Amy Winehouse

She revealed in a recent YouTube video: ‘I lived here when I lost everything. I was a millionaire and I lost everything when I lived here and I was doing loads of drugs and went bankrupt and lost my houses – I’m getting really upset – and now I am just about to go and get the keys to my new house. 

‘It’s all very, very overwhelming but I’m also very, very, extremely proud of myself. I’ve got that low in my life and climbed back up to where I am now, I feel a sense of achievement.’

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