From the archive (season 6): Katie Price

0:00This is The Guardian.

0:30wallow in this little selection of the most cocklewarming interviews. Now, let me set the scene. It was a normal Tuesday lunchtime. My doorbell rang. I swing open the door and standing there is the prolific, the iconic, the ball of energy that is Katie Price. I'm telling you, she did not stop talking until she left exactly one hour later. Hold on to your hats listeners it's katie price just a note this episode does contain references to suicide and strong language so please take care while listening you find me this week stretching i'm lying on my back on the sheepskin rug in my living room i am trying to perform a simple task of just getting my right leg up and then straight.

1:31Oh, oh, I need. Okay, life hack of the week. I think a lot of things you're told you need in life are actually absolutely free. You do not need a£50 a month gym membership. plus if you do you're stretching at home you don't need to suffer the indignity of the public farting another guest is arriving in 30 minutes to comfort eat with me and truly i have wanted to meet her for as long as i can remember because ladies and gentlemen this woman about to walk into my living room is a glamour model a mum of five a force of nature a living study of reality TV longevity, she is a survivor. It could only be one person.

2:27It's Katie Price. She's been part of our lives for almost 30 years, ever since her first glamour shoot for The Sun's Page 3 in 1996. Since then, there's been six autobiographies, six reality TV series, a Sunday Times best-selling novel and two appearances on I'm a Celebrity. She is one of the most recognised faces in the country. Now I come to think of it, I reckon that she does her stretching. Oh, I reckon she's quite supple. As you know, I am all about the important questions. what food maketh a woman as productive and well-documented as Katie Price? Come on, we're about to find out.

3:28Oh my God, Katie Price. Welcome to Comfort Eating. I love it and the best thing is you don't know what's under there and you'd never guess. Do you really not know? I have no idea what is under that tea towel. That's the best thing, though. I was just going to say, before we look at the food, your nan was a topless mermaid on the south coast. And she used to sit in a glass tank and punters would put a coin in a telescope to look at her. But apparently, I hear she got the sack in the end for smoking a fag in the tank. Have you ever been sacked from a job? No, because I work for myself, so I'm not going to sack myself.

4:15Have you never walked out of a job midway? Because I always say I've never been sacked, but I've definitely just stood up and walked out and just never came back. Sometimes I've wanted to say, do you know what? I'm not feeling this, but I still will do it because I'm professional. I hear that you have never actually heard a podcast. Never. So I went to London. They do the podcast show or something I went to and I had all the audience who had tickets to watch me on stage. And when I said to them, well, do you know what, everyone? I've actually never heard or watched or whatever you do to a podcast.

4:52And I think they were mortified because they're like proper geeks at it all. But I haven't. Will you listen to this podcast? Well, I'm hearing this one live. Now, every week, my guest brings me their guilty pleasure. The one thing that they like to put in their chops when no one's looking. Katie, you must be one of the most filmed women in history. But please show me what you hoover up when the cameras have left. Right. First of all, can I explain before you open this? I love it when a guest desperately starts trying to explain because I could see a little flicker of embarrassment. No, I can't wait.

5:32I'm starving. Oh. Because I'm so random what I like to eat. But this is something, I don't know why I like it and my kids love it. But people say that's the most tasteless thing ever, but I love the texture and I just love it. Darling, I want you to unveil your snack. It's very simple. Let's see it.

5:58what is that it's bland okay looks like my cat i've got a bald sphinx cat it looks bald it looks like bald food doesn't it please explain what your snack is my snack is pepper olive oil a nice big round juicy mozzarella ball and avocado. You know, it's one of the healthiest snacks we've had on here. And I'm not healthy, but I just love it. I don't even know how to tackle this. I would polish all of that. I like the texture and I always want to squash that. Please, please. Yeah, I am. Squash the... Oh, look at that. Would you not have a little bit of bread? But not if I'm just going in my fridge.

6:45I'm too lazy this would just be easy to do and quick I mean you're fairly lazy I love it you're fairly lazy if you can't be arsed to even just butter a piece of bread but when you get my tub of butter and it's got either Marmite in it or Nutella where the kids have dipped it in and wanted different stuff I haven't got time to squish it out the way I love avocado though you've got a bit on your lip no you've got it that's how we do it in Carlo that's how we wear it and I keep eating please keep eating no The most skillful guests eat everything as they're being interviewed and they don't even think about it.

7:21I feel like... Chicken tonight. Yeah, I feel like chicken tonight. You look so happy with your avocado. I love it. This is so happy. You're so happy.

7:39I feel like everybody thinks that they know you. like everyone does and you've been right across the media landscape for almost 30 years. Before you were Katie Price, you were Jordan. Take the ball, carry on. Before you were Katie Price, you were Jordan, Patriot Glamour model. Before that, you were Katrina, Amy, Alexandra, Alexis, Infield. What the hell was my mum on? Since then, there's been six autobiographies, hundreds of hours of reality telling but do you think that I do know you or is there a whole other Katie Price that people just don't know I'm very underestimated is what I'd say because you never hear about the stuff I do for charity you never hear that I compete on my horses you never hear about me walking all the dogs this that you never hear what I do with the family there's such a different side and I'm actually quite boring I'm such a homely person I love being at home what you're saying is there's a coziness about you that you don't feel people see or know I've heard this motto with you never underestimate the pricey I admire that motto so much I've ended up saying it a lot myself about never underestimate the dent do you?

9:07I love that What is the one thing that really annoys you that you are misjudged about though? I think people think I'm proper damaged goods, but I would say I'm a survivor. Why does it upset you that you think that people might think that you're damaged goods? Because the media have damaged me a lot. They write all these fake stories. People around me have done stories. I've had a colourful life. But the sad thing is that a lot of people these days, they know Casey Price, but they don't know my Jordan days. And I don't think a lot of people realise I've done a hell of a lot in my life, seen a lot like good things, worked a lot.

9:51But I'm still humble. I'm down to earth.

10:01This rollercoaster all began for you career-wise in 1996 when you were 18. I'm always fascinated by how goal-orientated people really are. I'm interested in planners. For instance, when I was 13, I made a plan to leave Carlisle, come to London. Nothing was going to stop me. Looking at your career so far and thinking of the teenager at her first glamour shoot for The Sun and all that's followed, my question is, was there a plan? My dreams have come true and beyond. we found an English book and basically it said I either want to be a model a pop star or work with horses and I always wanted a house with my own horses swimming pool lots of animals and I wanted a lot of kids and I always wanted to get married and have that fairy tale and my dream car was a Vitara jeep a black one because I wanted to wear a black cat suit in it how random's that so there's a notebook that you've actually written an English book what for I think I was about 11 so all my dreams have come true did you get the jeep oh I've had one yeah well Range Rover's better than bloody Vitara but no I bought a Vitara jeep a grey one for 1300 pounds and had it done all pink and I never drove I got it for the dogs and had all Barbie written on the side So, yeah, it was a manual and I loved it.

11:28Let's go back a little bit. We're going to go back to before Jordan, before the modelling. Yeah. I want to know about the young Katie, your childhood. Let's think about you, about nine years old. You're living in Brighton with your mum and dad, big brother Dan, your little sister Sophie, who's just been born. Yeah. Tell us about family life. I always remember at home in the kitchen, and my mum would always have like spaghetti bolognese on because she used to say, can you just stir it while I go upstairs? And I remember always going, mum, is it done? Is it done? You know, and it bubbles. And then when she had my sister, I loved it.

12:05Like I even remember she had a Dreamer McLaren buggy. I remember it. And it was all like lilac. So this little baby comes along and you're just excited about the buggy and excited about her. All of it, all the creams, everything. Cuddling Wrapping them up in blankets Love it See I just Never had that Like I just didn't Have you got kids? No So you either do or you don't Yeah when I was That age Like I just remember going to Friends houses That had babies That age And I just I didn't like the noise And the screaming I remember picking babies up And screaming in my ear Really so I like the challenge Of calm And I don't know why If you put a baby on When they stop I've just got that knack.

12:51And you had that as a little girl. And you're saying your mum used to leave you with a spagabole. Yes. And what else? Do you remember cornflake packets? Me and my brother used to, when there was a new packet, used to get a toy in it. Yeah. So when there was a new packet, when my mum went shopping, mum and dad, I would always open it, not even have the seal, just dig down and get what was in it. They don't do stuff like that these days, do they? It was so exciting. when there was a toy in that. Wasn't it? So, like in the Frosties. Yes. Like something at the bottom of like, or saving up tiger tokens or something.

13:29All of that, do you remember? But food in our house, I've been brought up with big dinners. Look, I didn't even save you avocado. I don't know what my belly's going to be like later. I've had four. Was it four avocados? You've eaten two full avocados. And polished it. Like, honestly, like a wild animal. But this morning, do you know what my breakfast was? Coffee in a fag. No, I don't smoke. Do you not? Never smoked in my life. I'd have liked a little ciggy. No, I vape. And that's only been four or five months and I want to stop that. But I actually had a sausage egg McMuffin McDonald's with two hash browns and an orange juice.

14:08Babe, it's barely lunchtime and that was your breakfast. Yeah. And tonight, I'm going to cook. I love this woman. Tonight, everyone loves my roast potatoes You're doing roast potatoes tonight No, I'm not, they want it, but I'm not I am going to do lamb chops, I like them quite burnt Mashed potato, peas and gravy As a kid and as a teenager, you were really sporty You swam for Sussex But it's fair to say your greatest love was horses And you spent a lot of time at your local stables let's go there take me down to the stables what is it that you loved about being with horses i just love making their beds brushing them cleaning their tack making their food i spent hours chopping their carrots up putting the garlic powder in make my little potion i like it when they blow their air out and the smell and just kissing their nose is it the caring yeah you like the paint in their toes but then i used to love riding out and i remember just singing and talking to my horse i must look like bright and natter but they're referring little girl kissing its nose but when you're a little girl they must have been especially big and frightening you know they could they could shock you soon as i finished school that was it on my bike i was a grubby little girl always in my dirty jobpers playing around in the fields getting my horses just putting the lead rope and head collar on and just gallop up the hill so did you own a horse i had it on loan and then my mum bought me my first horse when I was 14 and it was an X-Race horse.

15:49I remember looking at other girls in the yard who have had like Arabs and nice horses and stuff like that thinking, oh, why can't I have one like that? Because mine was grubby and hairy but I used to just always want to keep them clean. Is it hard going to the stables when you're young and there's some girls that have just got really expensive horses? No, I always just think, oh, I'd love one of them But now I've had it, got it. So I'm like, it doesn't matter now because I've worked towards getting what I wanted. So I got it. Yeah. Do you think it spurred you on? I think when you come from a family that's got nothing and you want something, you realize I've always known the value of money to know you work if you want something.

16:33Being down at the stables, really physical work, really long days. I was fit. I was so fit. What were you eating down there? Suck on the hay. and suck on the hay. I used to like the juice of it. Hang on a minute. You used to eat the horse food. Yeah, so my son does it as well. Like all the little corn bits in. Individually, I would be like, what does that taste like? I don't know. I'd just try anything. I don't know. I like smells of things and taste and texture. So you're a little girl and you're going down to the stables and when you're hungry, you would have a bit of the horse food. Yeah, I wouldn't just have like loads, but I'd always try little bits and it used to have brand.

17:11Some of us used to have brand for them and I used to just eat loads of that. And then the carrots, polos. So you used to eat the carrots for the horses and the polos? Yeah. And then sugar cubes. They just don't do them anymore. You just basically became a human horse. Yeah, basically, yeah. Let me ask you one question about school. Hated it. Apart from reading, writing and arithmetic, what is the biggest thing that school taught you? Absolute jack shit. Really? I can't. I look at the kids' work. Where did algebra get me? Why did they make me learn algebra? Did you hate school? I hated school. Did you do GCSEs?

18:02Not all of them in the end. No, I hated school. I just wanted to be with the horses. they used to call me a dreamer at school because I used to always say I'm going to be famous I'm going to be a pop star or a model I always used to say it just weird I always knew I wouldn't do a normal job it's so I can't explain it to her not I just always know I'd look in the mirror and go now you're going to be famous and that one I just knew

18:34let's talk about early modeling days your first big shoot is when you're 18 for the sun and it goes absolutely bananas after that you are the darling of the tabloids you're known as jordan everybody wants a piece of you what is it about the character jordan that drove everyone crazy do you think i just think it was my must have been my personality because i'm always like well what did i do different to anyone else but there was something about you i don't know what it was point it was the same time as loaded being massive they loved you melinda messenger yeah she was there yeah fhm i've got so many awards from decade girl of the year all of that fhm i worked in magazines around that point and i knew loads of the guys from loaded and they said that the reason why you and some of the girls that were coming up with you at that time were so popular is because there was a certain glimmer there that felt that boys felt that they could to get off with in their dreams yeah but you know me in their dreams yeah but there was a it was sexy but there was a girl next door I think with me and people still say it now if I'm in front of a camera they say my eyes change I don't know what I don't know they I sort of do some with my eyes and they're like Kate there's something about you when you're in front of a camera you just come alive there's something they just people just love watching me do photo shoots I don't know what it is but do you think it's like channeling like is it sexy or is it sex i don't know i just love being in front of the camera it's like i've become an animal i just know exactly how to pose this that and you always did and i still do like from the first time yeah i love it you go to do page three the first time i mean that is yeah i'm gonna swear it's fucking terrifying no i loved it it's weird people used to see me topless on the beach so to me it was like what difference but there's a massive difference like 20 people see you toddlers on the beach everybody's going to see this when you're on the street forever it didn't bother me oh my god this is it i find that fascinating no i love being in front of the camera i even saw this i don't think i'd ever get bored of it did you not walk away on the first day at all and go well that's that then i've okay no i've shown everybody i was actually really full because it was beverly goodway i did the pictures and it used to fascinate me because as soon as I'd get there he had to order me two big large jacket potatoes with loads of butter cheese onion cottage cheese and he used to say hey this is just extraordinary he just would like he says I've never known a girl apart from you who wants to eat two jacket potatoes and then do a shoot so I always knew because it was um near Holborn that I'd get there and I'd get these beautiful jackets I wouldn't have one that wouldn't feel It has to be two.

21:33I honestly can't believe what I'm hearing because if I had to do a bikini shoot like tomorrow, the last jacket potato I would have had would have been about 2022. But I know how to breathe in. I've mastered how you breathe in.

22:04Success came quick and fast. You were working by day, partying by night. Were you enjoying this flashy life you suddenly had? Loving life I was. Sugary, red hue, it was all them days. Do you remember them? Yeah, I do remember them. And Aporium, the nightclub, and then the other one was Attica. Oh my God, I used to wear my little skirts. They were like nine inches long. I remember because I used to have them altered to that I've got to ask a question I've always wanted to know So you're going out for the night in the 90s And you always used to have a 9 inch skirt With no pockets Obviously You'd have like a bikini top or a belt Round your boobs Where was your stuff?

22:48Where was your credit card? My friend's pockets Or their bag I might have a tiny one Where was everything? I don't take anything out with me There was no lipstick. Where was your house keys? Oh, Sally had them, my friend. And we'd always just wear the same lip gloss. So I'd say to them, can I borrow your lip gloss in the toilet or something? Did you never go to leave the house and think, I've got no clothes on? No, I loved it. The less I had on, the better. Then I used to drive the car because sometimes I didn't drink, so I'd drive there. So me and Sally used to listen to the music, pull up outside the club.

23:24They'd go and park it. We'd be like, whoa, we're getting out now. and I don't know, I love them. I'm smiling because they were such good days. Am I allowed to vape in there? Yeah, vape, vape, please do. When you used to come back from the party, on the way home, did you used to eat then? Yes, there was a place at the bottom of Edgeware Road and I remember there was this singer called Finley Quay. I used to see him in there. Do you remember them days? Where's the name that comes from? Finley Quay was an integral part of 90s London, at that point. Isn't it mad, yeah. You couldn't go out without seeing him, he was there.

24:01Yeah, and I remember being at Edgware Road, the bottom of it is if you're coming down, on the right hand side there was perfect kebab shops, they were like oh, they did them so well. If it wasn't that, we'd go home, me and Sally, because we lived together then. Beans on toast, always a good one, or a cup of tea and marmite on toast. That's all what we'd ever have.

24:32can i ask you about uh hugh hefner inviting you to stay in his mansion i was there eight weeks you're the you're there eight weeks you are the first uk woman to be on the cover of american playboy the headline is london's legendary bad girl jordan love it what is it like in that mentioned loved it and i hear all these stories i'm slagging you off and i'm like you've got to give him credit like why would you slag him i lived and breathed that place and he'd have a main girlfriend and on mondays wednesdays and fridays were the nights he'd go out and he's got one main girlfriend and holly madison does he shag the other ones so is he shagging the other ones but i wanted me to be a girlfriend but i just couldn't have sex with him why not it's like doing a grandad.

25:24It's not for me. Could you not? But I like the guy. Close your eyes and think of England. No, I'm not that kind of girl. I'm an emotional girl. Don't do one-night stands. Don't do anything like that. I'm emotional and I couldn't bear the thought of if I had a one-night stand, waking up that rejection, no thank you, and I haven't been brought up that way either. How do you know when he wants to have sex with you? Well, they all go in his room on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It was quite an experience. The thing I want to know is when you're there, how do you eat? Is there like room service? There's a phone, not a mobile.

25:58A phone is what we had in them days. And you'll dial down and just ask for what you want. I used to like their macaroni, cheese and a hot chocolate. So they used to bring it up. I can't imagine there's a lot of hard carbs and cheese getting eaten in the Playboy. Oh, I did. I just always eat a lot though. And then they bring it up for you. Yeah. and if you want more you phone down for whatever you want they'll bring anything is that exciting well when I was that young it's different like imagine I'm in awe of it oh it's different isn't it yeah then you'd go down go and see the monkeys and all that if you want to go and swim in the grotto these were the days he didn't have parties then on a Sunday he'd always invite directors, producers famous people to do movie night and we'd sit at the front with him on the beanbag I've got so many questions Did you have to have sex with the people that came over?

26:50No, I didn't have sex with anyone. But did the other girls? If they, his girlfriends, they did, yeah. But no, I mean, people can say it was seeded there, but I didn't, if you want to be in a, you can be in a seedy world anywhere. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. It's not like the girls didn't go there and know what they would want to do. But then he treated the girls really well as well. Are you saying that it's almost like not, it's just as seedy as the stuff that you've seen going on in London? No, I've seen a lot more stuff go on in London stuff. I mean, he looked after everyone who was around him.

27:39I'm going to talk a little bit about reality telly. I could talk to you about it all day. so I had a taste of it I was on I'm a celeb before Christmas I saw you and I can cope with scrutiny but I don't thrive under scrutiny I don't thrive I don't think anyone should I don't think that's healthy and when I have small doses of things going really big in the media stressful I don't like it right but I've always felt like you're the queen of it I don't like it but I have to learn to deal with it. What else can I do? I can't. I always say to people, say if you don't like it, leave the industry. But how can I leave the industry?

28:21This is all I know. I only know having a camera in my face. I only know to do photo shoots. I don't know any different. I don't know what it's like to have a nine to five job. I don't know what it's like to get up and commute to a job. I'm only here because the public have made me stay here because they've just fascinated with everything about me. But I don't do anything to create the media. so I don't care if the media never write about me again. I wish they wouldn't because they don't ever say anything nice and positive. I hate the media. I can't say it any more than that. If you don't want to write about me again, don't.

28:55Don't care. Really? Because they damage my head so much. Yes, I'd say that with full because I think the journalists have a responsibility. I don't think they realise how they damage people. It's not fun and games with them anymore. It's evil. They don't physically abuse me. They mentally abuse me. And I'm so 100 % mean that. You, one celebrity, Big Brother, you were in I'm a Celeb twice. And then you've had six of your own reality TV shows. Shows, yeah. Do you regret making your life so public? No, I love filming. I love filming reality because you get to see me. The media is different to TV.

29:40Media writes stuff. They put the worst pictures in, the worst headlines. They write crap. Whereas TV programs, I love doing it. They're fun. I just don't like how the media treat me. It's so unfair. You've been married three times. Rebounds and rebounds. I don't call them real marriages. They're rehearsals. Peter Andre, not a real marriage. If you knew what I knew, all I can say on that is if you read my mum's book because I've sort of been gagged so I have to be careful what I say but if you read my mum's book my mum hasn't been gagged and there's loads of TikToks that were about now of how he was with me was he in love with me I don't actually know now I don't know if it was all fake I don't know but I was in love with him you was uh Alex Reed in 2010.

30:33Oh no, that is the worst trauma I've been through as well. Alex. Oh, mental. Awful. Yeah. What like? You go back to 2013, Kieran Heyer, you were with him for a while, 2013 to 2021? Because I thought he'd change and he never would just cheated, cheated, cheated, cheated, cheated. And what broke me was two of my best friends of 25 years who you think have your back. He had long affairs with him as well. I mean, who didn't have an affair? It's all out in the public domain. Destroyed me and he still tries through this day. Darling, I can see. Your face has gone from happiness when we were talking about sugar reef to now.

31:19Yeah, I have therapy about it now. Trauma. All I say is trauma. If I say to you right now, where do you stand on love right now, today? I'm exhausted with relationships because I feel I give, I give, I give. And then they don't like it because I'm independent, don't need to rely on them. If that's just my defense mechanism, I've got five kids. I would never rely on any man to be a father figure or pay for my kids. I don't want anyone to pay for me. I'm like, it's a defense thing. It's like a pride thing for me i'm independent but all i want from a man is loyalty love and just let me do my job without moaning and bringing me down about what i do or where i go or because i am a people person and some men don't like it a lot of them most of them what is the way into your heart do you like being wined and dined i've never yeah i've never had a man that spoilt me as in taking with shopping that never and some of my friends i'm like how how how do you get a man to take you shopping you hear like oh my man bought me these shoes or this or paid for me to go on holiday and i'm like what where do you find these men i've never found any man who would just random so let's go shopping let me buy or come home with a bottle of perfume so a man's never said to you i've got a table for two at a restaurant no get ready and go no would you like that it'd be nice never had it let me talk a little bit about you kids you are very proud mum of you've got Harvey 21 Junior 18 Princess 16 Jet 10 and Bunny 9 that is and I want more no my eggs are getting old maybe you've got a lot of kids Oh, no, I'm not done.