Kerry Katona says she 'wanted to kill myself' after 2008 This Morning interview, blames medication for bipolar disorder

Kerry Katona told a podcast audience that she contemplated suicide after her widely criticised 2008 appearance on ITV's This Morning, saying the backlash left her in a state of "sheer panic" and later attributing her slurred speech on camera to medication for bipolar disorder.

Speaking on Paul C. Brunson's We Need To Talk podcast, the former Atomic Kitten singer said the interview, which she called "the number one car crash interview ever," triggered an intense reaction. "I wanted to kill myself as I drove up to the house," she said, describing how camera crews, paparazzi and hostile neighbours compounded her distress.

Katona said she was questioned on the programme by host Phillip Schofield about her speech — his line of questioning included asking whether she was "OK" and noting that her words sounded slurred. She told listeners she insisted on air that she was "absolutely fine" and that the slurring was a side effect of medication she takes for bipolar disorder.

"ITV was my home. I loved it. It was like stability. But in that moment it was sheer panic," she said. Katona has repeatedly said she felt belittled during the interview and has pointed to a combination of medication and a long-standing speech pattern as explanations for how she sounded.

On a separate broadcast appearance referenced by Katona, she said she has had speech therapy and described having a "lazy tongue" and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, which can affect articulation. She said those factors, when combined with medication, altered her speech and contributed to the negative public reaction that followed the broadcast.

Katona told the podcast she struggled with the aftermath, but credited her children with preventing her from acting on the suicidal thoughts. She said the public focus on the incident and other personal difficulties has for years overshadowed her professional achievements.

The 2008 interview attracted intense media attention at the time, with some viewers and outlets accusing the star of being intoxicated on air. Katona has consistently denied being drunk during the broadcast and has said the episode remains one of the most discussed moments of her career.

In recent months she has also addressed her personal life in the public eye. Katona and her partner, personal trainer Paolo Magaglione, who met on the reality show Celebs Go Dating, have defended their relationship after social media users suggested he sought fame through the match. The couple answered questions in an Instagram video in which Katona dismissed concerns about his motives and praised the relationship, saying she had "never been this happy." Magaglione denied that he was "fame hungry," and said viewers could see the connection between them.

Katona's account adds to longstanding public conversations about how mental health conditions, their treatment and media scrutiny intersect. Mental health experts have previously warned that highly publicised incidents can deepen stigma and contribute to distress for people living with psychiatric disorders. Clinical guidelines recommend careful consideration of medication side effects and support when individuals face intense public attention, and family and social supports are often cited as protective factors against suicide.

Katona has not disclosed specific medications. Her comments come amid wider media and public debate about responsible coverage of celebrities' mental health struggles and the potential harms of speculative reporting. ITV and other broadcasters have faced growing scrutiny over how they handle vulnerable guests, while campaigners urge greater sensitivity and follow-up support after programmes that draw public attention to a person's health or behaviour.