Katie Price and Kerry Katona Navigate Friendship Amid UK Tour Pressure

Former glamour model-turned-entrepreneur Katie Price and pop-star-turned-reality-TV veteran Kerry Katona are currently embarking on a UK stage tour titled An Evening With Katie Price & Kerry Katona. Friends and industry insiders alike say the tour is exciting—but also fraught with the risk that the pair’s 20-plus years of friendship may come under strain as they weather the demands of life on the road together.

The pair, both now in their mid-40s (Price is 47 and Katona 45), are performing a series of live show-events across the UK in which they share personal anecdotes, reveal behind-the-scenes stories and address their longstanding complicated friendship. 

Raising eyebrows on tour
Their schedule is intense. At the London leg of the tour, Price reportedly shocked the audience when she alluded to the rape allegations against her ex-husband Kieran Hayler—allegations he denies. Price commented on “current news” and said she had “a real reason to be wary of things, I can’t say any more on it, but I’m sure you know what I’m getting to.” Her remarks triggered a wave of speculation. While publishing this sort of headline-grabbing commentary is hardly new for her, observers say raising such heavy topics live on stage while under tour stress can create a “pressure cooker” effect.

And it doesn’t stop there. At a later gig in Grimsby, Price is reported to have named the TV star she alleges raped her—an unprecedented step that adds another layer of intensity to the show. 

Friendship tested under pressure
According to a source close to the pair: “They’re both very highly-strung and have had a love-hate relationship. Kerry has been a very, very good friend to Katie and has really stuck by her, but there have been toxic rows that have led to a rocky friendship in the past.”

The insider noted: “At times Katie can have a tendency to be selfish, while Kerry can take on too much. Kerry has been a little upset when Katie's been late for their theatre performances. She's always supportive, but over time it can wear her down.”

Indeed, the combination of two high-profile personalities sharing a demanding schedule with children, past trauma and media scrutiny can create significant stress. “They both have commitments, their kids and a lot going on, so as the tour goes on, pals fear the tension could be a ticking time bomb. Kerry can only take so much, and it’s natural that they may fall out while spending so much time together,” the insider added.

A friendship with a long, turbulent history
Price and Katona first connected during their time on the reality series I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2004. Their friendship has had many ups and downs over the years. For example:

• Katona was a bridesmaid at Price’s wedding to Peter Andre in 2005, yet two years later their relations soured after Price called Katona a “druggie” and referred to Katona’s second husband as “a bully.”

• In 2008 Price was reportedly angry when Katona publicly criticised her parenting and didn’t invite her to her son Max’s baby shower.

• A later event in 2010 escalated when Katona suggested Price’s ex-husband Pete Andre would be the “ideal candidate” for her new boyfriend. A mutual friend described their dynamic as: “It is a strange relationship – one moment they're speaking, the next they're not. It's so turbulent and a bit toxic.”

Despite all this, they often find their way back to each other. In 2014 Katona asked Price to be her bridesmaid again, only for Price to pull out at the last minute citing post-birth size issues. In her 2022 autobiography Whole Again: Love, Life and Me, Katona admitted she was “not best pleased” by the turn of events.

And the reconciliation cycle continues: in late 2019 Katona publicly claimed Price had “crossed a line” with her plastic surgery—yet they were seen together again over Christmas and resumed their friendship. Notably, Katona’s daughters Heidi and Molly and Price’s daughter Princess (18) are also close, adding an inter-generational dimension to the relationship.

The tour effect & potential springboard for conflict
Industry commentators say that tours of this nature multiply stressors: long travel hours, repeated performances, public scrutiny, emotional content and expectation from fans. Katona herself told The Observer that the current tour with Price is about “how it feels when people do not want anything to do with you, and how easy it is to give up” — underlining the emotional weight behind the show. 

Given Price’s history of courting controversy and intense personal disclosures, there is concern among their circle that the tour might trigger conflict if one feels let down or if tension builds over time. The friend added: “They’re in each other’s pockets and want a bit of time off from each other, so Christmas is off the cards this year … Once the tour is over, the dust needs to settle and they need some space. It won’t be long before they make up, fall out, then make up again.”

What’s at stake
For Price and Katona, the tour offers a chance to re-brand themselves—to show resilience, to be honest about fame, trauma and friendship, and perhaps to salvage or strengthen their public image. But the stakes are high: if the tour falters, or if private tensions spill publicly, it could undermine their credibility with audiences and affect their future prospects.

As one long-time fan observed: the show promises “no filter” revelations, but the reality might expose more fissures than catharsis. Their friendship may well prove one of the show’s most compelling dramas—on stage, off stage and backstage.

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Sources include interviews and reporting by The Observer (Oct 2025) The Observer and a review in The Telegraph of the tour’s chaotic energy telegraph.co.uk.