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'I haven't taken my meds over slurring fears' admits bipolar Kerry Katona as she returns to GMTV sofa
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:03 AM on 29th May 2009
Kerry Katona returned to breakfast TV today for the first time since her erratic appearance on This Morning last year.
Wearing an incredibly low-cut top, the reality TV star admitted she had skipped taking her bi-polar medication last night in preparation for GMTV today because she was afraid of a repeat of last year's appearance.
During a joint interview with clinical psychologist Dr Funke Baffour, Kerry appeared nervous as she shuffled on her seat and fiddled with her ear throughout the chat.
At point, she appeared to loose track of what she talking about and asked GMTV host: 'What was I saying?'
The mother-of-four was criticised last October for her shambolic appearance on This Morning, where she appeared to be slurring.
At the time Kerry insisted her garbled speech was down to her bipolar medication and angrily rebuffed suggestions by host Fern Britton that she had been drinking.
The 28-year-old said today that she was so nervous about being portrayed badly she didn't take her medication in case it made her slur again.
She said: 'I never took my medication last night because I was so embarrassed about what happened on This Morning I didn't want to slur. I don't mind doing it on my show.
'But I thought if I take my meds last night, because it's early in the morning I'll start slurring I'll just get criticised again because the public don't understand it.
'I was nationally embarrassed because of my medication and illness.'
Today's interview with Andrew and Emma Crosby on the GMTV sofa came 18 months after she last appeared on the show, in which she was criticised for her bizarre appearance on the show.
In October 2007, Kerry made headlines after she slurred her words and wrapped her arms around Andrew.
She insisted her 'hyperactivity' was down to Effexor, which she was taking at the time to control her psychiatric condition.
Clearly still hurt from her interview with Fern and Philip Schofield last October, Kerry said today: 'What annoyed me about it was they never approached me and asked what medication I was on, "what is bipolar?"
'They just said to me "have you been drinking?"
'It still upsets me now, I was nationally embarrassed because of medication and illness.'
As Dr Funke described how bipolar sufferers often go out and impulsively buy things, Kerry giggled as she said 'like cars'.
Kerry and her husband Mark have been spotted with a variety of expensive cars over the last year, despite the couple being declared bankrupt.
Kerry said: 'He's got a skyline now. I don't buy cars. I swap them. When I'm on a high, I do go out and spend lots of money.'
She praised her second husband Mark, who she briefly split from in March, for his patience coping with her condition.
She said: 'My bi-polar affects him as well and he just deals with it. I'm sure you see in the show I go over the top, I'm on a low, I sit in the bedroom crying, just because I can't handle things.
'After This Morning I got criticised so much and no one approached me about bi-polar but the show has opened it up.
'They've even put a character (Stacey Branning) in EastEnders with bi-polar which is really good. So hopefully now people will learn a lot about bi-polar through my show.'
Kerry said she has had the condition since 2004, admitting it was clearly evident when she watches recordings of her on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, which she won.
She said: 'I'm not in denial, I know I'm crazy. I've had this since 2004, I obviously had it when I was in the jungle.'
Last week, it was reported Philip has banned Kerry from returning to This Morning.
Philip was said to be willing to bring her back on the show, but changed his mind after she criticised him on her MTV reality show What's The Problem?
An ITV spokesperson said: 'Both This Morning and Loose Women care for Kerry Katona and her well-being but felt that the time was not right at this moment.'
Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition which affects the diagnosed' moods.
Sufferers can go from depressive, sad states to feelings of extreme highs and jubilation.
Around one in 100 people in the UK are believed to suffer from the condition.
