Kerry Katona has spoken out about her brief encounter with convicted child predator Rolf Harris, calling him a "very grumpy old man" during their time together on the children's TV show SMTV: Live. Her comments come after the release of the documentary Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator, which reignited discussions about the disgraced entertainer's history of abuse.
Katona's Column and Nolan's Allegations
In her column for New magazine, Katona addressed the documentary indirectly, saying: "I haven't seen the Rolf Harris documentary but I did see Coleen Nolan claiming that he'd repeatedly insist on 'kissing her on the lips' when she was 10." She added: "I worked with him once on SMTV. All I remember was a very grumpy old man. I don't worry about my kids if they were to go into showbiz though - they're so emotionally mature. They know more about boundaries than I ever did at their age!"
Coleen Nolan, a singer and television personality, previously recounted her childhood encounters with Harris on Loose Women. She stated: "I thought 'oh I don't like it if he goes to kiss me' because he always tried to kiss you on the lips. And with a ten-year-old that's just weird. I straightaway thought that was weird so I'd be like [swerve away] so I just wouldn't kiss him, it was always slightly mouth open." Discussing her famous siblings in The Nolans, she added: "When it all came out into the public domain and everything was talked about and discussed, their instinct was 'oh I'm not surprised.' Whereas I was like: 'What? Rolf Harris? Because to me he was, when I was 10, obviously, he was fun, he played the instruments and loved animals. So I never picked up on that apart from the kissing side of things.'"
Katona's Personal Life and Future Plans
In another part of her column, Katona reflected on her recent work and family life: "By the time you read this, I'll have finished my run of Super Troopers. I loved it so much, but it took a lot out of me - especially juggling it with other projects and just being a mum! I have some nice Pride appearances this month, then I'm taking August off, just to spend quality time with Paolo and the kids. I've been in fight or flight mode for 44 years and now I have a really special set-up with my family - I want to stop and appreciate that."
