Kerry Katona appears to make thinly-veiled jab at Atomic Kitten bandmates after decades-long feud with cryptic ‘old friendships’ dig

Kerry Katona has appeared to make a thinly-veiled jab at her Atomic Kitten bandmates after their decades-long feud. 

The singer, 45, who was just 18 when she joined Atomic Kitten, quit the band in 2001 after falling pregnant with her first child with her then-husband Brian McFadden – and was replaced by Jenny Frost. 

In 2020, Atomic Kitten reunited for the first time in 15 years as they recorded a special version of their hit single Whole Again for the Euros, which original member Kerry was notably absent.

Kerry addressed the group’s return at the time, telling one of her Instagram fans she ‘never left’ the band and thought they were ‘on a break’, going on to speculate the reason why she kept being left out of their reunions was she believed that they didn’t like her.

Now, Kerry has made a cryptic dig at her former bandmates amid the long-running feud – as she claimed to have no ‘old friendships to resolve’.

Speaking in her New! magazine column, Kerry said: ‘I saw some clips of Spencer Matthews and Jamie Laing doing a podcast where they spoke about how they have drifted apart over the last few years and hashed out disagreements they had, which I think is really good. 

‘It’s nice to be able to do that and admit where you have gone wrong, it’s different for everybody, but I don’t have any old friendships to resolve. 

‘Everyone in my life is in it for a reason, I have a small circle but that’s exactly how I like it.’

Earlier this year, Kerry’s former bandmate Liz McClarnon, 44, announced that she is pregnant with her first child, after a two-decade struggle to conceive.

At the time, Kerry insisted there is no ‘bad blood’ from her side and wished her ex bandmate well in her pregnancy and motherhood. 

Writing in her New! column, she said: ‘Massive congratulations to my former Atomic Kitten bandmate, Liz McClarnon, who is pregnant at 44.

‘I think she’s going to make a wonderful mum. I’m so excited and happy for her – she’s going to be amazing.’ 

‘I haven’t spoke to her in years but there’s no bad blood from me whatsoever. I wish her nothing but love, joy and happiness. She’ll be a phenomenal mother,’ she added.

This was in contrast to Kerry’s comments that she believed her former bandmates did not like her. 

She told OK! at the time of an Atomic Kitten reunion: ‘I was never asked to be part of it – I don’t know why! I get the feeling they don’t like me.’

The former popstar added that Natasha, Liz, and Jenny decided to ‘crack on without her’ but added: ‘I wish them all the best.’

In 2023, Kerry made a heartbreaking plea to ex bandmates Liz and Natasha, urging if they could put their ongoing feud to bed so they can be friends again.

Kerry wrote in her new! magazine column ‘life is too short’ and she is ‘really sad’ that she doesn’t speak to her band anymore.

She wrote: ‘When something like this happens it brings home how I feel about my relationship with the Atomic Kitten girls.

‘It’s really sad that we don’t talk. I’ve reached out to them so many times. Life is too short.’

Kerry, who was just 18 when she joined the group, revealed how the band used to fight back in the day before she was replaced by Jenny.

She continued: ‘I remember some of the fights we had in Atomic Kitten back in the day. 

‘Once, Liz punched me from behind after we had a little row. I was furious and got my own back.

‘I made her get changed in the toilets at SMTV Live, then I stamped on her feet while we were up on stage singing Whole Again.’