Katie v Peter. Emily Herbert
she felt that the fact that she inhabited the world of the horsey set and Pete didn’t had caused increasing tension between them. ‘Pete didn’t like the fact I enjoyed myself riding and would always come back with a smile on my face,’ she told Sol. He would say, “Why are you so happy?” And he didn’t like me going out socialising and having fun. Then he confronted me about my relationship with Andrew and I told him I just loved riding, but he didn’t believe me.’
Of course, Katie was employing something of a selective memory here. In truth, the rows and tensions about any number of subjects had been simmering for months, but there was no doubt that she was absolutely shattered by what had gone on.
‘I spoke to Katie when she was in the Maldives just after the split,’ Sol continued. ‘It was evening and I was at home and she was in her villa. She was devastated. She said, “I can’t believe he walked out on me like that.”’
The final, televised row between the two (broadcast in the UK in May 2009) had centred on fame: which was the better known of the two? Although this had not been the issue that had finally forced them apart, it did bring the couple’s frequent rows out into the open. It was also one of the elements that had caused the public to feel very sympathetic towards Pete, but it was indicative of the kind of problems they had been experiencing and it certainly made for uncomfortable viewing.
The spat began when the duo were in a shop in the United States. Clearly, the shop assistant didn’t have a clue about either of them, but the two started to squabble about which of them was the more famous and matters very quickly got out of hand.
‘When someone knows who you are, and you come into a shop and you’re blatantly lying, you look a twat,’ Katie snarled, as the argument began to turn nasty.
‘Really? Shhh, Kate, zip it!’ returned Pete. He started speaking to the hapless shop assistant, who was looking as if he’d rather be anywhere but there. ‘So, have you heard of Kate?’ he asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ was his reply.
‘How do you feel now?’ demanded Pete, turning back to Katie. ‘How do you feel?’
‘You’re a fucking knob, I can’t stand you!’ said his wife.
‘Ahh, did I hurt your feelings?’ asked Pete. ‘Did he not know who you were?’
‘Oh, as if I’m bothered,’ responded Katie. ‘No one knows who you are; you’re an old fucking singer no one knows about!’
This was beginning to go too far.
‘You’ve got a real attitude problem,’ said Pete, who was looking furious.
‘Get over it, Pete. I want to go home!’ was her reply.
‘I’m so glad you guys are here to film this,’ said Pete to the film crew.
‘I’m so glad too, so you know what a knob you are!’ Katie replied.
‘You can see what kind of a stupid, miserable, arrogant cow she is,’ said Pete, and by this time it was becoming apparent that the row was really serious.
‘Arrogant, what, ’cos I’m talking to someone genuinely and you’re sitting there fucking lying? I can’t stand liars!’ Katie continued.
‘Really? You’ve got fucking issues,’ said Pete. ‘I can’t wait for you to watch this back and see how miserable you are.’
And now, alas, they finally got to the nub of it, which put Katie’s next comments to Sol into context.
‘I’m the one making money, Pete, so ’course I can have it how I want,’ said Katie.
‘What, don’t I make money?’ he demanded.
‘I don’t know, do you? Hurts, doesn’t it?’ Katie replied.
‘How fucking dare you talk to me like that! Think you’re gonna get away with it?’ Pete retaliated.
At this point, the two were forced to shut up.
It was this row about money, the point being that the person who had the higher profile was the one who earned more, which brought matters to a head and so it was hardly surprising, in the months that followed, that this continued to be an issue. Pete was deeply upset when some voices within the media suggested the split was just a publicity stunt (although by now it was becoming apparent that it was anything but) and now Katie seemed to think that he was using the parting to get publicity for himself, too.
‘Now I think he or his people are trying to exploit the situation for publicity,’ she told Sol. ‘He is trying to sensationalise it to launch his career. People don’t see Pete for what he really is – he is more competitive than he comes across. Pete could never accept the fact I was the star: he was always going to be in my shadow and he just couldn’t cope with it. He had a bit of success once, but he should have respected the fact that modelling as Jordan made the money.’
Perhaps it did, but no man wants to be made to feel second best. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered so much if Katie hadn’t rubbed his nose in it, but Pete had been a star in his own right back in the 1990s, and no one likes to feel like a has-been. And, while Katie was probably the bigger celebrity by the time they got together, as a couple they had risen to dizzying heights of fame that they would never have achieved on their own. They worked best together, which made it all the sadder that they could no longer continue as they had before.
According to Sol, matters were now so bad between the two of them that they had only spoken once since Pete walked out. Katie was also extremely bitter about what she saw as her husband’s attempts to relaunch his career.
‘He was unemotional and Katie had to keep herself under control,’ said Sol. ‘She has told me, “Why is he moving to Brighton when he is trying to revive his pop career? Why isn’t he moving to London? And, if it wasn’t for what I did to relaunch his career, he’d be looking for a bedsit somewhere!” Katie feels Brighton is her area, and this is going to only make things harder for them both to move on.’
Of course, the seaside town was also where the children lived and so it made perfect sense for Pete to want to be near by, but Katie seemed unable to see that. Instead, the bitterness just got worse. According to many reports, in her heart she still wanted Pete back, but he simply refused to play ball. And so, as the realisation began to dawn that this really was the end, Katie just got harsher and harsher.
‘I’m not going to hang on for him for one more second,’ she told Sol. ‘I want to get on with my career. I have tried and tried – I wish him luck with the future, but I’m moving forward now. I want to start working on the new calendar in a fortnight. I’m looking at beach locations in Spain and other countries around Europe. This time it’s going to be 100 per cent natural, no airbrushing. I don’t care if people ridicule me. This is how I make my living – and I don’t have to apologise for who I am: it’s what I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Pete has held me back and now I’m going to show him.’
Of course, Katie had not got to where she was without a certain degree of determination and now it really began to show. Determined to make a good public fist of her life, whatever she might be feeling privately, Katie organised a fourth birthday party for Junior, getting the children to dress up in fancy dress as their favourite cartoon characters.
‘I’m so over Pete,’ she told fellow guests. ‘Today has been all about moving on with my life. It’s been really hard, but I think I’m finally getting there. The party was all about me, my mates and the kids. Nothing else upsetting got in the way. It’s a chance for me to let my hair down after a very sad few weeks; it’s been the perfect medicine.’
There was a lot of speculation, however, as to how she was really coping and what was actually going on behind the scenes. But she certainly put on a good show at the party.
‘Katie was having a whale of a time and didn’t seem upset at all,’ revealed