Kerry Katona feared coronavirus would leave her stranded in the Maldives away from her children

Kerry Katona feared the global coronavirus outbreak would leave her stranded in the Maldives during her recent holiday.

The mother-of-five was on vacation with her lover, Ryan Maloney, and learnt during the trip that the pandemic was escalating, and travel was being heavily disrupted.

The reality personality, 39, admitted on Monday’s Loose Women that she was left panicked and tearful at the thought of not getting home to her children Lilly-Sue, 17, Heidi, 13, Maxwell 11, Dylan-Jorge, five and Molly, 18 – the latter appearing alongside her mother on the weekday chat show. 

Pandemic panic: Kerry Katona feared the global coronavirus outbreak would leave her stranded in the Maldives during her recent holiday

‘Honestly, I had a bit of a panic attack the last three days [about getting home], got really anxious,’ Kerry recounted.

‘As much as I complain, you know what it’s like being a mum, the kids are driving me crazy, I want a bit of a break, the last three days I started getting really bad anxiety.

‘We had a mix up with the plane and I burst into tears and said “I just want to go home” and Ryan’s going, “Look where you are” and I’m going “I know, I just want to get home to the kids!”

‘And within five minutes, they were doing my head in.’

Molly – who moved in with her paternal grandparents in Ireland when she was 16 and sparked rumours of a rift with her mother because of this – was sure to assert that she and Kerry’s relationship is a happy one.

The reality personality, 39, admitted on Monday's Loose Women that she was left panicked and tearful at the thought of not getting home to her children [Molly, 18, is pictured appearing alongside her mother on the weekday chat show]

The reality personality, 39, admitted on Monday’s Loose Women that she was left panicked and tearful at the thought of not getting home to her children [Molly, 18, is pictured appearing alongside her mother on the weekday chat show]

Concerns: The mother-of-five was on vacation with her lover, Ryan Maloney, and learnt during the trip that the pandemic was escalating, and travel was being heavily disrupted

Concerns: The mother-of-five was on vacation with her lover, Ryan Maloney, and learnt during the trip that the pandemic was escalating, and travel was being heavily disrupted

When Saira Khan asked Molly how she deals with her mum being a big character and larger than life, Molly said: ‘I think we’re very similar. We’re very much the same person in a lot of ways.’

Kerry then added they have a similar sense of humour.

‘We think we’re dead funny. But we’re the only ones who think we’re funny,’ the Atomic Kitten star said.

Molly explained she and her mum have a different relationship since she moved to Ireland.

‘[When I was younger] I was like “Go away mum”, but I think since I moved out of the house, I’m always onto her, she’s the first person I go to for anything,’ Molly said.

All is well: Molly - who moved in with her paternal grandparents in Ireland when she was 16 and sparked rumours of a rift with her mother because of this - was sure to assert that she and Kerry's relationship is a happy one

All is well: Molly – who moved in with her paternal grandparents in Ireland when she was 16 and sparked rumours of a rift with her mother because of this – was sure to assert that she and Kerry’s relationship is a happy one

Stacey Solomon then asked Molly what made her move out of the house and Kerry joked: ‘Me!’

Molly added: ‘It was just a nice change.. a different atmosphere, because I’m the oldest of five. But as soon as I left, I was like “Oh my God!” I didn’t realise how much I actually missed being the older sister.’

Kerry then spoke about sitting Molly down when her documentary Kerry Katona: Coming Clean came out 10 years ago.

‘Molly was nine, Lilly was eight and I sat them both down, “Right, I need you to watch this show… just remember that isn’t mummy anymore.” I think they were really shocked. I just didn’t want my girls going into school and hearing it,’ she recalled.

Sense of humour? 'We think we're dead funny. But we're the only ones who think we're funny,' the Atomic Kitten star said

Sense of humour? ‘We think we’re dead funny. But we’re the only ones who think we’re funny,’ the Atomic Kitten star said

Molly added: ‘I don’t remember it as well as I probably should have because to me it wasn’t a big deal to me.

‘It was just another day that mum told me something and I just kind of pushed it out of my mind. I think I remember hugging her afterwards.’

Kerry explained: ‘I remember watching them watch it and I felt so embarrassed.’

Loose Women is on weekdays from 12:30PM on ITV.