Katie Price has admitted that Gareth Gates is the 'one that got away' more than two decades after their brief romance. The 48-year-old former glamour model spoke about the fleeting relationship at the launch of her new docuseries, Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, revealing that the Pop Idol star had ghosted her over a misunderstanding that has since been resolved.
Katie Price: Gareth Gates ghosted me after a misunderstanding
In 2002, a then-24-year-old Katie, still known as Jordan, took the 17-year-old Gareth's virginity while she was six months pregnant with her first child, Harvey. The encounter became a tabloid sensation, with Gareth initially denying it to protect his career and family. Speaking at the launch event, Katie said: 'Imagine meeting someone 25 years ago and then they sort of ghost you. You don't know why and then you go forward 25 years and then you get the answers. Because he had thought I'd done something which I didn't do and now, he finds out, it really wasn't me.'
Gareth, now 41, had long believed Katie sold the story to the press, a claim she denies. He later told The Big Reunion: 'I denied the whole Jordan thing because I was 17, I didn't want my family to find out about my sex life. If I hadn't lied it wouldn't have been a big deal. For me I was very young, I had to say I don't want to have a long-term relationship at this age, so she sold the story, and I said it was all lies.'
Family still wonders about what could have been
Katie revealed that her family still talks about the potential relationship. 'Everyone was like, “You and Gareth, that was the one that got away!”' she said with a laugh. The pair reunited for her docuseries, where Gareth appears in a later episode to discuss their past. Katie described the moment they met again: 'The shock on his face and the shock on mine.' The four-part Sky series, produced by Louis Theroux's company, also features other former flames of Katie's.
Katie defends sleeping with Gareth while pregnant
Over the years, Katie has rarely spoken about the fling but has defended her actions. On the Anything Goes podcast with James English, she said: 'Yeah, I took his virginity when I was six months pregnant.' When James shook his head disapprovingly, she quipped: 'Just because I'm pregnant don't say I can't have a boyfriend.' The encounter occurred shortly after her split from Harvey's father, Dwight Yorke, whom she has recently slammed in a scathing Father's Day post.
Gareth Gates opens up about the past in docuseries
Gareth, who rose to fame as a runner-up on Pop Idol in 2002, has spoken about the fling over the years but is said to reveal new details in the docuseries. The show, commissioned before the Lee Andrews saga, also includes interviews with other ex-partners. Katie's fourth marriage to Lee Andrews has been her most turbulent, ending with him in a Dubai jail after a whirlwind wedding.
