In a candid new podcast interview, Katie Price has opened up about the ongoing estrangement between her eldest son, Harvey, and his father, former footballer Dwight Yorke.
'The door is always open'
Speaking on Life Stories by Lewis Nicholls, the television personality claimed she makes a concerted effort each year to facilitate a relationship, but is met with consistent rejection. "Every year, my mum contacts his manager, 'Do you want to see Harvey for his birthday? Do you want to see him for Christmas?'" Katie explained. "It's always the same answer, just not interested."
Price, 47, stated her motivation is to ensure Harvey, now 23, could never question her efforts in the future. "For me, I thought it's important that when Harvey grows up, I never want him to say, 'Why didn't you let my dad see me?'" she told the podcast host.
A complex history and Harvey's health
The rift dates back to Harvey's birth in 2002, when Yorke, now 54, initially denied paternity and requested a DNA test, which later confirmed he was the father. Katie Price previously stated that Yorke has seen his son only around nine times in his life, with the last meeting allegedly occurring in 2012.
Harvey lives in full-time care as he has a combination of complex conditions, including autism, Prader-Willi syndrome, and septo-optic dysplasia. Recently, his health has been a primary concern for his mother, who revealed his weight had reached nearly 30 stone.
"I'm still waiting for the doctors to get back to me about starting on the Mounjaro and his journey to a healthy life," Katie said, referring to weight-loss medication. "It's so sad his quality of life at the moment where he's so big, he just can't really do much."
Conflicting narratives
Dwight Yorke has rarely commented publicly on the relationship. However, in his 2009 autobiography, Born to Score, he expressed love for his son and frustration with the public narrative. "From the moment I set eyes on the little fella, I have loved my son like I could never ever have imagined possible," he wrote.
He also suggested that Katie Price's actions made a proactive role difficult, stating: "Maybe if she had not made life so difficult for me, I might have been able to take a far more proactive role."
Despite the history, Katie Price maintains her position. Last year, she insisted the "door is always open" and expressed a desire for Yorke to "know what a gorgeous young man Harvey is," praising his character and sense of humour.
