Kerry Katona's ex George Kay dead of suspected drug overdose aged 39

2016Kerry Katona’s ex-husband George Kay has reportedly died of a suspected drug overdose at the age of 39.

Kay - the father of Katona’s younger daughter Dylan-Jorge, aged five - was found collapsed at home yesterday and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, according to The Daily Mirror.

Kay had a history of drug abuse and mental health issues. He had been separated from Katona since 2015, when he was arrested for assaulting her, but the charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence. They reconciled but went on to divorce in 2017.

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There was a restraining order in place to keep Kay away from Katona when he died and he had not seen his daughter, known as DJ, for over a year.

A close family friend of Katona told the newspaper: “Kerry was told this afternoon that George suffered an overdose and was taken to hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.

“Kerry is heartbroken, he’s DJ’s dad and she loved him once.

“She can’t bear the thought of explaining to her daughter what has happened.”

Katona first met Kay when they were teenagers but they lost touch. She reconnected with the former rugby league player Kay in 2012. She gave birth to their daughter in April 2014 and they were married in September that year.

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Kay had previously served three years of a six-month jail sentence for blackmail.

Katona, 38, who is now dating fitness instructor Ryan Mahoney, was married twice before and has four other children. She is mother to daughters, Molly, 17, and Lilly-Sue, 16, by first husband, Westlife’s Brian McFadden, a daughter Heidi, 12, and 11-year-old son Max by second husband Mark Croft.