Kerry Katona: Lockdown Was Affecting My Mental Health

Kerry Katona has admitted she started to ''struggle'' with her mental health during lockdown for coronavirus.

The former Atomic Kitten singer - who has been open about her battle with bipolar disorder - has been staying indoors since social distancing measures were imposed by the UK government to slow the spread of the deadly respiratory disease, and the situation was getting increasingly hard for her to cope with.

However, Kerry made the decision to go for her first walk last week since her isolation began and that instantly lifted her mood.

Writing in her New! magazine column, she said: ''Last week I went outside for a proper walk for the first time since lockdown began. We went to the forest and climbed trees, took in the air and, I tell you what, it made all the difference to my mindset.

''I felt lighter than I had in a long time - there was a point where I was starting to struggle a bit with my mental health.

The 39-year-old star - who has Molly, 18, and Lilly-Sue, 17, with first husband Brian McFadden, Heidi, 13, and Max, 12, with second spouse Mark Croft, and six-year-old DJ with late third husband George Kay - has been managing to exercise at home thanks to personal trainer boyfriend Ryan Mahoney's home gym, but she admitted that doesn't compare with being outdoors.

She added: ''I've been working out in Ryan's new gym, which he's set up at home in the run-up to the launch of his new business, so I am keeping fit, but there's nothing like some good old-fashioned fresh air to blast away the cobwebs.''

Kerry recently admitted she'd been stricken with panic attacks while isolating at home.

She said: ''I suffer from panic attacks - I had one out of the blue watching TV recently. They're scary and unexpected and the more discussion there is around them, the better.''