Associate Editor Tom Bryant recalls the wild scenes after he followed Katie Price to Ibiza in the wake of her marriage breakdown to Peter Andre – as he fears history could repeat itself
19:08, 26 Jan 2026Updated 23:07, 26 Jan 2026
Mirrorman Tom with Katie Price in Ibiza (Image: Phil Harris)
It is 2am in a packed Ibiza nightclub in 2009 and Kate Price is on a podium gyrating above my head. I’ve spent the last week trying – and failing – to keep up with her as she flew to the Spanish party island after splitting from first husband Peter Andre. To say she unravelled in front of my eyes is an understatement. Over the course of seven (long) days, she snogged two blokes, threatened to stab a clubber and branded a female fan ugly who asked for a picture. Oh, and also pulled a woman, enjoyed countless 24-hour booze sessions, and was also nearly kicked out of her hotel. Nearly 17 years later, Katie is still causing chaos. And while the partying may have quietened down a bit, her ability to court controversy is just as loud. Like Ibiza, her love-life has once more taken centre stage. Her decision to tie the knot with businessman Lee Andrew in Dubai just days after meeting him has left her family “dumbstruck.” “We connected by checking each other’s socials and quickly realised. ‘Wow this is for me,” she purred. Unsurprisingly, alarm bells have already started ringing.
Wild: Katie Price in Ibiza (Image: Phil Harris)
Andrew is said to have proposed to another woman four months ago in exactly the same way with rose petals spelling out ‘will you marry me.’ It’s fair to say that her fourth marriage – after Peter, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler – doesn’t scream a long time union. But whether she is hit as hard this time when it inevitably all implodes remains to be seen. As well as permanently damaging my liver, my week reporting on Katie in Ibiza convinced me of two things. Firstly that she is – and probably always will be – a hopeless romantic, and secondly that for all her bravado, she has incredible low self-esteem.
I saw first-hand what a dangerous combination these two things are. There was no doubt how devastated she was by the breakdown of her four-year marriage to Peter. I remember her endless tears in the upmarket hotel, where – by total fluke – I had ended up in the neighbouring room. One night I could hear her singing Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You at the top of her voice, before she tottered down the corridor, loudly raging: “I am going to delete his number.” Earlier she had a Twitter meltdown, writing: “Pete being a true **** to me. He left me, not me leave him.” Then the mum-of-three declared to everyone in earshot: “I want a drink. I want to get off my nut. Let’s go to the bar and get on it.” And she was very much true to her word.
Katie Price in Ibiza (Image: Phil Harris)
Katie with her new man Lee Andrews(Image: Instagram)
As the booze flowed she upset other guests at the five-star hotel by banging on doors, flashing her boobs and yelling obscenities. I remember being struck by how despite her pin-up status, she appeared to need constant validation. Not just from her small clique of friends, but also in the arms of totally unsuitable men who flocked to her throughout the trip. One was a slightly dim male model who she snogged on the aforementioned podium, as she knocked back £300 “buckets” of vodka, mixers and whisky. Sadly, the events of the evening didn’t end there. I went with her to Eden nightclub in San Antonio when I saw a female clubber pop over to say hello. Katie screeched at the stunned woman: “I’m going to cut you up. Seriously, I am going to cut you.” I remember being left speechless by her outburst, which was a clear reference to knifes. Some of Katie’s friends also attacked a man, pushing him up against a wall, kicking him and trying to gouge his eyes. Earlier, as she arrived at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel to watch the Ting Tings perform, she launched into a tirade at another female fan who asked if she could have a photograph. Katie barked: “No, I’m not having my picture with you. Another thing, I should let you know that you’re ugly. Really ugly.” All these years on, I often think back to this awful behaviour when she is invariably caught up in yet another controversy. I find it utterly staggering how her career continues apace despite a string of incidents over the years. From driving while unfit through drugs to bankruptcy and yet another animal dying in her custody, the list of misdemeanours is endless. Time and time again she dusts herself down, and even secures lucrative documentary commissions from highly-respected broadcasters such as Channel 4 and the BBC. Of course, there are some who vehemently argue she deserves our sympathy due to her high-profile mental health battles, including PTSD. There are others who say she deserves every happiness after being a great mum to Harvey. What is indisputable is that she’s not a well woman and her addiction to cosmetic surgery – often a sign of low self-esteem – is worrying to say the least. Tying the knot with a man who she barely knows only reinforces this point. Perhaps she will surprise us all and new husband Lee really is the one. But if it unravels again like it did in Ibiza…..lets hope her friends and family are there to pick up the pieces.
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