Kerry Katona tells friends Mark Croft “bled me dry” after losing £3million

Kerry Katona has confirmed she’s split from husband Mark Croft - and told friends he “bled me dry” after she lost £3million during their two year marriage.

The former Atomic Kitten first hinted at the split last week when she posted a series of comments on her Facebook profile then changed her relationship status from “married” to “single”.

Kerry cried as she confirmed the news to reporters and photographers outside her home in Wilmslow, Cheshire on Friday and sources close to the family say she’s a wreck.

One source told the Sun that her seven and a half year old daughter Molly is having to take control: “Molly has basically had to be mum to Kerry and it’s just awful.

“Kerry has been on the phone to friends saying that she can’t handle it and she is in an awful mess.

“Mark manipulated her and chipped away at her confidence to the extent where she didn’t believe she could live without him. She is not in the best of mental health and [the missing money news] could send her over the edge.”

Another source told the Mirror: “When she was told about the accounts she was livid - and she was even prepared to go to the police on Friday over her missing money.

“Since then Kerry has calmed down and wants her financial advisers to complete their investigation before she decides anything.”

Financial experts are checking whether the money has been misappropriated, lost due to bad investments or simply frittered away.

The Mirror’s source said it’s possible it could just be the latter: “Two years ago Kerry was mortgage-free and had enough money in a Coutts bank account to live off the interest.

“But Croft has helped her spend millions in the last few years and she is now struggling to pay the bills.”

Kerry was declared temporarily bankrupt last August over an outstanding £82,000 tax bill but according to the source, that didn’t stop Mark: “Kerry was furious because Mark carried on spending her money. She said he acted like a Lottery winner.

“He often went on spending sprees in Bond Street in London - and it would be like a scene from Pretty Woman. He would be ordering staff in designer shops around, and would get through £1,000 in half an hour.

“He has [also] wasted a huge slice of her fortune on his love of cars and bikes. When he gets them he does things like spending £10,000 on a sound system.

“She will buy him a car he is happy with and he will use it for six months. But the next thing you know he has got rid of it in a part-exchange. Once Kerry bought him a Ducati motorbike for £45,000. He got bored and sold it for £20,000.”

Kerry and Mark married on Valentine’s Day 2007, just days before she gave birth to their daughter Heidi. They now have a second child together, son Max as well as both having other children from previous relationships.