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Celebs Go Dating: Kerry Katona, Anna Williamson, Chelsee Healey discuss their dating experiences
Celebs Go Dating is back on our screens with a number of new celebrities joining the agency, including This Morning’s Alison Hammond and Love Island’s Amy Hart.
Dating guru and lead presenter of the show, Anna Williamson, and some of the cast from last the last season of the show, including Hollyoaks star Chelsee Healey and Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona, sat down with us to tell all on their dating expertise and dating disasters…
Anna Williamson
Anna, tell us about your dating expertise and your co-host Paul Carrick Brunson?
I come from a therapeutic approach and what’s been really lovely is the way that Paul and I complement each other. He brings this incredible match-making skill, which he is one of the best in the world at, while I come from a relationship coach point of view. A lot of what we’re doing is breaking down our celebs to build them back up again. All of them have come in with different issues, challenges and baggage.
Are the celebrities very confident when they turn up at the dating agency?
What might surprise you is actually for a load of celebrities that are known for being loud, confident and out there, every single one of them has had self-esteem and self-confidence issues, particularly when it comes to dating. So, part of my job is to bring in the coaching, therapeutic side, to make them a really good dater, to find lasting love, which they all want to do. It’s about cutting the crap. They come in giving it the biggen, but because we really do pull back the layers, we’ve had lots of tears. Certainly, the vast majority have cried.
Do you enjoy working with all the different celebrities and can you tell us a bit more about some of them?
Pete Wicks from The Only Way is Essex was fantastic to work with, he got emotional and he’s a tough nut to crack but he’s one of the most wonderful human beings. We’ve had to do a lot of work with Pete. He has, however, been one of the more frustrating to work with because he is a prolific dater. In all Paul’s years, he’s never seen someone command a room like Pete Wicks does.
Yet there’s only so long someone can keep trotting out the same old tried and tested approach. The biggest challenge is how you work with that. You strip someone back, which is stripping back the bullshit, and you actually start teasing out what is really great and re-writing the story. There’s a lot of bad habits to change with our celebrities.
Is there any celebrity you’re really proud of?
Out of all the celebs I’ve worked with I’m most proud of mum-of-five Kerry Katona, 38, who despite having married three times, has never dated. I hope everyone saw how fabulous and together she is. Yes, she’s been married more times than I’ve had hot dinners, but she’s never dated. When she came in she was very vulnerable to dating but confident in herself. The challenge was finding genuine guys that she feels comfortable with and to sniff out the ones that are after her for the wrong reason. But I’m really proud of the journey she went on.
Chelsee Healey
Why did you join the Celebs Go Dating agency?
I work full-time, I’ve got a little baby, so how else am I going to find a man? I don’t get that much time to find a man.
What do you look for in a guy?
A man who knows what he wants, knows where he’s going, is loyal and has got a bit of banter! He needs to know how to have a good time!
Describe yourself in three words?
Bubbly, funny and a beautiful soul.
Why don’t you like being single?
It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just nice to know that I have someone who knows me as a person. It’s someone I can just spend time with.
What would your idea of a perfect date be?
I’m quite easy-going so dinner and a drink does it for me. Don’t get me wrong, a day on a yacht or a flight out to Paris isn’t off the cards. Somewhere where I can get to know someone, I’m not really into those sort of activity dates.
What turns you off in a guy?
Somebody that lies, isn’t loyal and that talks rubbish. Save that for the birds mate, not for me!
What’s your worst ever dating experience?
He took me to Nandos, and I like chicken so I’m not even complaining, but I got a salad thinking I was being clever as it’s easy to eat. Anyways, I picked up a tomato with my fork and it splattered everywhere and right in his eye. Nothing says romance like that.
Is it different to date someone who isn’t famous?
I always think that dating someone that isn’t in the industry is definitely what I want. When you date someone who isn’t in this industry they keep you grounded and they keep you level-headed. However, dating someone in the industry is also great because they understand your hours and how crazy it can be!
Did the agents on the show give you any advice?
Anna is beautiful. I had a moment with her, she’s a mum as well, and she took me to one side and said, ‘Chelsee, I’m a mum as well and if you ever need anything you know where to come to.’ That means so much. Being a mum is so hard and it’s nice to know I’ve got that support.
Kerry Katona
What made you want to join the agency and show?
The experience. I haven’t done the whole dating scene before so I’d like to be able to say I’ve finally been there and done that now.
What’s your idea of a perfect date?
I like going somewhere with a bit of history and just walking around together. A lot of the time when you go out on dates and drink too much it’s almost a false sense of what you’re really like. I do like doing something a bit more low-key.
Who is your celebrity crush?
It’s always been Colin Farrell.
What turns you off in a guy?
Arrogance.
What has been your worst dating experience?
I’ve not really had any because I’ve not been on any dates. That’s why I joined the agency and show, because I just keep getting married.
Why don’t you like being single?
I do enjoy being single but I just wanted to know what the dating world out there is like. I still want to grow old with somebody and still believe I can and will.
What’s your usual type?
I haven’t got one, look at my exes. Not one of them look alike. There just has to be this kind of chemistry for me. Humour is a massive thing.
Is it different dating someone outside of the spotlight?
Most of my relationships have been out of the spotlight in terms of partners, the only celebrity I dated was my first husband. Brian [McFadden] and I were equal but after that I just kept marrying poor people and kept trying to fix them. I wanted them to really love me. When Brian left me my self-worth was really low and I got lost. Then I got with Mark [Croft] but it turns out even he was cheating left, right and centre, but even then I wanted to save him.
