By Andrea Magrath


'I got stick too': Kerry Katona has spoken out in support of Stacey Solomon smoking while pregnant, stating that 'Silk Cut is not a real cigarette'

She has faced plenty of public backlash over her own choices over the years.

And now Kerry Katona has spoken up in defence of Stacey Solomon following the scandal over the singer smoking while pregnant.

Admitting that she was also criticised for lighting up during her own pregnancies, the mother-of-four justified Stacey's actions by saying that the X Factor star's choice of Silk Cut 'are not even real cigarettes.'


'I got the same stick Stacey got,' Kerry wrote in her OK! magazine column. 'I smoked during pregnancy, two to three a day.

'My doctor said: "If it's stressing you out don't panic, because smoking isn't as harmful as stress".'

The 32-year-old added: 'Let's be honest, Stacey's smoking Silk Cut — it's not even a real cigarette.'

Last week, Miss Solomon, 22, made a tearful appearance on This Morning apologising for her 'selfish' actions.

Controversial: Stacey was pictured smoking last week while seven months pregnant

Asked by Holly if she had considered the harmful effects smoking might have on her baby, Stacey replied: 'At the end of the day, nothing that I can say makes it right. All I can say is that from the day I found out that I was pregnant, I have tried my best to give up. I completely understand why people would be angry, because for some people it's uncomprehendable.

'I understand that it's a selfish thing to do, so I don't think the comments are unjustified, although I do thing some are a bit harsh.'

Stacey also insisted that she has '100 per cent cut down' from the amount of cigarettes she smoked before she fell pregnant.

She added: 'As soon as you get pregnant, you think you need so stop. I did smoke between 5 and 10 a day, but I completely cut down and from there on I have been trying to stop.

Emotional: The X Factor star was reduced to tears during an interview on This Morning where she admitted her actions were 'selfish'

'I'm smoking between 1 and 3 a day, if that... I just thought I would be able to quit. And some days I've done really, really well and had none but there are some days when I have had some. I'm doing my best to just go without, but sometimes it's not just as easy to cut it out.'

Phillip and Holly also asked Stacey, who has a four-year-old son Zachary from a previous relationship, how her fiancé Aaron Barnham feels about her smoking while pregnant.

Stacey replied: 'Aaron is not happy with it but at the same time he's supportive of me and he will help me no matter what. He's always trying to do things with me - all he can do is support me.'

Public backlash: Kerry has sympathised with Stacey after her television grilling and onslaught of criticism after going through the same herself

Struggling to hold back her tears, Stacey continued: 'I don't condone it in any way and I think it's important that people know that. I don't want people to think it's OK or that I think it's OK.'

Asked what else she is doing to quit the cigarettes, Stacey said she was using electric cigarettes and considering hypnotherapy, at which point Phillip suggested she might want to talk to the show's Dr Chris Steele about other ways she may be able to kick the habit.



source:dailymail