Media News
Schofield defends interview with Katona
Thursday 23 October 2008
The presenter explained that he and his co-host Fern Britton were not trying to ambush the star in the live television interview when they referred to her slurred speech and unusual behaviour.
Speaking on 'The Chris Moyles Show' on BBC Radio 1, Schofield said: "The last thing I want to do is to witness a car crash in front of my eyes."
The presenter explained that Katona arrived late at the studio, which meant that her condition could not be assessed before she went on air.
Schofield said: "As a production team, we're a bit sad this morning. I know that she walked down the corridor and said that we'd ambushed her in the interview.
"At no time were alcohol or drug issues going to be mentioned, because we've done that in the past.
"She ambushed herself by slurring her words. It's a shame that she feels that way because unfortunately she set herself up, or she was set up by the person who brought her in."
Katona's husband Mark Croft has released a statement slamming coverage of her appearance on 'This Morning' and denying that she had been drinking prior to the show.
Croft claimed that Katona's slurred speech was due to the side effects of prescription drugs she takes to manage her bi-polar depression.
The statement said: "Kerry and I are incredibly upset about the negative news stories that have surrounded her appearance on 'This Morning' yesterday. In particular, the accusations that she was drunk or had been drinking alcohol that morning. For the record, Kerry had not been drinking anything other than tea before the show.
"Kerry has always been honest about her bipolar depression for which she receives ongoing medical attention and takes prescription drugs daily. The treatment that she is on has side effects which include difficulty speaking & drowsiness. Kerry did attempt to explain this to Fern and Phil and is extremely offended that they continued to question her further, despite seeing her obvious distress at their ongoing line of questioning.
"We feel that forcing Kerry to explain her drinking on a recent holiday was totally unreasonable. She has always considered herself a friend of the show and appeared in good faith to talk about how positive she was feeling about her appearance. Kerry left the show feeling very upset about her treatment by Fern and Phil.
"Kerry appreciates and understands the concerns that have arisen from her appearance but would like to reassure everyone that this was due to side effects of her medication. We hope that this ends the ongoing speculation about her health."
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