
Katie Price shows true colours over son Harvey amid confession over dad Dwight Yorke
After Katie Price revealed she was worried her son Harvey was on the 'verge of a heart attack', a source claims she's feeling huge pressures as his sole carer. Harvey, 22, who is about to move into a new house close to Katie's Essex home, has a number of health issues including the rare genetic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome which causes behaviour changes, an excessive appetite and overeating, and learning difficulties.
Mum-of-five Katie revealed sadly last week that his weight had almost reached 30 stone, telling listeners of The Katie Price Show podcast, 'He's on the verge of heart attack and he won't have a long life if he keeps putting more and more weight on. That's a massive worry for me at the moment.'
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Our source claims that, while Katie can be a bit of a divisive character, she shouldn't be underestimated when it comes to coping with the challenges of caring for her eldest son.
'Katie is really worried for Harvey and his weight, it has got to an uncontrollable level and it's scary for the family,' the source claimed. 'They have such a close bond and it's difficult for her to watch, she's trying to keep him as active as she can and support him – she wants him to go on weight loss jabs to manage it.
'There are many things people can say about Katie – maybe the way she courts the press, her surgeries or her bankruptcies, but one thing you can't hold against her is being a good mum to Harvey. She loves him so much, him being OK is a priority for her.
'He doesn't have a real father figure, so it all falls to Katie. It's a heavy burden, making all the decisions and working out what's best for him, but she's desperate to save him and she'd be lost without him.'
Katie, who described Harvey in her 2024 autobiography as 'the best thing to have happened to me', also addressed her own mortality, revealing she was making sure that 'everything's in place' for him should the worst happen to her. She and his medical team were planning to start him on NHS-prescribed Mounjaro, she said, explaining it couldn't be a rash decision.
'Harvey doesn't speak like us, the communication, but as he's got older, he's got better,' she shared. 'Because, you want them [carers] to look after them how you would look after them. No one's going to ever look after your son how mum does it.
'Even when I tuck him in bed, it's a mum thing. Of course, there's been challenges but that's not Harvey's fault. Obviously, we're doing something with the doctors but because of his complex needs and medication he's on, things aren't as easy as that. It's always a constant worry – like if I die, what's going to happen?'.
Katie was just 23 when she gave birth to Harvey and he has been estranged from his dad, former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke, for much of his life. According to our source, the former model is desperate to find a long-term solution to Harvey's weight issues, but understandably feels the pressure of being the one making all the decisions and would welcome his dad's support.
'People sometimes forget what she's been through with him, it's been traumatic,' they add. 'She was a relatively young girl when she had him, and learning about and managing Harvey's issues was a shock. But she loved him from the second she saw him. She's always done her best by him and genuinely means it when she says the door is open for Dwight.'
Former Manchester United player Dwight claimed in 2009 that he wanted to play a role in Harvey's upbringing but 'wasn't given the opportunity'. He said, 'I've gone down the legal route and I was entitled to see him for a certain period of time, but she calls all the shots.'
Katie recently made the heartbreaking admission that her door was 'always open' for Dwight to make contact, and claimed that her mum Amy contacts the sportsman's manager every year around Harvey's birthday and at Christmas to ask, 'does he want to speak to or see him?'. She told Rob Moore on his Disruptors Podcast that the response was always 'the same thing back,not interested'.
Katie was emotional as she discussed the estrangement but said she hoped for a reconciliation. 'There's got to be a time when Dwight and Harvey are in the same room. Because he would just love Harvey if he saw him, how could he not? He looks like him, for God's sake. Harvey's so funny, so endearing and innocent. How can he not love Harvey? I just can't get my head around it, he'd have so much fun with him.'
Katie married her I'm A Celebrity campmate Peter Andre when Harvey was a few years old, and they went on to have Junior and Princess together. There was speculation at the time that Peter, 52, would legally adopt Harvey, but it didn't happen before they split in 2009.
Our source claims this is also a part Katie's heartache when it comes to her eldest son. 'It was such a shame and a loss when Katie and Pete split because Pete also genuinely loved Harvey and was always great with him,' they claim. 'There'll be deep sadness on both sides because Pete and Harvey were very close, but because of his relationship with Katie, it's just not possible for them to be how they were.
'I don't think anyone can know how awful it's been for her, and that's partly why she and Harvey have got such a close bond. She's totally tuned into him, she knows from just one look what he needs and wants, but that's a lot for one person to carry.'

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Sky News
15 minutes ago
- Sky News
Doctors go on strike for five days - here's everything you need to know
Why you can trust Sky News Doctors in England and Wales go on strike for five days from Friday, with warnings it could lead to patient harm in emergency departments. It is the culmination of an escalating row between NHS bosses and the British Medication Association (BMA) over pay. Here is everything you need to know about the strikes. How long is the strike? From 7am on Friday 25 July to 7am on Wednesday 30 July. Who is striking? Up to 50,000 resident doctors will walk out. Resident doctors is the new name for junior doctors - it was changed to better reflect their responsibilities. Resident doctors are fully qualified doctors who are either currently in postgraduate training or gaining experience as locally employed doctors to become consultants, GPs or specialists. Their title was changed after years of calls for the term "junior" to be retired, as it was seen as both misleading and demeaning. General practice, community pharmacies, and dentistry are not impacted by the action. How will it affect appointments? During previous strikes, NHS England told trusts to cancel large volumes of non-urgent care so that consultants could step in to cover emergency care. Previous rounds of industrial action - 11 walkouts over multiple days - saw an estimated 1.5 million appointments cancelled or rescheduled. But under the leadership of new NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey, hospitals have now been instructed to cancel non-urgent work only in "exceptional circumstances" – and only with prior approval. This suggests that much fewer planned appointments will be cancelled, although no exact figures have been given by either side. The BMA has warned this new approach risks spreading doctors too thinly. How will I know if my appointment has been cancelled? Patients have been advised to "choose healthcare wisely" during the strike. If your appointment has been cancelled, or rearranged, you will be contacted by the hospital directly. Priority will be given to patients with the most pressing health needs. 2:27 If you do not hear that your appointment has been changed, you should attend as usual. Will I still be able to access emergency care? If you need emergency care during the strike you should still go to hospital as normal. Patients have been told to call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency. If the situation is non-life threatening, patients should seek support through NHS 111, NHS 111 online, their GP or a pharmacy. Why are they striking? Doctors in England and Wales were awarded a 5.4% pay increase by the government, but the BMA still threatened strike action, claiming the increases did not account for historical pay freezes. Instead the BMA is calling for a rise of 29.2% to bring salaries back in line with 2008 levels. More than 26,000 resident doctors voted in favour of the strikes. I thought they already had a pay rise? Yes, in July last year resident doctors were awarded a raise of 22% over two years, bringing to end months of strike action. It was the highest public sector award in recent years. But the trade union argues that pay has declined significantly since 2008 when adjusting for inflation. The latest deal saw doctors given a 4% increase, plus £750 "on a consolidated basis" - which works out as an average rise of 5.4%. The BMA said no doctor "took the possibility of striking lightly" but the majority of its members believed they had "no other choice". "Doctors have spoken and spoken clearly," the union said. "They won't accept that they are worth a fifth less than they were in 2008. Our pay may have declined but our will to fight remains strong." The BMA said Mr Streeting had the power to "make the right decision" on pay. Does the public support the strikes? A new YouGov poll found support for the strikes is declining. The survey found about half (52%) of people in the UK either "somewhat oppose" (20%) or "strongly oppose" (32%) the idea of resident doctors going on strike over pay. Older people are more likely to be against, with 52% of those aged over 65 "strongly opposed", compared to 10% of those aged 18 to 24. YouGov says the proportion of people who support the strikes has dropped five percentage points since May last year. What does the government say? Talks between the government and BMA have continued, with the latter saying strikes could still be avoided. Health secretary Wes Streeting has ruled out any additional pay rises this year, but has said other aspects of the contract - including student debt, exam fees and working conditions - may be up for negotiation. 2:50 Mr Streeting previously warned the BMA the public "will not forgive" strike action. He wrote in The Times that any walkouts would be a "disaster" for the union and for patients, adding the government "can't afford" more pay rises. NHS chiefs said any return to industrial action would be "bad for patients, for staff and for the NHS". Chief executive of NHS Providers Daniel Elkeles said: "We need cool heads to de-escalate this and remove the threat of further damaging industrial action."


Sky News
28 minutes ago
- Sky News
Public urged to continue seeking NHS care during resident doctors' strike
People are being urged to keep coming forward for NHS care during a five-day strike by resident doctors. Hospitals and local teams have been preparing before the strike, which begins at 7am on Friday, NHS England said. There are plans in place to "minimise disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving care continues," it added. Thousands of resident doctors are expected to join the strike, which is the 12th since March 2023. The new NHS England boss, Sir Jim Mackey, has urged hospital leaders to keep routine operations and appointments going if possible and to only cancel if there is a risk to patient safety. However, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned NHS England's plan to carry on with business as usual poses a risk to patients. GP surgeries will remain open as usual during the strike and urgent care and A&E will continue to be available to those who need them, NHS England said. It urged the public to use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues. 'Some appointments' won't go ahead Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England national medical director, said: "There is no doubt this industrial action will take a toll on patients and NHS staff, and it is disappointing it is going ahead. "While it will mean some appointments won't be able to go ahead as planned, we are doing all we can to limit this, and patients should continue to use NHS services in the usual way. "The public should dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP, and patients should attend NHS appointments unless told otherwise." Almost 1.5 million appointments have been rescheduled as a result of industrial action since the end of 2022. Last June, strikes by resident doctors led to 61,989 inpatient and outpatient appointments being rescheduled.


The Guardian
33 minutes ago
- The Guardian
7,000 steps a day could be enough to improve health, say researchers
Walking more could reduce your risk of dementia, depression and dying from cancer, as well as being good for your heart, according to research. And you may not need to walk as far as previously thought to reap those benefits. The NHS recommends a brisk 10-minute walk every day. Many people aim to walk 10,000 steps, but struggle to achieve it. Now researchers have calculated that even 7,000 steps could be enough to protect health. Scientists examined data from more than 160,000 adults and found that walking 7,000 steps a day was associated with a reduced risk of a number of serious health conditions and death. Whereas previous studies have mainly examined the links between step count and heart health or overall death rates, this systematic review and meta analysis, published in the Lancet Public Health, sought to comprehensively examine how taking more steps per day could reduce the risk of a range of other health conditions as well. Compared with those who walked 2,000 steps a day, the researchers found that achieving the 7,000 daily step target was linked to a 37% reduction in risk of dying from cancer, while the risk was 14% lower for type 2 diabetes, 38% for dementia, 22% depression and 28% for falls respectively. It was also associated with a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 47% reduction in overall risk of dying. Although step count does not measure the quality or intensity of exercise, the findings underscore the importance of being active. There is a 'return on investment' with every additional 1,000 steps taken and even 4,000 steps per day reduced the risk of disease, compared with very low activity levels, the researchers observed. Although the risk continues to decrease above 7,000 steps, the rate at which it reduces that risk starts to slow. Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the research, said that those who already walked 10,000 steps should not go back to 7,000, but that 7,000 was a more practical target for those who were currently inactive. 'Those who are currently active and achieving the 10,000 steps a day, keep up the good work – there is no need to modify your step counts. However, for those of us who are far from achieving the 10,000 targets, getting to 7,000 steps/day offers almost comparable health benefits for the outcomes we examined.' Responding to the findings, Dr Daniel Bailey, reader in sedentary behaviour and health at Brunel University of London, said the research helped 'debunk the myth that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health. 'The real-world implications are that people can get health benefits just from small increases in physical activity, such as doing an extra 1,000 steps per day. To achieve the best reductions in risk, aiming for 5,000-7,000 per day can be recommended, which will be more achievable for many people than the unofficial target of 10,000 steps that has been around for many years.' Dr Andrew Scott, senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of Portsmouth, pointed out that not all activity was captured by step counts. 'The steps per day is useful when people's exercise is weight-bearing, however cycling, swimming and rowing are not well-represented by the steps-per-day model.' June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'We know that regular walking is one of the easiest ways to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of heart disease. 'Adults should aim to build up to a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week, but getting active isn't always easy. Incorporating activity snacks, such as walking while taking phone calls, or taking a brisk 10-minute walk during your lunch break, can all count to reduce your chances of developing heart disease.'