Katie Price has stated that singer Gareth Gates "ghosted" her following a brief romance approximately 25 years ago, a period during which she claims to have taken his virginity. Price, then 21 and six months pregnant with her son Harvey, met Gates when he was 17. Gates has previously acknowledged the encounter but had denied the relationship at the time, reportedly believing Price had sold the story to the press.
In a new trailer for the upcoming Sky documentary "Katie Price: Nothing to Hide," Gates appears alongside other former partners of Price to discuss their past relationships. Price expressed surprise that Gates would speak about their fling, given her understanding that he had "ghosted" her.
"Imagine meeting someone 25 years ago and then they sort of ghost you. You don't know why and then you go forward 25 years and then you get the answers," Price said at the documentary's launch. She explained that Gates had believed she was responsible for their story appearing in the media, a claim she denies. "Because he had thought I'd done something which I didn't do and now, he finds out, it really wasn't me," she stated. "The shock on his face and the shock on mine – everyone was like, 'you and Gareth, that was the one that got away!'"
Gates, in a podcast appearance last month, addressed the encounter. When asked if Price had taken his virginity, he responded with "No comment," but added, "I was extremely inexperienced with a girl who was extremely experienced. I could see why she thought that."
He also reflected on the media attention surrounding the alleged fling. "I believe that relationships are between two people and I couldn't believe that somebody else was selling stories about very, very intimate details," Gates said. "I was shocked and I learned a lot about that - about people and about the industry, and about trust I guess." He added that the experience made him "extremely wary of trusting people."
During a 2014 appearance on "The Big Reunion," Gates had previously spoken about the affair. He admitted they saw each other for "three or four months and it was fun," and that Price is "a really lovely, lovely girl." He explained his initial denial by stating, "I was 17, I didn't want my family to find out about my sex life. If I hadn't have lied it wouldn't have been a big deal, my family, friends and fans wouldn't have felt as let down I guess."
Price first publicly confirmed the incident in 2024, stating, "I took his virginity when I was six months pregnant." She defended her actions on a podcast, saying, "Just because I'm pregnant, don't say I can't have a boyfriend."
The documentary "Katie Price: Nothing to Hide" also features interviews with other former partners, including Alex Reid and Dane Bowers, and is described as a revealing portrait of the British celebrity, combining unseen footage with testimony.