NEWS

NATASHA:

After the shock end of her engagement

toRitchie Neville, insiders say mum-of-four
Natasha Hamilton is struggling to accept
that another relationship has crumbled

hey had all the

makings of the
perfect pop
couple but last
week Natasha
Hamilton and Ritchie Nevilles
relationship came to a shock
end when she announced theyd
split, leaving her devastated.
Speaking about the end of
the five-month engagement
last week, Natasha, 33 who
has 18-month-old daughter
Ella with the 5ive singer said:
Ritchie and I are still good
friends but we are no longer
together. We really tried to
makeour relationship work.
Friends say Natasha whose
marriage to businessman
Riad Erraji ended in 2013
isstruggling to adjust to the split
and still desperately wants to
resolve their problems.
Shes been leaning on
pal Kerry for support

A source says: Natasha is very

low shewas very much in love
with Ritchie. Shes struggling
and feels like after so many
failed relationships this was her
last chance of having a happy
ever after. Shed do anything to
win Ritchie back.
Natasha and Ritchie, 36,
knew each other in the early
90s through their bands
Atomic Kitten and 5ive, but
romance blossomed in late
2013 after meeting on ITV2s
The Big Reunion. In March
2014 they announced Natasha
waspregnant.
LOW MOODS

The mum-of-four has had an

ongoing battle with depression,
which she has spoken about
publicly. In 2004 she quit
Atomic Kitten after suffering
postnatal depression with her
eldest son, Josh, and last week
revealed shed had prenatal
and postnataldepression while
pregnant with Ella.
Insiders say cracks started
to appear in the relationship as
Natasha began to feel low again.
A source says: Once Ella was
born Natasha started struggling
with postnatal depression.
Shed be in tears and scared
about the future and the
relationship quickly became
about responsibilities and not
about having fun. Ritchie felt

she was pushing him away and

despite how much he loved her
he felt he couldnt do anything
tomake her happy, which
wasagony for both of them.
They are bothdevastated.
GROWING TENSION

To make matters worse, pals

saytension grew between
the pair as they began to
feel competitive over their
careers. 5ive have several dates
lined up to perform this year,
while Atomic Kitten have one
date set for later this month
after agreatest hits tour was
cancelled lastMay.
A source says: When Natasha
and Ritchie got together it was
just after appearing in The Big
Reunion when they were both
hoping to resurrect their pop

with
nightclub
owner Fran
s dad to
Ritchie
lla
Cosgrave,
th-old E
n
o
18-m
Harry, 11, with
dancer Gavin
Hatcher, and Alfie,five,
with her ex-husband Riad
has had her fair share of
heartache. But pals say shes
been turning to bandmate
Kerry Katona now a single
mum of five after splitting
with third husband George
Kay in October.
As Closer previously
reported, Kerry had been
distancing herself from her
bandmates as she struggled
to cope with the split, but
pals say as they both work
tomend their broken
heartstheyre supporting
each other.
A source
says: Kerry
ast week Natasha
and Natasha
Hamilton revealed
have spoken
shed suffered
on the phone
with prenatal and postnatal
lots things
depression during and after
were fraught
her pregnancy with Ella, and
between them before
that she was helped by 22
asNatasha didnt get on
intensive sessions of cognitive
with George.
behavioural therapy.
But Kerry has put that
Natasha said: Depression
behind her and wants to
is just like extra stress on your
support her friend. Kerry
shoulders. Id have really tough
wants them to have a
days when Ijust wasnt coping.
drink together, so they
The mum-of-four has had
can bad-mouth men and
an ongoing struggle with her
try to have a laugh, too.
mental health. She quit Atomic
The insider adds:
Kitten in 2004 after battling
Sheknows how hard
postnatal depression following
itis to go through a
Joshs birth, saying she broke
break-up and her heart
down and wept uncontrollably
goes out to her. Shes
soon after he was born. She also
assured Natasha shell
revealed she felt so isolated
be there for her.
and frightened, to a point where
By Rebecca Twomey

Natasha is struggling
she was so in love
careers. Both were so optimistic,
and fullof plans, and it gave
them alot in common.
As everybody knows, the
showbiz industry is notoriously
tough and neither of their
careers has managed to be
revitalised the way they hoped
and the stress of that has led
torows between them.
Last week, Natasha admitted
in an interview that she has
struggled with thisfear of not
being able to work and not being
able to provide for her children.
Over the past few years, the
singer who is also mum to
Josh, 13, from her relationship

NATASHA ON DEPRESSION:

It was my darkest point,

Idont want to go back
L

I thought I was going crazy.

Opening up to Closer about
her struggles after having Josh,
Natasha has previously said:
Postnatal depression was
the darkest point of my life
and I dont want to go back to
that place again. I suffered in
silence for nine months because
I thought if Id told someone
theyd say, You ungrateful cow
how can you feel like that when
youve got such a beautiful life?
She recovered through a
combination of medication and
counselling, but still suffers
from PMTrelated depression.
Tragically, in 2013 the singer
admitted to Closer that one
of her biggest fears was that
depression would return to
haunt her. She said: I wouldnt
wish it on my worst enemy.

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ID DO ANYT HING TO

WIN RITCHIE BACK

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