Kerry Katona says she felt 'terrible' following backlash for April Fools joke

The former Atomic Kitten star posted a picture of a baby scan to her Instagram account with the caption: “Love you @ryanmahoney_7 bloody knew you lot wouldn’t believe me.”

The post was swiftly removed as people began to call Katona out for the ‘insensitive’ prank.

“I’m sorry but this isn’t funny at all and just because it’s been removed don’t make it ok. So insensitive!!!! Good one,” one person wrote on Twitter adding: “It’s the lowest thing to lie about let alone ‘joke’ about pregnancy for April fools.”

“As a woman who has miscarried and is fighting to get pregnant through IVF, believe me when I say that posting this as an April Fools day joke is utterly shocking, insensitive and heart-breaking. I'd have thought a grown woman would know better,” shared another.

A third added: “Kerry Katona, pretending to be pregnant as an April Fools prank is disgusting and heartless!!! There's women out there who've lost babies or can't have children and you do this???”

In her new! magazine column Katona wrote that she wanted to “clear things up” after she was slammed for “upsetting people who aren't able to have children or people who have previously suffered miscarriages”.

"I was called such vile things and it broke me down," she wrote.

"People assume I haven't had any struggles with fertility, but I have. I know the heartache. I have had an angel baby,” she explained.

“The joke was not intentionally cruel. It wasn't aimed at miscarriages, or families struggling to get pregnant. I was just pranking Ryan.”

Katona went on to say that while she was filming at TV show she began receiving horrible messages.

"I felt dreadful after being trolled," Kerry admitted, before adding that she doesn't know how she didn't start crying during filming.

Following the backlash she took to social media to issue an apology for the joke.

“So here’s me thinking I was posting the most unoriginal April fools joke by telling my other half he’d unintentionally knocked me up was the norm on the 1st of April!! Lesson learnt!!!”

“Absolutely no malice, and most certainly no intent to upset anyone,” she continued.

“I honestly feel sick to my core that anyone would intentionally go out of my way to upset another human being! Last time I do April fool (sic) ! My sincere apologies, sorry folks,” she concluded adding a broken heart emoji.

A spokesperson for Kerry also told Mail Online that the post was not meant for public consumption.

“It was an April Fools joke for her partner Ryan but she posted it to her public account and not her private one with very close friends by accident.

“Kerry herself cannot have any more children due to medical issues and has openly spoken about this in the past. She sincerely apologises to anyone who is offended and would never post anything to purposely upset anyone.”