Katie Price has finally uncovered the truth about her brief romance with pop star Gareth Gates, nearly a quarter-century after their relationship made headlines. The former glamour model, now 48, revealed that Gates, then 17 and fresh off his Pop Idol fame, had "ghosted" her after their four-month fling in 2002.

For years, the singer denied the relationship ever happened and later accused Price of selling their story to the press. Now, in a dramatic turn, Gates is breaking his silence for Price's upcoming Sky documentary, Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, finally providing the answers she says she has sought for 25 years .

"I imagine meeting someone 25 years ago and then they sort of ghost you," Price told the crowd at the documentary's launch event. "You don't know why and then you go forward 25 years and then you get the answers" . According to Price, the decades-long misunderstanding stemmed from a simple miscommunication. "Because he had thought I'd done something which I didn't do and now, he finds out, it really wasn't me," she explained .

The revelation came as a shock to both of them during the documentary filming. Price described the moment, recalling the palpable surprise on Gates' face when he realized she was not responsible for the media leaks. "The shock on his face and the shock on mine – everyone was like, 'you and Gareth, that was the one that got away!'" she told the audience .

A Controversial Romance and a Misunderstanding

The relationship between Price and Gates was a topic of intense tabloid fascination at the time. Price was 23 years old and six months pregnant with her son Harvey, while Gates was a teenage heartthrob who had just risen to international fame on the reality competition Pop Idol .

In a 2024 interview, Price confirmed that the two had been intimate, famously stating, "I took his virginity when I was six months pregnant," a claim she later clarified by saying, "Just because I'm pregnant, don't say I can't have a boyfriend" . Initially, Gates vehemently denied any romantic involvement, a decision he says was made out of fear and the immaturity of youth.

Speaking on the Great Company podcast last month, Gates addressed the situation with newfound candor. He said he denied the relationship because he "didn't want my family to find out about my sex life" at such a young age . The pop star revealed that the intense public scrutiny following their relationship was a significant learning curve, making him "extremely wary of trusting people" in the entertainment industry .

While he declined to explicitly confirm Price's claim that he lost his virginity to her, he conceded, "I was extremely inexperienced with a girl who was extremely experienced. I could see why she thought that" . He expressed deep disappointment that their private relationship became a public spectacle, noting that it overshadowed his musical career at the time .

A Documentary That Promises Full Disclosure

Katie Price: Nothing to Hide is set to air on July 8th on Sky and the streaming service Now . Produced by Louis Theroux's production company, Mindhouse, the four-part series is described as an "archive-led retrospective" . The documentary aims to go beyond the tabloid headlines, combining unseen archival footage with candid testimony from those closest to Price .

The series also features appearances from other notable exes, including Alex Reid and Dane Bowers, offering a comprehensive look at her personal life and turbulent relationships . In the trailer for the series, Price is seen reflecting on the impact of her actions, stating, "I know I have hurt people deeply, and I know I’ve made mistakes" .

Price's Current Personal Challenges

The revelations about her past with Gates come amid reported difficulties in Price's current marriage to Dubai-based businessman Lee Andrews. Price, who has been married four times, has faced public scrutiny over her personal life and financial troubles. The new documentary promises to peel back the layers of her public persona, offering a "revealing portrait of one of Britain’s most enduring celebrity figures" .

As Price prepares for the documentary's release, she appears to be confronting the ghosts of her past. The chance to finally clear up the misunderstanding with Gates seems to have provided a sense of closure. "It’s like watching a movie isn’t it," Price says in the series trailer, as she prepares to lay her life bare for public consumption once more .