SHE'S had more hairstyle changes than many Hollywood movie stars – but Katie Price's dramatic looks over the years have come hand in hand with some major life moments.
The former glamour model, 42, has now undergone one of her most drastic changes to date, as she debuted a very short cropped look.
Katie told The Sun she was opting for a "more sophisticated look" to be taken "more seriously" – and it comes amid huge praise for her BBC documentary, Katie Price: Harvey and Me, in which she highlights the difficulties parents of kids with complex needs face every day.
It's the latest in a long line of changes Katie's made to her mane, and Andrew Barton, creative and communications director for Headmasters, says she's one of many celebs that use their hair to "express their personality".
Andrew, who's worked on the mum-of-five's hair for photoshoots previously himself, tells Sun Online: "Katie has been a good example of using her hair to express her personality and her feelings at any one time.”
Here we look at some of her most memorable looks, and how they've reflected her life at the time…
'Au naturel' before reaching stardom
Before her glamour modelling days, Katie – known then as Katrina Amy Alexandra Alexis Price – looked very different, embracing a more natural look with flowing curls.
Her late teens saw her excel at sports in school, as well as developing her passion for horse riding.
Andrew says: "This was the au naturel Katie, she was still quite young then. She had those lovely natural curls.
“It befitted her age at the time and her personality.”
'Extreme and exaggerated' look in Jordan days
As Katie's modelling career took off, she adopted the name Jordan – and with it came a whole new look as she opted for a boob job at the age of 20.
She initially showed off straighter brunette locks, but then underwent her full transformation and opted for bleached blonde hair with a lot of long extensions.
Andrew says: "Her hair in these years was about making a statement.
“That early straight, very groomed look was the fashion at the time – it was the rise of the straightening iron and she was following a trend.
For Katie, it couldn’t get long enough or big enough, to exaggerate this persona as a glam model and to stand out from others.
“But I think the statement she was making with the plastic surgery and the glamour modelling in particular was all about taking it to an extreme and exaggerating everything.
“The exaggeration was not just in the peroxide white blonde, but also in the length and amount of hair extensions she was wearing.
“For Katie, it couldn’t get long enough or big enough, to exaggerate this persona as a glam model and to stand out from others.”
'Low maintenance look on I'm A Celeb – inspired by Bo Derek'
Perhaps one of Katie's most memorable looks came in 2004, when she showed off thick braids for a more practical style while in the I'm A Celebrity jungle.
And, mirroring the look, the star revealed a whole new side of her personality on the ITV show too, as she got stuck into the gruelling trials and slowly fell for fellow campmate Peter Andre.
Andrew says: "The braids in the jungle were about the low maintenance. But she also knew they showed off her beauty. She’s very beautiful.
“She also used a style icon, I think, and that was Bo Derek coming out of the beach with those braids.”
'Experimenting' with Peter Andre – while 'competing with Posh & Becks'
What followed was a very loved-up romance for Katie and Pete, with the pair marrying in 2005.
And, reflecting the major change in her life, Katie experimented a fair bit with her hair in their first couple of years together – showing off a bright blonde look at the same time Pete went for a lighter mane, before settling for brunette locks.
Andrew says: "What a lot of couples enjoy is finding things they like about each other. I think Peter enjoyed her experimenting with her image, he was experimenting with his image as well.
“I think the media attention fuelled that experimentation too. Nobody could get enough of them.
“At the time too, they were competing for that attention with David and Victoria – who were also experimenting with their style.”
A 'Mother Earth' look while embracing family life
Shortly after welcoming their first son, Junior, together – who was Katie's second child after Harvey – she appeared to embrace a more natural colour while settling into family life.
Posing on the red carpet at the National Television Awards in October 2005, Katie debuted very dark curls – and she kept the colour right through Junior's first year.
The following year, around the time she welcomed first daughter Princess, Katie once again went back to blonde, as she changed her look to match a major life event.
Andrew says: "Most young mothers enjoy playing the Mother Earth role and becoming more natural.
“Often though, when it comes to their second or third baby, they opt for a much more glamorous route – which she did when she went blonde around the time Princess was born.”
'Confident' style amid turbulent love life
Sadly, Katie and Pete weren't to last and they split in 2009 – with Katie going on to have a very turbulent love life in the years that followed.
And with her short-lived romances, came a fair few hair changes.
The star began dating second husband Alex Reid shortly after the breakdown of her marriage, and with it came a dramatic dark hairstyle which she kept for most of their marriage.
When the pair split in 2011, she rocked a lighter blonde 'do – marking a change in her life that saw her enjoy a series of high profile romances that year, from a fling with Danny Cipriani to an on-off relationship with Leandro Penna.
Throughout the year, she showed off huge curls and dramatic blow dries on nights out – something Andrew says portrayed her confidence at the time.
He explains: "When she went for that bigger, wavy hair, there was an expression of confidence – ‘look at me, I’m surviving’."
In 2012, she settled down once again with third husband Kieran Hayler, and with that came a return to a more natural brunette – although she continued showing off some incredible bright pink looks on photocalls, proving she still had that confidence in abundance.
'Intelligent' 'do as TV career took off
While Katie's career was well-established and going from strength to strength, a major break for her came around 2016 when she secured a long-running spot on Loose Women.
During her time on the show, she was often pictured with a more modern, understated look along with some stylish outfits – far from the skimpy gear she'd loved in her glamour modelling days.
Katie's hair changed colour a fair bit during her time on the show, but she kept it straight or in loose waves for most of her time – for a more serious look.
Andrew says: "This was her dropping that Jessica Rabbit-type character and less of the glamour girl image. She was portraying a different image, saying ‘take me more seriously, I am intelligent’.
“She had something to talk about, and that was the perfect platform for her on Loose Women.”
'Regaining her youth' after marriage split
Following her split from Kieran in 2018, after discovering his affair with her best friend Jane Pountney, Katie went on to enjoy a brief romance with Kris Boyson – and with it came a return to a wilder blonde look.
In what appeared to be a nod to her earlier years in the limelight, Katie was snapped with longer locks and huge ponytails, taking a step away from the more sophisticated looks she'd adopted on Loose Women.
Andrew says: "This was a stab at regaining youth and certain things that she may have associated with coming across as younger and more playful.”
'Sophisticated' look as she focuses on the future
Katie had a tough 2020, as she faced bankruptcy, but she has since put it behind her and found happiness with new partner Carl Woods.
She began their romance with jet black hair, but has now opted for her shorter bob to mark the major change in her life – and the work she's now doing on behalf of Harvey.
Andrew says: “This new look is great on her I think she looks fabulous.
“What she’s done in the past, depending on what she’s launching or what endorsements or brands she’s involved with at any time, she’s used her image to play up to her role at that time.
“I suspect her more sophisticated image that she’s portraying now means there will be things happening around her brand that are potentially going to be more sophisticated too.”
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