Jordan (model)

Katie André (née Price; born May 22, 1978 in Brighton) is an English glamour model, television personality, magazine columnist and businesswoman also known as Jordan. Her personal life is regularly featured in British tabloids and celebrity-based magazines.

Early life

Price was born as Katrina Alexandra Infield and brought up in the seaside town of Brighton in East Sussex, England. Her secondary school was Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College. She took the surname Price after her mother remarried following the split from her biological father when she was a child. Price has an older brother named Daniel and a younger half sister, Sophie.

Her decision to start modeling came after a friend suggested she have some professional photographs done. The pictures were sent to a modeling agency in London, and to her surprise, the agency invited her into their studios for a photo shoot and to discuss a contract. Within weeks she began appearing on 'Page 3' of the The Sun newspaper (topless modeling). It was at this time that she assumed the name "Jordan" when somebody in the photoshoot disapproved her using her real name and felt Jordan would be best suited for her.

Career

Modeling

Although she was already a well-established model, with frequent appearances on Page 3 and in men's lifestyle magazines to her credit, Jordan still had a feeling of insecurity about her breast size, and believed that implants would make her look better. Her parents, friends, and photographers with whom she had worked were against the idea. Nevertheless, the operation went ahead, and her cup size increased from a B to an E. She has stated that she "always felt that [she] looked flat-chested when [she] stood next to other girls on the glamour circuit". Her choice to "go under the knife" was a definitive factor in her retirement from Page 3 topless modeling for The Sun, which had recently decided on a "natural beauty" policy, requiring all its models to be " silicone-free".

Jordan has also appeared on the covers of FHM, Maxim, Nuts, Front, Zoo Weekly, Sky, Esquire, Loaded, and Ice magazines.

Appearances in Playboy special editions

Jordan appeared in six volumes of Playboy's Book of Lingerie from 1997 to 1999.

• Playboy's Book of Lingerie Vol. 58 November 1997 — Byron Newman, pages 24-25.
• Playboy's Book of Lingerie Vol. 59 January 1998 — Byron Newman, pages 84-89.
• Playboy's Book of Lingerie Vol. 60 March 1998 — pages 44–47.
• Playboy's Book of Lingerie Vol. 61 May 1998 — pages 34–35.
• Playboy's Book of Lingerie Vol. 65 January 1999 — pages 22–23.
• Playboy's Voluptuous Vixens Vol. 7 April 2003 — cover.

Politics

During the June 7, 2001, British General Election, Jordan ran as a candidate in Stretford and Urmston under her real name using the slogan: 'For a Bigger and Betta Future'. As part of her election campaign, which was intended to bring a little fun into a dull election, she promised free breast implants, increases on nudist beaches, and a ban on parking tickets. In the end, Jordan won 713 votes, 1.8% of the votes cast.

Television

In an attempt to cross over from modeling to other areas, Jordan auditioned for a part on the television series Baywatch in 1998, guest presented The Big Breakfast and played herself in an episode of Dream Team.

Jordan (now preferring to be known to the public as Katie Price while not modeling) began 2004 by appearing on the reality TV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, alternately falling out with John Lydon and flirting in the jungle with singer Peter Andre whom she eventually married. Price appeared on Top Gear's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car on May 23, 2004. She completed the lap in 1:52s. She also made a cameo appearance playing herself in an episode of the television drama series Footballers' Wives and appeared in the programme Jordan Gets Even for Five.

She appeared in the documentaries Jordan: Living Without Fame (Channel 4), Jordan: The Truth About Me, Jordan: Model Mum, Jordan: You Don't Even Know Me (BBC Choice), Jordan Gets Even (Five) and the series When Jordan Met Peter (ITV), Jordan & Peter: Laid Bare (ITV2), Jordan & Peter: Marriage and Mayhem (ITV2), and the Katie & Peter series, including Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter (ITV2) and Katie & Peter: The Baby Diaries. Katie & Peter was also successful in the United States, where it aired on E!, helping to establish Jordan's fame State-side.

In summer 2005, Jordan was one of many guest hosts of the first series of The Friday Night Project. In December 2005 she released an exercise fitness DVD The Jordan Workout featuring "The Juice Master" Jason Vale.

Katie & Peter: Unleashed began on Friday 19 October, 2007 at 9pm on ITV2. A new series titled, Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter Down Under aired on ITV2 on 27 March 2008 at 9pm. Recently, Katie and Peter appeared on the CGI TV series, Headcases.

Music

Under the name Katie Price, she was one of the acts competing for the right to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, to be held in Ukraine. On 5 March 2005, singing a song titled "Not Just Anybody", wearing a skin tight pink catsuit whilst heavily pregnant, she lost the public vote, coming in second place in the pre-selection show Making Your Mind Up, behind Javine. The other contestants were the 1996 UK entrant Gina G, as well as Andy Scott-Lee, and the group Tricolore.

Price and André released a duets album on 27 November 2006 titled A Whole New World with all proceedings going to their chosen charities due to the poor health conditions of Jordan's son Harvey. The album debuted at #20 in the UK album chart. The album went gold in two weeks selling 190,000 copies, including 81,296 in it's first week.

Published works

To coincide with her appearance on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! earlier in the year, Price released the first of two autobiographies – Being Jordan – in May 2004. Initially turned down by the mainstream publishing houses after demanding a £1 million advance, she was eventually signed up by small independent publisher John Blake, a former tabloid journalist, for £10,000 plus royalties. In a departure from industry norms, she conducted a 10 day book signing tour which provoked enough interest, contrary to expectations, almost exclusively female, to propel her to first position in the Nielsen BookScan hardback sales chart and to sell 97,090 copies in little over a year and over one million, as of January 2007.

Her second autobiography – Jordan: A Whole New World – detailing her wedding and family life reached number two in the hardback general category, selling 198,105 copies by 1 April 2006.

Her first ghostwritten novel, Angel, about a young woman who becomes a model, was published in June 2006, and sold 300,000 copies in six weeks.Her second ghostwritten novel, Crystal, about a young woman's efforts to become a singer, sold 159,407 copies during the first three months after its release in June 2007.All four books were ghostwritten by Rebecca Farnworth

In 2006 Price signed a £300,000 advance with Random House for Katie Price's Perfect Ponies, a series of children's books, which were released in 2007. A title from that series, "My Pony Care Book", was nominated for the WH Smith's Children's Book of the Year. In 2008, she released a new children's book series entitled "Mermaids & Pirates".

Price continues to write a regular advice column in OK! magazine and has previously contributed to More and The Sun.

Bibliography

• Being Jordan (2004)
• Jordan: A Whole New World (2006)
• Angel (2006)
• Crystal (2007)
• Katie Price's Perfect Ponies (2007)
• Jordan: Pushed to the Limit (2008)
• Angel Uncovered (2008)
• Time for Picnic (2008)
• A Sunny Day (2008)

Endorsements

In October 2003, Price appeared in an advertising campaign for the supermarket chain Kwik Save. To publicise the chain's promotion to cut the prices of their leading lines in half, Price was sawn in half by magician Peter McCahon. Initial press releases featured a photo of her apparently chainsawed in half while standing by McCahon, although this used a camera trick to achieve the effect. The actual campaign featured TV adverts showing McCahon cutting Price in half in a "Thin Model" sawing illusion and then separating her halves - a performance they repeated live at the campaign's press launch - and posters in stores showing Price cut in two in the "Thin Model".

In November 2006, Price launched The Katie Price Lingerie Collection in conjunction with Panache available exclusively at Asda stores, as well as a follow-up jewellery deal with Argos.

In 2007, Price was announced as the new face of Foxy Bingo and launched a hair care range at Superdrug.

Wealth

In October 2006, an article was published in The Daily Mail called The Chav Rich List. Price and her husband Peter Andre were ranked at #2, second only to David Beckham and Victoria Beckham. The article reported that with an estimated fortune of £30 million and rising, Price currently stands as one of the richest women in Britain.

Personal life

As her career began to blossom, Jordan embarked on several brief relationships with celebrities and sports stars including footballers Teddy Sheringham, and Dwight Yorke, and a more serious relationship with the TV Gladiator 'Ace' (real name Warren Furman). Despite Jordan's declaration of love for the Gladiator star, the relationship didn't last. Jordan has subsequently attributed the break-up to Warren's severe jealousy of all the male attention she received.

Jordan had a much publicised relationship with Dane Bowers of the boy band Another Level. She had an abortion after discovering he had cheated on her.

On May 27, 2002, she gave birth to a baby boy, whom she named Harvey Daniel; choosing the name Harvey after her grandfather, and Daniel after her brother. Harvey's father is the Sunderland footballer Dwight Yorke, although just as during her previous pregnancy, the relationship ended before the child was born. Jordan has said she intended to have the birth shown live over the Internet, but changed her mind later and decided to keep it private. Harvey was born at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, his birth being induced as he was two weeks overdue. He was found to be blind, having a condition known as septo-optic dysplasia, meaning that his optic nerve hadn't developed correctly. Harvey has had multiple stays in hospital including on New Years Eve 2006 following an accident at their home.

That same year, Jordan was treated for cancer. She had a leiomyosarcoma on her finger, this being a rare form of malignant tumour which attacks smooth muscle tissue and can spread around the body. She had it removed at a Nuffield Hospital near her Brighton home.

In February 2005 Price announced that she was 5 months pregnant, with Peter André's child. Price gave birth by Caesarean section to her second child, a 5lb 13oz ) boy named Junior Savva Andreas, on 13 June 2005. On September 10, 2005, she married André at Highclere Castle, Hampshire. In July 2006, it was announced that she had suffered a miscarriage - she was three and a half months pregnant.

On 29 June 2007 Price gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Princess Tiáamii.

In December 2007, Price underwent surgery in the U.S. to reduce the size of her breast implants. However, she was not happy with the size and look of them, so she is returning to the U.S. in July 2008 to have them reduced further. In early 2008, Price revealed she would be taking her husband's surname when they renewed their vows.

Discography

Albums

A Whole New World

• Released: November 27, 2006
• Label: Sony BMG
• Peak UK Album Chart: #20
• UK copies: 371,000
• Certification: Platinum

Musical performances

• "Not Just Anybody", live on GMTV (February 25, 2005)
• "Not Just Anybody, BBC1 Making Your Mind Up (March 5, 2005)
• "A Whole New World" (with Peter André), Children in Need (November 18, 2005)
• "A Whole New World" (with Peter André), The Royal Variety Performance (2006)
• "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (with Peter André), Children in Need (November 17, 2006)

Awards

• 2007 - Cosmopolitan's "Woman of the Year"
• 2007 - named by Grattan as "Celebrity Mum of the Year"
• 2003 - named #2 in "100 Worst Britons" list.