UNDER-FIRE Kerry Katona has lashed out at her custody-row ex-hubby Brian McFadden, blasting: “If he loves his kids so much, why does he live 10,000 miles away?”

Drug-shame star Kerry, 29, claims she is fed up their two daughters hardly ever see their dad – who lives in Australia with his singer fiancée Delta Goodrem.

A close friend of Kerry’s said: “It’s not Brian who puts food on the table for them every day, takes them to school, does their washing, supervises their homework, gives them baths and does all the boring jobs that go with parenthood.

“It’s Kerry who does that. It’s Kerry who is there for them 52 weeks a year – and that is tough.

“Any dedicated dad would be just round the corner so that he could see his daughters all the time – not half-way round the world. The girls both long for more contact with their dad.”

Westlife singer Brian, 29, told a TV show in Ireland in September that he had instructed lawyers to seek custody of Molly, eight, and Lilly-Sue, six – after we revealed a secret video had been shot of Kerry snorting cocaine at her Cheshire home.

Last month he saw them at his mum Mairead’s Dublin home for a few days after flying to Ireland for Stephen Gately’s funeral. Kerry and second husband Mark Croft handed the girls to Brian during a frosty meeting at Manchester Airport.

McFadden, originally from Ireland, has said he wants to see more of his children but Kerry has been obstructive.

Earlier this year, he told friends he flew from Australia but Kerry blocked him from seeing the girls.

A friend said: “She’s trying to show him who’s in charge – by calling all the shots when it comes to the girls’ arrangements.”

And Mairead said recently: “I just wish Kerry would get herself sorted out – and we could look after the girls. Brian would move back to Ireland and live with me and we could look after them together.”

Yesterday Kerry’s pal insisted: “Kerry’s problems are in the past and she is loving mother. If there were problems, the authorities would have acted.

“The girls are at an excellent school and are settled with lots of friends locally. How would they benefit by being uprooted to Ireland or Australia?

“The only thing that is going to benefit is the PR image of Brian McFadden

War
“It’s funny he flies all the way back from Australia to go to the funeral of a pop star – but doesn’t fly back that often just to see his children.

“Brian knew he’d end up in the papers by going to the funeral. He wants to do all the glamorous things – but none of the grind that goes with being a parent.

“He is only making a fuss about custody because he is worried about his fanbase in Ireland.

“It doesn’t look good him being so away and he knows it.”

After his recent visit to Ireland, Brian said: “Having my girls back is incredible. But I want them for months – not just a few days. Kerry has made things very difficult for me and it has stressed my mum out so much.”

Kerry, who lost her £250,000-a-year Iceland ad job after our cocaine revelation, has that vowed Brian will never get custody, warning him: “If you come after the girls, there will be war.”

Source: News of the World