Kerry Katona mourns long lost real father's death

Kerry Katona is shattered after finding out that her long lost real father has died.

The former Atomic Kitten
singer traced Ron Armstrong last year through a private detective.

She had been planning to contact her 62-year-old father, whom she saw only once as a baby.

However, Katona recently discovered that he died of cancer only a few months after she found out who he was.

"She is very shocked and raw over the news-she longed to have a father figure in her life," News of the World quoted a close pal as saying.

A friend of Katona said that the star however was consoled by the discovery of her real father's other children-a sister and four brothers, who never knew she was their half-sister until now.

And they are willing to welcome Katona if DNA tests prove Armstrong was her father.

"It makes no difference that Kerry is a celebrity to us," said her half-sister Lynsey.

"If she is our sister then she is our sister-and she will be welcome here into the family if it is true she is Dad's daughter.

"I'd like to meet her soon-but at the moment we are all in shock over this. It is a bit upsetting that Dad kept it to himself for 28 years," she added.