Katie Piper before and after acid attack: What happened to the TV presenter and model?

13 February 2019, 10:56 | Updated: 7 October 2024, 15:59

Katie Piper was attacked with sulphuric acid in 2008
Katie Piper was attacked with sulphuric acid in 2008. Picture: Getty

Katie Piper was just 24 years old when she had acid thrown in her face - find out what she did before and after the attack

Katie Piper had acid thrown in her face as she left her house in 2008, an attack ordered by her ex-boyfriend Danny Lynch.

She had over 250 operations to help her recover from her injuries, and will continue to need them for the rest of her life.

Katie's attacker Danny Lynch was subsequently sentenced in 2009 for the attack and told he must serve a minimum of six years before becoming eligible for parole. He was released from jail last year.

Katie has been very open about what she looked like before and after the attack, and has gone into great detail about the reconstructive surgery she's had to help heal the damage caused from the severe burns.

Before Christmas, Katie Piper showed progress of her surgeries following the acid attack with a series of selfies.

Now Katie is married to Richard James Sutton and they have two children together.

Read more: Katie Piper philantropist career revealed - what work does she do and what causes does she support?

Katie Piper: before and after the attack

Katie was an aspiring model and presenter before being attacked, and also studied beauty therapy at college. Katie was runner-up Miss Winchester in 2006, and had moved to London to pursue a presenting career, and also modelled for fashion magazines.

Katie Piper before the attack
Katie Piper before the attack. Picture: Channel 4

In her early twenties, Katie finished as a runner-up in the Miss Winchester beauty pageant in 2006. She then moved to London to pursue a career in front of the camera, modelling for glamour and fashion magazines. She was also due to take part in model-based reality show, Candy Crib.

She was also set to appear in model reality show Candy Crib. After the attack, Katie underwent 250 operations - including ones to rebuild the skin on her face and help her breathe through her nose.

She also did psychological therapy to help with the trauma of the attack. Katie has since founded The Katie Piper Foundation charity, which helps burns victims like herself. She is also a presenter and author.

What happened to Katie Piper?

A man named Stefan Sylvestre was paid by her ex-boyfriend Danny Lynch to throw sulphuric acid in her face.

Recalling the attack in her book, Katie wrote: "I spotted a young guy in a hoodie crossing the road and coming towards me, with his arms outstretched and a coffee cup clasped between his two hands. He looked like a drug addict or a beggar. 

"I felt sorry for him. I rested my mobile in the crook of my neck and reached into my bag to give him some money.

"Splash. He chucked the contents of the cup over my face. For a moment, I didn’t understand what had happened. And then the pain hit me – an explosion of agony, unlike anything I had ever experienced before. 

"It spread through my body like fire. "I could feel my face burning, so hot I thought it was going to burst into flames."I heard a horrible screaming sound, like an animal being slaughtered. Then I realised it was coming from me."

Katie Piper's family and children

Katie is married to carpenter Richard Sutton, and they have two daughters - Belle and Penelope.

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