Kate Gosselin: 'I Made So Many Mistakes' At The Height Of My Fame

It was a mere four years ago that Kate Gosselin was practically a household name, with a top-rated show, and wall-to-wall tabloid coverage during her nasty split with now-ex-husband Jon.

But four years later, the one-time TLC star has seen her star tumble, admitting to People she's "piecing and patching together" an income, two years after her show was booted off the air.

As we previously reported, some of Kate's pieces and patches have come in the form of a cookbook called Love Is In The Mix; as well as KatePlusMy8.com, a website showcasing her kids and promoting her projects.

"I'm living very carefully these days," the mother-of-eight, 38, said, adding that "to not have a reliable income is scary."

Kate, who was arguably the centerpiece of Dancing with the Stars' tenth season, admits her days of being trailed by the paparazzi "feels like a whole other lifetime ago."

"I made so many mistakes, of course," Kate said, "both when the babies were first born and during the divorce, I was on survival mode.

"I feel like I've lived two lifetimes already -- I'm not the same person I was ... I don't even recognize her."

Kate's cookbook Love Is In The Mix will be released next month.