Closer (UK)

Peter: “It’s taken me a long time to truly love myself”

Singer and TV star Peter Andre, 45, shares what he’s learned from his career, past relationsh­ips, losing a family member and body insecuriti­es

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‘DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES – MAKE NEW ONES’

I made some real mistakes when I was younger. If I could go back in time and talk to my younger self, I’d tell myself to listen, stop and think before rushing into decisions – I’d slap myself for some of the bad choices I made! But that’s life and you learn from your mistakes. My dad always told me, “Don’t make the same mistakes – make new ones.” He’s right, you’re always going to make mistakes, but learn from them and do something different next time.

‘HAVE THE COURAGE TO FACE YOUR DEEPEST FEARS’

Throughout life, it’s best to tackle any anxieties, depression or fears you have. Have courage to face your deepest fears. I used to have an extreme fear of heights – it was horrible and embarrassi­ng. I once had a bit of a meltdown at a theme park in front of my son Junior, (now 13), because I couldn’t go on a ride. But my wife Emily (Macdonagh), told me, “Pete, the worst that can happen on the ride is that you’ll pass out from fear or maybe have a panic attack. You can’t die from facing your fear, you should give it a go.” She’s a doctor, so I trusted what she told me and as soon as I knew that, I slowly overcame it. She’s amazing.

‘WE ALL HAVE INSECURITI­ES, BUT LEARN TO LOVE WHO YOU ARE’

I used to care a lot about my image. I watched what I ate, trained all the time and had very little body fat. I was miserable, but I thought, “I look good so it’s OK.” I absolutely hated my nose and I had a nose job. While I don’t regret that, I’m 45 now and it’s taken me this long to truly love myself. We all have insecuriti­es, but you have to, at some point in your life, say, “This is me. I love who I am and I feel comfortabl­e.”

‘YOU FIND OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU FROM PAST RELATIONSH­IPS’

As I’ve got older, my whole outlook on relationsh­ips and love has changed. You learn from your past about what works and what doesn’t work for you. For me, the two key aspects of my relationsh­ip with Emily are teamwork and a basis of friendship. We are the greatest team and have respect for each other because we were friends for two years before we got together. Friendship is unbelievab­le, because once you’ve got that as a base, everything else is easy. We talk to each other like I would a mate – as well as the fact that she’s someone I’m attracted to and love.

‘BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CAREER HIGHS AND LOWS’

When I look at my career now, I wouldn’t want to change anything, because it led me to where I am now. I’m in a happy place career-wise – I’m doing crazy, all-over-the-place stuff. So everything I ever did career-wise did lead to this. But saying that, there were times when I had a low point and I became depressed, so it hasn’t all been rosy. I am grateful to have had those moments, though, because it’s made me incredibly grateful for my life now and it’s made me realise you can pick yourself up and feel good again. Nowadays, I keep a five-year-plan and constantly make goals so I can keep feeling motivated and fulfilled.

‘IF YOU LOSE SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU, ALLOW YOURSELF TO GRIEVE’

I lost my brother Andrew to cancer in 2012 and it was one of the most difficult times of my life. It sparked my depression and it was an extremely dark time. I remember feeling guilty for feeling sad for so long. But what I can see now is that grieving is a natural process and you have to allow yourself to do it. Surround yourself with support, too – Emily was wonderful. Despite me getting angry, upset and pushing her away, Emily said, “I’m staying here to support you no matter what.” It’s tough – but you will get through it in time.

 ??  ?? He married Emily in 2015 – with whom he shares Amelia and Theo
He married Emily in 2015 – with whom he shares Amelia and Theo

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