peter & junior andre
Peter Andre and his eldest son Junior tell OK! about their unique bond in our exclusive father’s day shoot
The connection between father and son is special, but the relationship between Peter Andre and his 16-year-old boy Junior appears to be unbreakable. Not only do the duo look alike, but singer and actor Pete admits they have very similar personalities.
“Junior reminds me of myself at his age,” reveals the 48-year-old. “You can always clash with someone when they remind you of yourself, I think that’s why things can get annoying,” he adds with a laugh, “but I could not ask for a better boy. He’s an awesome kid.”
The strength of the pair’s sweet relationship is evident during our exclusive Father’s Day shoot at their home in Surrey, where they live with Pete’s doctor and OK! columnist wife Emily, 31, his daughter Princess, 13, (nicknamed Bista) and Pete and Emily’s children, Amelia, seven, and Theo, four.
And there are some double celebrations in order in the Andre household, as not only is Junior about to turn 16 at the time of the shoot, he has also been accepted into his first choice of college to study acting.
“I’m so proud of him,” says Pete.
“It’s a really hard college to get into, so it’s a dream come true,” adds Junior.
Here, they tell OK! about the words of wisdom Pete has imparted to his son, and why Pete has extended his deadline for expanding his brood…
Happy Father’s Day, Pete! Do you think the kids will be spoiling you?
Pete: As long as I get some nice cards I’ll be happy. I’m sure Junior has lots planned! [Laughs] Emily always plans something nice.
Junior: I’m very good with my words so I’ll make sure I give him a nice card and I’m looking into getting something I can surprise him with.
What’s your father-son relationship like? Pete: It’s great. He’s nearly 16 but I feel like I’m a young 48-year-old and we’ve got to the stage now where we can go out for a coffee and have a really nice time together. He has a heart of gold and he’s a beautiful kid. I couldn’t be prouder of the person he’s grown into. I can be strict but at the same time he knows if he’s ever concerned or upset he can talk to me about absolutely everything. Although I think sometimes he would prefer to talk to Emily as she might know things on a deeper level than me! Especially medical things.
Junior: We have a good, strong relationship. I think it’s a respect thing. I know where the line is and I never cross it.
Pete: He’s excellent and he’ll talk about things, too. He’ll say, “I wanted to say something about this but I didn’t because I didn’t want to talk back.” That shows he’s maturing.
Junior: Sometimes it’s agitating because as a teenager you want to do as many things as possible and when your dad says you can’t do certain things you just think, “Why?”
Pete: But then if I’ve ever been harsh I always say sorry. I think I’ve let the reins go a bit. When Princess was younger I used to say she’s going to be a nun and I’ll never let her meet up with
boys. Now she’s 13 she asks to meet up with friends, both girls and boys, and of course I let her.
What are some of the things you’d like to do but can’t, Junior? Junior: Where do I start? [Laughs] No, I do get quite a bit of freedom and I think that comes from me respecting him. But I feel there are certain things he’s too strict on and when I’m always good I wonder why.
Pete: I don’t let him go to absolutely everything with his friends…
Junior: For me, what’s harder to understand is that the same rules don’t apply to Princess.
Pete: They do!
Junior: They don’t! He is way more lenient with her. I wasn’t allowed to take my phone up to my room to do homework but Princess is. I also had to go private on Instagram when I was at my dad’s. Princess
is public on Instagram and Dad is very against that but he still lets her do it.
Pete: She’s very good with her phone and always leaves it downstairs all night. With Instagram, Bista went against my rules going public and when she came back to my house she was worried that she would lose all her followers if she had to go private, so we came up with a compromise, which was Junior’s idea, to turn off the comments. I wanted them both to be private until they were 14, just so I could see I was happy with what they were posting. In two weeks when she turns 14 she can have the comments on and can take her phone to her room, which is a big deal for her.
And at the time of writing this you’re just about to turn 16, Junior!
Junior: Yeah, I’ll be driving in a year. I cannot wait; that’s my dream right now. I can drive wherever I want.
Pete: It’s crazy to think about. For his birthday he wants things I really don’t want him to have. For example, earrings, a moped and a few other things. I get why he wants the earrings and he’s a good-looking lad, but it scares me. I’m scared of the moped as I’ve never ridden a motorbike, but Junior has assured me they can only go 30mph and can’t go on certain roads. So maybe I’m overthinking it. He could rebel, but then the difference is he wouldn’t be coming into my house! [Laughs] Maybe I’ll agree to one of his requests… or none. [Laughs]
So what’s your relationship like with Emily, Junior?
Junior: Emily is amazing. She always helps me with everything. She is the organised one in the house! She helped me do my school work, revise and apply for college. My dad isn’t organised. The other day Emily booked me a dentist’s appointment and my dad just had to take me there and, even though Emily gave him the address, we ended up at the complete opposite end of where we were supposed to be and I missed my appointment.
Congratulations on getting into college! How are you feeling about starting there in September?
Junior: I’m really happy. I got into the college I wanted and I worked very hard. It’s a really hard college to get into, so it’s a dream come true. I don’t know a single person there so that side is scary. I have an induction day next month where I’ll meet everyone.
What would be your dream acting role? Junior: My personality is very bubbly and
comedic but I feel like I could tackle a serious role very well, maybe in a thriller or action movie. On The Other Foot was my first film, which will be out later this year, and I was very lucky to have some lines because normally I would have been an extra. It was a good learning experience for me and hopefully it’s the start of many more movies.
What advice has your dad given you? Junior: He’s taught me a lot of things like always remaining humble and being kind. He said to remember where I’ve come from and if you’re successful, don’t let the fame and money overtake you.
Are you nervous about Junior going into the entertainment industry, Pete? Pete: No, because I think Junior is doing it the right way. He’s going to college, whereas I got signed up at 16. I’ve told him it’s a really cruel industry but it’s also amazing if you don’t take things too seriously and you’re always respectful to everybody you meet along the way.
Do you worry about trolling, Junior? Junior: I get a lot of trolls but they don’t bother me at all. I’m just one of those people who can take it well. I can read it and not get hurt by it. Some people would be very vulnerable to it but I don’t take it personally. I laugh it off and don’t pay any attention to it. Pete: I’ve taught them that if they start reading something and it looks negative, delete it. It’s one of the best lessons I’ve learnt. I used to get trolled so bad on Twitter and it really affected me mentally as people said some horrid things, but
I didn’t understand you could block and delete. It’s made a massive difference.
Are you still keen to do Love Island, Junior? Junior: I was never serious about that. I love the people on it and I’m not mocking them, but I think I would feel too embarrassed about my parents watching me. I’d actually love to do I’m A Celebrity if I got the opportunity.
Does Princess want to pursue her interest in singing, Pete?
Pete: She’s worked really hard and now that she’s got a music scholarship at her school for next year she’ll thrive. I’m really proud of her.
Where are you at with having more children, Pete?
Pete: Hell to the no! Every time I think about it and think it would be great, we then meet people who’ve just had kids and spend an hour with them and I don’t know if I can go through all that again. But that’s not to say never. I did say we had this year to decide and I didn’t want to be changing nappies after I’m 50, but because of Covid I’ve pushed it back a year to 51!
Would you like another sibling, Junior? Junior: No, because I think the age gap
‘My dad has taught Me to remain humble and be kind’