‘I found myself in my forties – I can't wait to turn 50'

Our columnist Peter Andre talks body image, ageing and whether more kids are on the cards

- KIRSTY NUTKINS

When Peter Andre shot to fame in the 90s, he appeared to have it all – chart success, wealth and millions of adoring fans. But away from the spotlight, all was not well.

He’d begun suffering from debilitating panic attacks – up to 20 of them a day, during the height of his Mysterious Girl fame – which he puts down to vicious bullying when he was a kid. And by the time he reached his late twenties, he’d suffered a full-on breakdown.

He battled mental health problems for two decades, but Peter is now happier and healthier than ever. His forties are when he finally felt more accepting of himself, he says, and as he looks ahead to his 50th next year he’s excited rather than fearful.

And there’s plenty of reason to be – the dad-of-four is happily married to wife of nearly seven years Emily and his career is going from strength to strength.

He’s now branched out into acting and producing, and at the end of last year he launched a new health app, #itsfine, with his nutritionist friend Ben Smith. It aims to combat fad dieting, something he’s passionate about after years on strict but unsustainable diets.

Here, he sits down with new for a chat about health and body image, the secret to his happy marriage and being a proud dad to kids Junior, 16, Princess, 14, Millie, eight, and five-year-old Theo…

Hi, Pete! It sounds like life is going well for you right now. Are you in a better place mentally and physically?