All I want for Christmas IS TO SEE MY MUM

Peter Andre shares his festive plans and reveals why returning to Australia to visit his poorly mother is all he wants for Christmas

- GEMMA CALVERT

With a Home Alone-style pad, a brood of excitable kids, and his own 'childlike' passion for the festive season, W for singer and TV personality Peter Andre, Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year.

As December approaches, after almost six months in the West End playing Vince Fontaine in Grease, then finishing up filming two movies, Pete is taking a well-earned break. As well as enjoying time at home in Surrey, he and the family - his doctor wife Emily, 33, their children Amelia, eight, and Theo, five, and Pete's eldest two, Junior, 17, and Princess, 15 are flying to Australia to reunite with Pete's parents, Thea, 86, and Savvas, 89.

Here, Peter, 49, unveils his exciting festive plans to Woman and reveals why, until less than two decades ago, Christmas passed without celebration.

Happy Christmas, Peter! Are you having time off?

In November I’m shooting a short film over four or five days, then at the end of November, I’m going to Jamaica to finish a feature film I’ve been working on since last year. Once that’s over, in the run-up to Christmas, we’re all flying to Australia to see Mum and Dad. Being together is the ultimate Christmas gift.

Your mum hasn’t been well recently. How is she doing?