‘I can't look after everyone else unless I look after myself'

Dr Emily Andre on working on the frontline and why it’s important to take time for herself

- SAMUEL MCMANUS-MAXWELL

As an NHS doctor, Emily Andre is used to discussing a whole range of different health topics. And one thing she’s particularly passionate about is working with children – which is why she decided to write her debut book, Growing Up For Girls: Everything You Need To Know.

“It’s so exciting,” she tells us as she opens up about becoming an author.

Using her medical expertise as well as her own personal experiences, Emily – who is known professionally as Dr. Emily MacDonagh – writes about the physical and emotional journey through puberty.

“Having been a teenager myself, there are so many difficult things to navigate. When you reach adulthood, it’s easy to forget that journey. But now, being a parent, I’m just starting to think through those things in terms of my own children.”

Emily is mum to Amelia, seven, and Theo, four, with husband Peter Andre, and is step-mum to his children Junior, 16, and Princess, 14. Along with her busy family life, she has also been working on the NHS frontline throughout the pandemic.

She admits that while it’s been a “challenging” time, it’s also been extremely rewarding. “If I can make a difference, then that makes it worthwhile for me,” she says.

Here, Emily, 32, opens up about taking time out for herself, what Pete, 48, thinks of the book and her plans for this year…

Hi Emily! It’s been a tough couple of years for everyone. How have you found working on the frontline?