Singer Peter Andre and his wife, NHS doctor Emily open up during an exclusive shoot about Christmas, Pete’s ‘delicate’ mum and why they’re each others’ ‘rock’
Surrounded by trees, tinsel and one very excited brood, Peter Andre is looking forward to a magical, bustling family Christmas with his wife, NHS doctor Emily, and their blended family.
It’s been another exciting and successful year for the Andres, albeit not without its challenges. But amid all the ups and downs of the past twelve months, Pete says one person has been his constant.
“Emily has been my absolute rock through any tough times and the good,” he says. “She’s my partner in crime. We laugh so much.” Emily adds, “You know, it’s funny, Pete’s name in Greek actually means rock. And he is literally my rock, in every way.”
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Pete’s grown-up children – Princess, 18, and Junior, 20 – have had a particularly memorable year. Junior has continued with his music and moved in with his girlfriend Jasmine, while his sister Princess launched her hit reality show, The Princess Diaries. “They’re great kids,” Pete smiles. “For me, it’s important that they stay humble, and they really are.”
Princess’s fly-on-the-wall series, which Junior regularly appears in, has been renewed for another two seasons thanks to impressive viewing figures, and proud dad Pete says, “I just want them to shine, to show people what they are made of and to be happy.”
Pete and Emily celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in July, and reflecting on their happy marriage, he says, “Will we make it to 70 years of marriage like my mum and dad? Probably not, as I’m too old! But Emily’s someone I could easily see myself being married to for 70 years.
“We might disagree on the thermostat, but we’ve never had a serious argument in 10 years. We’re solid. When things feel negative and a bit harsh, you realise the love you’ve got.” Laughing, Emily adds, “We also bicker about the freezer – and yes, we do need to keep it full of food we never use!”
Pete admits there is one bittersweet element of the season, however, when his thoughts turn to his beloved mum Thea, who lives in Australia with dad, Savvas.
Now 89, Thea suffers from both Parkinson’s and dementia and Pete, who hopes to fly out there after Christmas to see them both, worries that this Christmas could be his mum’s last.
“Of course I worry this could be Mum’s last Christmas. She’s very delicate”, he says softly. “Her Parkinson’s has progressed quite a bit. Her speech is almost gone. She’ll say a word or two. It’s heartbreaking, because she’s our world, our pillar of strength.
“Then I see Dad and he’s 92 and with her every single day. But he’s getting delicate now, too. His memory’s going, but I am so grateful that they made that milestone I prayed for – 70 years of marriage in September.”
The singer admits he often gets emotional when thinking of his mum’s devastating health struggles. “It’s a raw pain,” he says. “I’m a grown man, but I still can’t accept in my heart that these things happen to the people I love the most.”
Brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness, Pete says that although he hasn’t technically followed the Christian religious sect since he was 16, he has found himself praying again, “because of my beautiful parents and their health”.
But the star is palpably excited when he opens up about his festive plans with Emily, 36. “Growing up as a strict Jehovah’s Witness, we didn’t celebrate Christmas as kids. So to live the magic through my kids is everything. We really go for it, prepping for Santa, the reindeers and all the magic. It’s a beautiful time of year.”
Emily agrees. “We love Christmas. It comes from my family. We always go big, but in a traditional way with stockings, games, the King’s Speech – and usually me falling asleep watching Home Alone!”
One big change this year is that the Andres are heading out to a local restaurant for Christmas lunch. “We usually prep lunch on Christmas eve. Last year it took Pete and I four hours,” explains Emily. “We always wear matching Christmas pyjamas all day, so this might actually be the year I put on some make-up and a nice outfit.”
“Junior and Princess will probably be the first to bring their stockings downstairs on Christmas morning,” Pete says. “It’s sweet that it’s still their favourite part of the day. We make sure Santa doesn’t forget the adults.”
“Princess and Junior are more excited about opening their stockings than the little ones,” agrees Emily. “We cut up a pair of tights to make them, like my family always did. You can get a lot of stuff in a pair of tights – chocolate, little games, socks.”
The day will kick off with the whole family at home – with Pete and Emily’s children Millie, 11, Theo, nine, and Arabella, 20 months, as well as Pete’s older children Princess and Junior and Junior’s girlfriend, Jasmine.
And their home is gorgeously decked out for the festive season, with two Christmas tress and baubles and foliage adorning their banisters. “Theo and Millie have trees in their bedrooms too,” says Pete. “We use lots of sentimental decorations, like ones the kids have made over the years. The house is sparkling.
“I used to think Christmas wasn’t a big deal, but every year I get really excited now seeing all their little eyes light up. England for me at Christmas is like nowhere else. It’s got a bit of a New York, Home Alone vibe. And there’s a lot of us. It’s beautiful chaos.”
The pair do get into it a little when we ask about whether they’ll go large on the presents this year. Pete says he may go “a little crazy”, while Emily says they most definitely will not.
The eldest of their three children together, Millie, is now an official tween, but both her parents agree that she won’t be disappearing off upstairs to look at her phone on Christmas Day – or throwing any mini strops.
Emily says, “I’m kind of strict on screen time. She’s allowed it for one hour on Saturday and one hour on Sunday, no social media, no WhatsApp and only downstairs. I don’t mind telly as we’re all together, but they don’t have iPads or phones in the week. She doesn’t even complain, bless her.”
“There are no moody moments,” Pete adds. “She’s thriving at secondary school and she loves spending time with us at home. We don’t have to convince her. She’s a sweetheart.”
Pete admits, catering for a family where the ages range from one to 20 can be “crazy”, but Emily says the dynamic works really well. “The older two are so lovely with the little ones,” she says. “ Just today Junior came in and picked Belle up and gave her kisses and cuddles. And Princess is gorgeous with Millie – a real guiding light.
“Millie’s very open with me but she gets really good advice from Princess, and she listens to her as she’s cool and young. They have girlie chats in Millie’s room and that melts my heart. I always wanted a sister for that reason, but I got four brothers instead – which is also great.”
Little Arabella will be a lot more aware this Christmas, which her parents can’t wait to see. They just need to stop her wrecking the decorations. “All I know is my Christmas tree is already getting ruined,” laughs Emily. “She loves the twinkly lights, the presents underneath – she’s obsessed!”
Christmas may be hectic, but Pete and Emily have somehow managed to steal time for some festive romance. “We had a date night the other night,” Emily says. “We go through phases where we’re great, then we go slack.”
“Yeah, it’s so important to remember who you are as a couple,” Pete says. “We’ve started getting date nights back in the diary at last.”
As the couple wind down after a hectic year, they both have big hopes for 2026. Emily’s goal is to move more, she says, before admitting she said the same thing this time last year and still hasn’t managed a workout. She says, “I’m on my feet a lot, but I’m not sure that counts. Isn’t that just being alive?”
Pete, loved-up as ever, would beg to differ. “Yes, and you look amazing! You are 100% going to be like Liz Hurley in your fifties. Whatever she’s doing, she’s doing it right. You’re gorgeous.”
Clearly feeling sentimental as Christmas looms, Pete’s hope is to find “a cure for all the ills of old age, or to slow down ageing altogether.”
He explains, “It might not be in my lifetime – or my mum’s, much as I’d pray for it – but I hope it’s there in my children’s lifetime. I’m aiming to live to 115, 120. Wishful thinking, but my hope would be our kids outliving us all.”
Meanwhile, next year is already looking jam-packed for them both. Emily’s new children’s book – her fifth to date – hits shelves in January.
Aimed at teenagers and entitled Periods: Everything You Need To Know, she admits it could come in useful soon with Millie.“I’m very proud of it. Millie’s 11, so I know I’ll be needing it soon. She loves my other books, which is the cutest thing.”
As for Pete, he jokes “where do I start?” when asked about next year’s projects. “I’ve written my first ever film, so watch this space. I’ve got a UK tour of Frankie Valli in January, I’ve been recording my first album in over 10 years, a tour…
“And somewhere in between, spending precious time with Mum and Dad and my gorgeous family. Yep, it’s going to be another busy year, but that’s how we like it.”
For tickets to see Peter Andre in The Very Best Of Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons, visit sweeneyentertainments.co.uk/show/the-bestof-frankie-valli-starring-peter-andre
