Peter Andre became a step-father to Harvey Price through his relationship with Katie Price and he has spoken of his fondness for him over the years despite his split
Peter Andre took a significant role in Harvey Price’s life when he fell madly in love with his mum Katie. At the time of their meeting on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! glamour model Katie was raising Harvey as a single mum after her ex Dwight Yorke wanted nothing to do with their son after their split. As he grew closer to Katie, Peter pledged to fill the parental void left by former Manchester United striker Dwight.
Despite not legally adopting Harvey, Peter had a close bond with Harvey and said he felt like a father figure, revealing that Harvey even referred to him as ‘daddy.’ Peter, 52, was married to Katie from 2005 to 2009 with whom he welcomed children Junior Andre, 19, and Princess Andre, 17, together.
At the age of 22, Harvey battles several severe health issues, including autism, septo-optic dysplasia (a birth defect which affects the brain and eyes), ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and Prader-Willi syndrome, which causes constant hunger. Over the Easter weekend, Katie revealed that Harvey’s weight had crept up to 30 stone and he was now in a “life-threatening” position.
She said: “I’m so heartbroken and gutted that his weight is just going up. I just googled it in stones – 188[kg]. He’s literally a few kilos off being 30 stone. It’s so life-threatening for him now. I’m still waiting for the doctors to get back to me to start him on the mounjaro and his journey to a healthy life.
“It’s so sad his quality of life at the moment where he’s so big, he just can’t really do much. It’s just another thing I have to deal with because he’s at high risk of having a heart attack, he struggles to put his trainers, he struggles to walk anywhere but I love him and I’m going to help him through this. So sad, obesity and his condition is sad. It’s sad to see someone go through it and he doesn’t understand. “
Following his divorce from Katie, Peter is said to have remained close to Harvey for some time. The Mysterious Girl singer has spoken about him and given insights into their relationship over the years since he split from Katie.
Harvey described himself as having been like a “real father”, before he had kids of his own. Peter said: “I have been a real father of Harvey and he calls me Daddy. “
Speaking in a magazine column in 2016, Peter clarified his bond with Harvey after his split with Katie, saying: “I don’t see him all the time, but I see him at events like the kids’ sports days. “
He added: “Also, there have been a few times recently where he’s been to my house and I’ve been to his. Harvey will always be special to me and I just want him to be happy. He’s a great kid. He’s such a good-hearted boy, I see him a bit more now, which is amazing. He’s just the best, I love him. There’s always room for Harvey at our house. I always saw him as my own. ” He added: “There’s a special place in my heart for him – he’s very important to me and he’s always welcome. It’s just lovely to see him. “
Peter has expressed well wishes for Harvey since then, including having shared birthday greetings. In a post for Harvey’s 15th birthday in 2017, he wrote: “Happy birthday to a very special boy. Hope you like your prezzies. “
That same year, Katie said that her split from Peter “really upset” Harvey. As previously reported, in her book Katie Price: Harvey and Me, published in 2017, she wrote that it “must have been frustrating for him” because he couldn’t “express how he felt” at the time but now remembers “more than you’d think”.
She also claimed that visits from Peter began to “fizzle out”. She wrote that she began to “notice a change” in Harvey where he wouldn’t want to see Peter. She wrote: “So then I’d be like ‘but he has a cake waiting for you’. But he wasn’t interested and he’d start kicking off, it’s probably because the visits were starting to fizzle out and Harvey could sense that. “
Katie however later shared that Peter had reached out for Harvey’s 18th birthday in 2020. As previously reported, whilst speaking to OK! magazine about the celebrations, when asked if Peter and another ex-partner could make the party, Katie said: “No, but Pete sent birthday wishes and bought Harvey a TV. It’s hard for any child to adjust to a man not being in their life any more. I think that’s why Harvey is so close to me because I’ve been the one constant in his life.”
That same year, she praised Peter for “stepping up” after Harvey ended up in hospital. As reported at the time, she told New! magazine: “Over the years we’ve had our ups and downs, but Pete has been really supportive about it.”
She added: “He can’t [go to the hospital] without me, so he’ll come and visit Harvey with me. ” Katie said: “Regardless of our ups and downs, the fact that he’s stepped it up – I see his feelings as being really genuine. “
More recently, Peter praised Harvey following the release of the documentary Katie Price: Harvey and Me, which was released by the BBC in 2021. Underneath a post about the show on Instagram, Peter wrote: “He’s the best.”
Source: Mirror
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