It’s the trademark look that made him a heart-throb and left generations of fans swooning - rippling six pack, 100-watt smile and of course, his floppy ‘curtains’ hair style. But as superstar Peter Andre explains, his straightened hair is a response to a dark time in his life - the racist bullying he suffered as a child.
He and his Greek family were targeted by bullies after moving to Australia from the UK. And Peter, 49, says he’s still carries the emotional scars today.
“In the early years in Australia, I suffered a lot of racism,” he says. “It was a bit of a rough time. Not only were we the only Greeks on the Gold Coast but I had an English accent, curly hair, big nose, we really stood out.
“I still straighten my hair because the curly hair reminds me of me being that little kid and those kids calling me what they did at school. I wouldn’t just turn up to an event with full curly hair, I just can’t bring myself to do it, even now and I’ve had therapy.
“I still see what those kids called me when I look in the mirror. It’s not their fault - those very kids are not like that now, it just was part of where we were at that time.”
Peter was talking about his ordeal to Carol Vorderman for Life Changing Stories - the Pride of Britain podcast. In an emotional and frank interview, which you can listen to below, he reveals some of the tough times he’s endured - including a vicious knife attack and mental health breakdown.
Peter was in a Sydney nightclub when a gang of strangers dragged him into a bathroom and held a blade to his throat.
“These guys were serious,” he says. “I kept thinking, ‘what have I done wrong?’ I remember thinking the next day how lucky I was to be alive.
“I started to internalise the fear. I just bottled it up and thought, ‘I’ll be fine.’ I still wouldn’t be seen dead in a nightclub because I associate it with trauma
“Millions of people around the world suffer like this, there’s little trigger points that make them fearful. Because other people can’t see it, they think you’re fine, you suffer in silence, which I did until I spoke about it.”
The legacy of the incident and pressures of success led him to suffer a breakdown at the height of his fame.
“1999 - 2004, they were the disappearing years,” he says. “I was in hell.” He adds: “When I got to 27, I sold out Wembley Arena. I’d fulfilled my dream and decided to take a break for a few months.
“Three months turned into three years - that’s when I had my breakdown. A panic attack was something I’d never experienced before, it came from nowhere, I froze, rolled myself up into a ball, couldn’t speak to anyone for days and days.
“I went to New York and asked a friend to help me check myself in somewhere. They sent me to a ward. They didn’t know what was wrong with me, they tried me on all sorts of medication. I thought I was never gonna be the same.”
Luckily, seeing a new therapist was a turning point.
“It was like a lightning bolt moment,” he smiles. “People say, ‘you can’t cure it’ but I challenge that because I think you can beat it, I beat it. It doesn’t mean it’s not gonna come back or you’re not more susceptible to it but for a period of time you’re fixed
“I remember praying, saying, ‘please if you give me another chance to see life as I want to see it, I’ll never take it for granted again’ and it was at that time I want into the jungle. I was still on medication, really scared and nervous but I thought, ‘I’ll just do this show’ and the rest is history.”
It certainly is! Since then Peter has had a family of his own and seen his career go from strength to strength. Currently starring in his first West End role, as Vince Fontaine in Grease, he says he’s finally learning to be happy in his own skin.
“Over the last few years I changed a lot,” he says. “I’ve gone back to that kid I was who was so grateful for everything and I was.
“I lost myself a bit when I found fame young. Dad kept making sure I stayed on track, if I got bit arrogant he would put me right back in my place, but its hard when you’re still young.
“We were brought up Jehovah’s Witnesses, very strict, always polite, living your life in a godly way even though now I’ve sinned every sin possible! But what they instilled in me has come back because I feel very grateful about things. I’m now who I really wanted to be.”
Happily married to Emily MacDonagh, it’s clear that Pete revels in his role as a dad - and is enjoying watching his children grow.
As he tells Life Changing Stories listeners: “I used to joke about Princess being a nun and never having a boyfriend but I’ve softened now,” he says. “I’m the biggest softie now and they know it. They take advantage of it too.
“I was with Junior the other day and this girl ran straight past, gave the phone to me and said, ‘can you take a picture of me and Junior?’ I love that.”
As a proud dad, Peter says finding great role models is really important - something he loves about being part of the Pride of Britain awards.
“Yes, they’re a celebration but the whole country get to be part of it. People want to be part of it, they love what it stand for, I love what it stands for. People want this positivity.”
Catch up with Peter’s full interview and all previous episodes in Life Changing Stories - the Pride of Britain podcast, available every Thursday on all streaming platforms and read more about the series here.
