Peter Andre Shares Heartbreaking Family Admission About Father's Childhood
Singer and television personality Peter Andre has made a deeply emotional revelation about his family history, describing a particular moment from his father's childhood that "breaks his heart" and calling the circumstances "horrific." The 52-year-old star, best known for 1990s hits like Mysterious Girl and his appearance on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2004, opened up during a recent podcast appearance.
A Difficult Upbringing in Cyprus
Peter Andre was born in London to Greek Cypriot parents before his family relocated to Australia's Gold Coast when he was six years old. His father, Savvas Andrea, experienced an exceptionally challenging childhood as the eldest of 18 children in Cyprus. Savvas left Cyprus at just 13 years old to learn a trade and build a life in the United Kingdom, driven by the need to help support his large family financially.
"My dad was one of 12, he was initially one of 18, crazy right?" Peter explained on the Nicky Byrne HQ podcast. "Thirteen of the kids were born and dad was the eldest, so dad had to go and find ways to work to earn money for the family because they had to sleep in one room."
The Tragic Story That 'Breaks My Heart'
Peter Andre shared one particularly devastating story his father recounted from those early years. "This story is told by a lot of families of that generation," Peter said. "But the boy, the 13th boy, and dad told me this story and it breaks my heart, it absolutely breaks my heart."
The singer described how his father had to travel between villages searching for milk after his mother, having given birth to so many children, could no longer produce enough to feed her infant son. "Dad had to go around the villages to get milk because after the mother had had so many children, the milk had run dry so eventually there was none left," Peter revealed. "My dad had to witness his brother dying in his arms. There were really horrific stories of what happened in those days and dad worked from 12, he was determined, like me, to just achieve."
Previously Revealed Family Trauma
This is not the first time Peter Andre has spoken about his father's difficult past. In a 2015 interview with Radio Times, he disclosed that Savvas was sold as a slave at just 11 years old to help buy food for his family. "It's very interesting with my dad because at 11 years old in Cyprus, he was sold as a slave," Peter said at the time. "They had no food, no money. So some of the kids had to be sold to earn money for the family. And then Dad came back after years."
Peter admitted he only learned this information relatively recently, recalling his reaction: "I didn't know this until recently. And I said, 'Dad, are you serious?' And he said, 'Yeah, but son, that was our life'."
Building a New Life in Britain
Despite these traumatic beginnings, Savvas Andrea managed to build a successful life after arriving in the UK. Peter explained that his father learned English and trained as a barber, eventually owning and operating a barber shop in Paddington, London, which he still maintains today. "He came to London not being able to speak a word of English, learnt a trade. He became a barber - and he still owns a barber's shop in Paddington," Peter said with evident pride.
Peter Andre's Current Life and Career
Peter Andre now lives in Surrey with his wife Emily, an NHS doctor. The couple share three children together, while Emily also serves as stepmother to Junior and Princess, Peter's children from his previous marriage to Katie Price. Throughout his career, Peter has appeared on numerous television programs including Strictly Come Dancing, Footballers' Wives, and Lemon La Vida Loca.
The singer will be returning to television screens this morning, appearing on James Martin's Saturday Morning on ITV One. His candid revelations about his family history provide a poignant reminder of the difficult circumstances many immigrant families faced in previous generations, and the resilience required to overcome such challenges.
