Peter Andre has said his marriage to wife Emily MacDonagh has changed him, with the doctor bringing a sense of calm to his life that was missing when he was younger.
The singer, 53, has been married to Emily MacDonagh, 37, for 11 years, and the couple say they have never had a serious argument despite raising three children together. Peter admitted he is a very different person from the man he was in the 1990s, when his life revolved around partying and he smoked and drank. He credits Emily with helping him become more relaxed, particularly when it comes to being a dad.
A softer approach to parenting
Peter said his approach to parenting has changed dramatically over the years, comparing how strict he was with his eldest children Junior, 21, and Princess, 19 - from his previous marriage to Katie Price - with how he treats his youngest daughter, Arabella, two.
“If I think about how strict I was with Junior compared to how I am with Arabella – I’m so soft now,” he told The Sun. “I’m much more chill as a dad.”
Emily agreed that keeping their relationship calm has been important to them, explaining that while they do bicker, neither of them resorts to shouting. The couple have now invited fans further into their family life with their new podcast At Home With The Andres, where they discuss marriage, parenting and life with their children. Peter and Emily are also parents to Millie, 12 and Theo, nine.
Life after Katie Price
His comments about his marriage to Emily come after years of his relationship with Katie playing out in public. The duo met as contestants on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here in 2004 with their connection quickly turning romantic. However, since their bitter break-up, the pair have been locked in a war of words that has often played out on social media.
They married at Highclere Castle in Hampshire in September 2005, but their relationship ended four years later. Their marriage breakdown became a major storyline on their reality television show, with arguments between the pair regularly playing out in front of viewers.
Katie has since spoken openly about how difficult the period was for her. In her recent documentary Katie Price: Nothing To Hide, she described her relationship with Peter as “the best time of my life” before saying that things eventually deteriorated. Her sister Sophie also reflected on how intense things became, describing the relationship as “toxic”.
Katie has previously said the end of her marriage left her devastated and that she and Peter had never properly sat down together to discuss what happened. There have also been disagreements over the events surrounding their split, including allegations that Katie had an affair with her dressage trainer Andrew Gould. Katie has denied the affair.
Moving forward together
More than 15 years on from their divorce, however, Peter and Katie have recently appeared to take steps towards a more peaceful relationship. The former couple have been working to co-parent their two adult children, Junior and Princess, with reports of a more positive approach between them after years of tension.
Earlier this year, they jointly announced that they were closing the door on their toxic past, and vowed to never speak about each other again - or risk breaking a new legal contract in their first united post since their marriage breakdown. Taking to Instagram, they both posted: "Katie Price and Peter Andre have decided to close the door on the past and move forward into a new chapter with positivity and respect. We are both focused on creating a calm and supportive environment for our children."
"We have reached a mutual agreement, both legally and personally confirming that neither of us will speak negatively about the other going forward. This decision reflects a shared commitment to our family and stability." The statement continued: "We want to stand united for our children. We are hoping this is a start of a positive relationship. We ask for understanding and support from both the media and the public as we move ahead."
Peter's relationship with Emily has been a very different chapter of his life. The couple married in 2015 after meeting when Emily was working as a junior doctor at a hospital where Peter was being treated.
