Peter Andre talks of his excitement at getting radio airplay again, self-image and the importance of moving forward as there are 'enough problems in the world'

Thirty years after Mysterious Girl took the charts by storm, Peter Andre is back with a new album Legacy — and a point to prove. While you might expect a star celebrating three decades in showbiz to be taking his foot off the pedal a little, Pete sounds more determined than ever to achieve his musical goals.

“I am not going to stop until I have a No1 again,” he declares during our exclusive interview. “I don’t care if it takes this album, the next album, or the album after that.”

While Pete, 53, still has a great fondness for the song that made his name, it clearly rankles a little that other hits have been overshadowed by Mysterious Girl and its iconic music video, which worked a generation of teenage girls into a lust-fuelled lather.

He says, “The fact that some people don’t remember my other No.1s, Flava and I Feel You , except Mysterious Girl is quite hilarious, because when we perform the other songs, they go, ‘Oh my God, of course I know them.’”

Reflecting on his remarkable career, Pete says memories of his 90s heyday are a bit of “a blur”, although one particular occasion still stands out.

“I remember the 1997 World Music Awards because I won Best Australian Artist, and on the front row were Céline Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Prince Albert of Monaco, the Bee Gees,” he recalls, misty-eyed. “Oh my God… Halle Berry was there, too. She’s gorgeous and I really fancied her, but no one beats my Emily. No one even comes close.” Good save, Pete!

At the height of his success, the singer says life was “crazy and so full-on”, so no wonder he welcomes a slightly slower pace of life today. “I’m so chill now,” he says. “I’m still very driven, but my greatest achievement of all is my family.”

Speaking of his loved ones, we can’t help wondering what Pete’s children — Junior, 20, Princess, 18, Amelia, 12, Theo, nine, and two-year-old Arabella — think of their dad’s stellar pop career.

“Theo’s desperate to go on stage with me, but I said, ‘You can’t. I don’t really want people taking videos of you,’” he explains. “Because the difference between back then and now is we didn’t have social media when Junior and Princess were really young.”

For Pete, who is set to star as Nikos in the live show Mamma Mia! The Party from May to July, juggling a busy career with his duties as a dad is no mean feat. But he says his wife, Dr Emily MacDonagh, 36, is incredibly understanding.

“When I go and do shows she encourages me,” he says. “Or she’ll encourage me to go see my mum and dad in Australia. She’s like, ‘You go — you need to get on that plane.’”

Prior to tying the knot with Emily in 2015, Pete was married to Katie Price, the mother of his two eldest children. They divorced in 2009 and while they have had an occasionally volatile relationship, they turned a corner earlier this year after they released a joint statement pledging to “move forward into a new chapter with positivity and respect” for the sake of their children.

Speaking with Pete nearly two months on from the announcement, it appears their truce is paying off. “It’s actually great,” says Pete. “And, you know, unbeknownst to a lot of people, over the last 15, 16 years, it has been OK before this. The kids are grown up and it’s nice that everyone moves forward. It’s just all positive and it’s lovely. That’s how life should be.”

He adds, “There are enough problems in the world, you know? So it’s really nice that things are moving forward in a positive direction and great for the family. Everyone’s happy and that’s all we could ask for.”

Talk turns back to the children, and with Junior now living with his girlfriend, 24-year-old PR assistant and influencer Jasmine Orr, we can’t help wondering if Pete is tempted to add to his brood. “Oh hell no,” he says, not missing a beat. “We’ve said no, and we mean no.”

For fans who remember when Junior and Princess first arrived into our lives, it’s intriguing to see them forging their own careers in the spotlight. Junior has inherited his father’s musical genes, while Princess is currently starring in the second season of her hit ITV and Disney+ reality show The Princess Diaries, which has had over 97 million streams.

Despite Junior’s ambitions to follow his father into the charts, he recently opened up on his sister’s TV show about getting a nine-to-five job while he works on his music. It’s a move Pete actively encourages.

“I was really happy he said it,” Pete admits. “I pushed him to get a job because I wanted him to learn. I think if you learn, then you appreciate it. I don’t want anyone to just think that the kids are handed something and don’t have to work for it, because they do.”

For a man who turned 53 in February, Pete looks remarkably youthful. While he’s admitted to having “baby Botox” years ago, the star surprised some fans last month when he revealed he’d undergone a “secret” nose job back in the 90s.

Although Pete’s long-term followers were already aware of the surgery, many were shocked — not least because of the heartbreaking reason behind the decision to alter his looks.

“I did it just before the [1997] All About Us video clip and I was really nervous because I’d only had the operation 10 days before,” he explains. “But the reason I did it was because when I first moved from England to Australia in the late 70s, it was a really difficult time.

“Where we lived was really remote and there were no ethnic kids. It was all beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Aussies and I remember girls at school going, ‘Look at his big nose.’”

Pete’s Greek heritage, plus his English accent, meant that he stood out — which led to cruel taunts from his peers. “The kids always used to make fun of me,” he recalls. “So every time I’d look in the mirror, I would see what those kids were saying. I always wanted that nose job, so once I could afford it, I went to America and to the surgeon.”

Pete says his confidence soared post-surgery and that meant he no longer felt pressured to flash his famous six-pack. “All those years I trained my body so people would focus on that and wouldn’t notice my nose,” he says. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but that is how it was.”

With surgery and tweakments now more popular than ever, Pete hasn’t ruled out more work in future. “I’m never gonna say never,” he reasons. Are there things about me I don’t like? God, yes. But do I hate it bad enough that I’m going to do something about it? Not now.

“Maybe in five years’ time I’ll feel different, but right now, exercise, eating a balance of all the food I love and being happy and satisfied is ageing me in the way I want to age.”

If Pete’s parents are anything to go by, longevity runs in the family. His mother, Thea — who was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s back in 2023 — is 89, while his father, Savvas, is 92.

Last September, the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, much to Pete’s joy. And though he FaceTimes them daily, he’s desperate to visit in the very near future.

“I miss them so much and of course every time I get on that plane I dread that it’s the last,” he says. “But one thing Mum knows is she’s absolutely loved by all of us — more than anything in the world.”

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