Peter Andre: My family values

Dad was very, very, very strict. We had the sort of fear for Dad that you have of God. It’s a respect fear. You don’t fear disappointing them because they are going to punish you, you fear disappointing them because you don’t want to break their heart. It was a nice way to fear. With my mum it was cuddles, cuddles, cuddles. She wrapped you up in cotton wool. So you could get away with anything with Mum but not with Dad. But throughout everything, they always gave us an abundance of love.

Mum and Dad are from Cyprus. They moved to England, where they married, and all six of us were born in the UK before we moved to Australia, where my parents still live. Andrew would have been 55, Chris is 50, Danny 46, Michael 43, and Debbie 42. I’m the youngest at 41 and I was a complete accident because once my parents got Debbie, they got the girl.

I’ve got very happy memories of my childhood in Harrow-on-the Hill, in London. My parents were devout Jehovah’s Witnesses and very strict Christians, and we also had the strictness of the Greek traditions, so we were brought up to respect your elders and always be polite.

The family’s musical genes come from my grandfather, my dad’s dad. He was the equivalent of a gospel singer, but in the Greek churches. They used to take him from village to village, island to island to sing, and apparently he had the most angelic voice, but the real musical talent in our family is my brother Chris. He can play about 11 instruments fluently. He can’t read music, but he can play anything. He’ll listen to something Santana does and replicate it in seconds. He is also the one who really believed in me musically. My parents used to say, “Concentrate on your schoolwork and stop being silly and dreaming about this music business because there are a million singers out there,” but Chris believed in me.

Losing my brother Andrew to kidney cancer in December 2012 was the hardest thing that’s ever happened to me. He was an incredible public speaker and the maitre d’ and manager of many restaurants and was such a great people person. When he died, I’ve never cried so much in my life. It’s still very raw for everyone in the family. It tore us apart and we’ve still not really come to terms with it. We still find it hard to discuss things that have to be discussed and there is still this massive hole, that is like someone took something out of you. I don’t know if that will ever heal. My brother Mikey says: “You don’t get over it; you get on with it.” It’s affected us all so much because we now know how vulnerable we all are.

My parents are still married after 58 years. I said to Dad recently, “How come you guys have lasted so long?” and he said: “I’ve got two ears, it goes in one and out of the other.” That was his way of describing it, but I was, like: “Right, Dad, you know you guys could never be without each other.” I think their faith has helped them. Being Witnesses has strengthened them because they’ve lived their lives pretty much the same. And their bond is still as strong as ever. There’s no way they could be without each other. They can’t do two weeks without each other. And I love that.

Peter Andre Peter Andre with his fiancee, Emily MacDonagh: ‘I’ve known Emily for three and half years, and we will probably be together for six years before we marry so I’m happy with that.’ Photograph: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images

I strongly believe in the institution of marriage. I always have, but it doesn’t mean that every marriage is going to work. It doesn’t mean that every marriage is going to go correctly, but I believe as long as you go in with the intention that it’s going to be right, then that’s a great start. But things happen in life, every situation is different and you’ve just got to do it how you think is right, but, like my dad says: “Don’t make the same mistakes, make new ones.” I’ve known my fiancee, Emily [MacDonagh], for three and half years, and we will probably be together for six years before we marry so I’m happy with that.

I had a nice conversation about fatherhood with Gary Barlow recently. We were discussing what makes a good parent. There are millions of good parents and the answer to what makes them good parents is simple: there is no right or wrong way of doing things, but if you put your kids first, you’re a great parent. Whatever it is you do, if they’re your first priority you’re a good parent.

No birth is more special than another. Every birth is just as incredible. I cut the umbilical cord this time [Peter’s first child, a girl, with MacDonagh was born on 7 January] as I did the first two times, but they were all different. With Harvey [Peter’s stepson from his first marriage, to Katie Price] I got to learn how to be a dad. He was one year old when I met him, so until Junior [Peter’s first child with Price] was born I had some practice at being a dad. Then Bister – that’s Princess’s nickname – was born [Peter’s second child with Price] and she was the first girl, so that was a completely new experience. And that’s not it. Now I want another boy, but I’m going to wait until Emily’s finished her degree, we’ll get married and then we’ll go for a boy.

Family is everything to me and I’ll tell you why. Good friends in life stay but friends come and go, but family are there through absolutely everything. They are your backbone. I’m so grateful how close we all are. My family will give me a good smack around the head if they think I’m not being right or respectful, and I appreciate that.

• Peter Andre’s new song, Kid, is Britain’s official track for the new DreamWorks animation Mr Peabody & Sherman, which is in cinemas from today

Culled from guardian.co.uk