Peter Andre reveals he suffered a breakdown sparked by ‘casual sex and shirtless posing’
PETER Andre has revealed he had a nervous breakdown at the height of his career after descending into a “blur of nightclubs and groupies”.
The Mysterious Girl singer was 25 when he began feeling lost and while he never touched drugs, he did have “a lot of casual sex”.
Peter, now 50, made a name for himself in the 90s with his washboard abs and catchy tunes, ended up seeking psychiatric help and then spent six years in psychiatric units and on medication.
The dad-of-four, whose exes include Katie Price, Spice Girl Mel B and Rebekah Vardy, has now admitted his shirtless posing and “arrogance” was all part of him needing external validation and acceptance.
He says he still suffers as a result of the breakdown, experiencing brain fog and panic attacks.
The singer also revealed that when his mental health was at its worst he developed agoraphobia – fear of leaving the house – and vertigo.
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Speaking to , he admitted the root cause of his anxiety was insecurity as he felt he needed to prove a point and be accepted.
He said: “It was an insecurity thing, trying to prove a point because of the years that you weren’t accepted.
"I don’t like who I became when I was just going with girls and not caring. I just went off on a tangent.”
Following his breakdown, Peter leaned on his family in Australia to get him through the tough times, before heading to America to lay low.
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The singer has previously revealed he went to desperate lengths behind the scenes to maintain his physique, “starving” himself to the point of becoming ill.
He told The Sun he was so terrified of looking fat that he would not eat in the run-up to any red carpet event.
Peter said: “I used to do this thing where I would starve myself before an appearance. I wanted to make sure I fitted into my suit and that I looked a certain way. Afterwards I would pig out for days.
“It was such an unhealthy relationship with food.”
Today, the doting dad is in a much happier place thanks to his secure life with wife Emily.
In a recent interview with The Sun, GP Emily revealed that even though the couple's diaries often clash, their marriage is stronger than ever.
Emily admitted that the distance is not a problem, saying they often make a special effort to squeeze in date nights when they reunite - even if they have to plan it months down the line.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, she said: "We are really boring, I usually stay in.
"Pete's really busy with work, I'm really with work.
"We went away together to Dubai to celebrate his 50th birthday - we had a week away from the kids and a week with the kids, which was amazing.
"We did a few extra bits to celebrate - we're going to try and get a night away together at some point.
"I said to him what do you want for your birthday and he said that all he wants is a night away with you.
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"We haven't gone yet, he's been too busy - at some point in May.
"I'm trying to find a day that Pete's off and from now till August he's got about three Saturday's."
