Peter Andre became visibly emotional during an appearance on Loose Women as he gave a heartbreaking update on his beloved mum Thea’s health.
The singer and TV personality appeared on the ITV daytime show on Monday to discuss his role in Mamma Mia! The Party, where he plays Greek taverna owner Nikos. Peter said he draws inspiration from his father Savvas when getting into character, especially when working on the Greek accent.
But the mood shifted when panellist Katie Piper asked him about his parents, saying: “What do your mum and dad think of this then, are they your biggest critics?”
As a picture of his parents, Savvas and Thea, appeared on screen, Peter looked moved and softly said: “Aww, that’s beautiful.”
The star, whose mum has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, then struggled to get his words out as he explained how difficult things have become.
“Well Mum at the moment… there’s no…,” he said, pausing as he appeared choked up. “Mum can’t talk, she can’t… you know. It’s really difficult with Mum.”
Thea, who is now in her nineties, lives in Australia with Peter’s father, while Peter is based thousands of miles away in the UK. He has previously spoken openly about how painful the distance has been as his mother’s health has declined.
Peter lightened the moment by revealing that his dad had already given his verdict on his Greek accent for the show. “But with Dad, he said: ‘It needs work,’” he joked.
During the interview, Peter also reflected on his strict upbringing, explaining that his parents raised him with a mix of Greek tradition and Jehovah’s Witness beliefs.
“What my parents taught us, they were Jehovah’s Witnesses and they were Greek. So it was Greek tradition and Jehovah’s Witness strictness and then I said all of the things my dad said to me to my kids. Then when they got to about 10 or 11 I was like, I don’t agree with half of this stuff,” he said.
He added: “And it’s not like Mum and Dad didn’t do it out of love, it’s just that it’s so old-fashioned.”
Peter shares Princess and Junior with ex-wife Katie Price, and also has three younger children, Amelia, Theo and Arabella, with wife Emily. He admitted he has become much more relaxed as a parent over the years — sometimes too relaxed for Emily’s liking.
“Now I’m so chilled it’s actually quite annoying for Emily. She’s like: ‘Can you back me up?!’” he quipped.
