Peter Andre has revealed what he’s doing differently after welcoming his fifth child to “avoid repeating the same mistakes” he made with his eldest son.
The singer, 51, and his wife Emily, 34, share children Amelia, 10, Theo, seven, and Arabella, 11 weeks.
He is also father to Junior, 19, and Princess, 16, children he shares with ex-wife Katie Price, to whom he was married from 2005 to 2009.
Speaking about Emily’s strict parenting rules on Tuesday, Peter told how he “missed some moments” with his older children and vowed to spend more time with Arabella.
In an interview with Heat magazine, she explained: ‘I’ve always been close with all my children, but with Arabella, I made sure I spent quality time with her from the day she was born.
She revealed that she had stopped working and continued: “I didn’t want to miss the moments with Arabella that I missed with my other children. The most important thing is that being at home has allowed me to spend more time with all the children.”
Peter also revealed that Emily has banned the kids from using their phones during meals to ensure they spend time together.
The TV personality said: “It’s a real bonding opportunity for us. Emily is quite strict about it, but she’s right – we were both raised this way.”
His candid interview comes after he revealed he was “grateful” to have time to “bond” with newborn Arabella after work prevented him from spending time with his older children.
Speaking about Arabella’s arrival, Peter told The Sun: ‘This time we’re pretty sure it will be the last.
– Well, never say never. I’m not 100%, but I’m enjoying having time to bond with her.
‘I haven’t really had that opportunity before with others because of work, so I’m grateful for how this has turned out.
“Everyone wants to spend time with her whenever they can. Junior is going to see her first thing in the morning.”
Peter and Emily recently revealed the adorable nickname they’ve given their youngest daughter, Arabella.
Sharing the video of his wife, Peter posted a clip of his newborn baby on his Instagram Stories on Saturday.
In the sweet clip, Emily, who is a doctor, held her little one in her arm as she watched her other children play with water balloons in the background.
She captioned her short home video: ‘Little Bella watching the kids play with water balloons.’
Arabella looked adorable in a colourful feather-print bodysuit and looked comfortable as her doting mother cradled her in her arms.
Her sweet moniker for the newborn comes as a surprise given the couple’s previous struggles deciding on her legal name.
In June, the couple finally decided on a name for their daughter, less than two weeks before the 42-day legal deadline to register a name.
A month after welcoming their third child together, Emily revealed the name on Instagram, telling her followers: “It took us a while, but after much deliberation, we finally decided on it. Arabella Rose Andréa.”
The name is a sweet tribute to Peter’s 88-year-old mother, Thea Andrea, who has been battling health issues in recent months.
Peter and Emily had struggled to choose a name for their little girl, with the star expressing her frustration in her OK! magazine column last month.
“Emily has made an amazing recovery since birth… but as I write this we still don’t have a name!” she said.
“We were in the same situation when Millie was born. We spent weeks mulling it over, but it’s not until you meet a baby that you really know their name.
“We don’t have much time left until we have to register her, so the clock is ticking. I loved Olivia, Charlotte and Athena, but Emily wasn’t too keen on them so we’re not considering them. It’s a big decision!”
The singer previously admitted that she has just four weeks to choose her daughter’s name.
Last month, Peter posted the first photos of his newborn daughter, “just a few minutes old,” on Instagram.
They showed Emily breastfeeding her daughter and him wearing a surgical cap while holding her.
She captioned the heartwarming snaps: ‘Just minutes after being born… We are feeling overwhelmed right now. We are so happy to welcome our beautiful baby girl into the family.
‘Mother and daughter are doing very well. She was born on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, weighed 3.2 kg and, fortunately, is very healthy.
‘The baby has been spoiled with cuddles by Junior, Princess, Amelia and Theo, who are all in love with their new baby sister. As parents, we couldn’t be happier.
‘The only thing is… she doesn’t have a name yet. Help! Thank you to all the doctors, midwives and staff at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. You were amazing. And to Emily’s parents, who I adore. You’ve both been amazing.
She concluded: “I’m so happy. I’m just going to hug her. Thank you all for reading.”
The couple announced Emily’s pregnancy in October via Instagram after sharing a pair of ultrasound photos.
The TV personality explained that the timing of the birth worked out well because the older children were able to spend time with the new baby during the school holidays.
She added: ‘It’s been great that the kids have had school holidays so we can spend time together as a family.
‘While we’re looking for a name, we’re trying to differentiate between day and night. Sleep deprivation is already a reality!’
The name of their new baby is a sweet tribute to Peter’s beloved mother, Thea Andrea, who is battling Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Days after his daughter was born, Peter praised his two eldest children, Princess and Junior, for flying 12,000 miles to Australia to visit their mother as she goes through a “very difficult time.”
The singer took to Instagram on April 7 to share a video of his teenage children hugging their grandmother.
Peter revealed that he had not joined Princess and Junior on the last-minute trip.
He wrote: ‘Junior and Princess. The fact that you drove all the way to Somerset to be with us hours before and in the days following to see the arrival of your little sister.
“And THEN getting on a plane and traveling 12,000 miles to be with their grandmother at a very difficult time for her shows me what beautiful children they are.
“I will never forget this moment. Thank you for being truly amazing. I love you all so much. Please keep hugging mom for me and tell her I love her and that we’ll be out soon.”
Both teens responded to Peter in the comments, with the Princess writing: ‘I love you daddy’, while Junior added: ‘Cherish moments like this’.
