Peter Andre discloses his early-career mental health struggles

Peter Andre has disclosed his early-career mental health struggles, revealing that he sought help by checking into clinics in New York, where he was relatively unknown.

In a conversation with TalkTV hosts Jeremy Kyle and Rosie Wright on Wednesday, the 50-year-old singer opened up about his efforts to combat the stigma surrounding men’s mental health issues.

The discussion coincided with the announcement that Peter, known for his hit Mysterious Girl, is slated to join GB News as a guest presenter.

During the TalkTV interview, Peter shared that his mental health challenges traced back to his childhood in Australia, where he faced bullying and was ‘beaten to a pulp’ for being perceived as different.

Rosie asked: ‘Talking about mental health in the earlier stages of your career, why didn’t you feel able to do it in the same way you do now?’

Peter replied: ‘I think it was very different in the 90s. Back in the 90s it was very taboo. People think it’s taboo now to talk about it. In the 90s it really was.

‘I think it’s because of the fact that we didn’t have anyone to really talk to about it. You’d go and see a doctor about it and even they were like ‘Oh, you know, you need to maybe go and check in a clinic or… always making you feel that something was really wrong or that you’re broken.

He added in the candid chat: ‘I went and visited every psychiatrist I could think of, I checked myself into clinics in New York because it was the only place no one knew who I was at all. So I felt safe.’

He responded that his difficulties stemmed from childhood which are issues he has since worked through.

Peter said: ‘It’s taken years. It all started probably as a kid when we first moved to Australia at six years old.

‘You know, curly black hair, English accent, big nose… we weren’t just picked on, we were beaten to a pulp because it was different back then in Australia. Now it’s multicultural but back then [it was different].’