Peter Andre, 51, reveals his mental breakdown ‘lasted two decades’-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro

Peter Andre has marked Mental Health Awareness Week by speaking about his own struggles (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

Peter Andre has opened up on his mental health struggles and a breakdown which he says lasted almost two decades.

The singer, 51, said his mental health began to suffer when he reached global fame in the 1990s and he only ‘truly started to come through it’ in his 40s.

The reality TV star and father of five said he then suffered another setback in his recovery after his beloved brother Andrew died from a brain tumour in 2012.

‘It really does feel important to talk about it. I had a breakdown when I shot to fame in the 90s, and back then, it was a very taboo subject to talk about – people would just think you’re “cuckoo”…,’ he said.

Marking Mental Health Awareness Week this week, he continued in his column for new! magazine: ‘My breakdown lasted a long time. It was only when I got to my forties that I truly started to come through it. I think I was lost – I was getting better, then my brother Andrew passed away and that triggered a lot of things – but the best thing is, there’s a lot of help out there now.

‘I think it’s really important to celebrate mental health, and no matter whether you’re cured or not cured, it’s important to remember that it can reappear any time, but there are so many support options out there.’

The reality TV star said he suffered a breakdown which lasted 20 years as he rose to fame (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

The singer said he suffered from panic attacks which he kept hidden from his loved ones (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

The Mysterious Girl hitmaker – who has Junior, 18, and Princess, 16, with first wife Katie Price and Amelia, 10, Theo, six, and six-week-old Arabella with spouse Emily – is thankful people are more open about the subject these days.

‘I’m so proud that we’re in a time where for all the other things that are going wrong in our world, one of the things that’s going right is that people are able to talk and bring things to the forefront, some even using social media as a way to express themselves,’ he added.

Peter previously opened up about his anxiety struggles, when he revealed that he was hospitalised for his issues.

Speaking on The Ray D’Arcy Show, he said: ‘When you talk to people now, and you talk about anxiety, and you talk about breakdowns, and things like that, some people look at it like a weakness. Some people look at it like a taboo – but the truth is, it’s so real.

‘So many people are going through it. I went through it for years. It was a moment, it was in 1998.’

He went on to explain how he was suffering from panic attacks as his career grew from strength to strength, and that he hid the fact from his parents.

The father-of-five was hospitalised during his mental health struggles (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

He said he is ‘grateful’ to have gotten through this tough time and takes nothing for granted (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

‘I was at the top of everything and all of a sudden it just hit me like a tonne of bricks. I couldn’t function. I couldn’t think straight. I was having panic attacks. I ended up in all sorts of hospitals, on medication, different therapists,’ he said.

‘My parents didn’t know anything, I didn’t want them to know anything because they’re worriers. I got through it. It took me 10 years. I remember praying and saying, “Please, if I get another chance, if I can get through this period I will never take it for granted.”

‘So when I did get through it and things came back and I got to do all these wonderful things, I don’t take it for granted.’

It comes after the I’m A Celebrity star and his wife Emily finally settled on a name for their daughter after weeks of deliberation.

The couple went through several options and disagreements, before finally announcing the tot’s name, Arabella, via an adorable Instagram post.

Peter then decided to share his naming tips with Joe Wicks, who is currently expecting his fourth child with wife Rosie.

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