Newmarket/Ipswich: Ant and Dec used to complain about my loud parties Peter Andre reveals

Crowds of fans turned up to meet Peter Andre at The Perfume Shop in Bury St Edmunds. Photo: Sarah Lucy Brown (Image: Archant)

“I know,” he says, looking back at first stepping into the spotlight on Australia’s New Faces as a teen 24 years ago, enjoying his first hit just three years later.

“I had a good chat with Ant and Dec about this and said ‘can you believe it guys’? We were sharing the same apartment block 20-odd years ago in Fulham and now look at us. They were PJ and Duncan then, they lived underneath us,” the Newmarket and Ipswich bound singer and presenter remembers.

“They complained about my noise, we joke about it now; I used to thrown parties and stuff. I don’t do that now,” he laughs, I’m a good boy now.”

“Those guys have hit the stratosphere but we’ve all done great. It was different then because everyone was competing with each other because it was music... I love those guys, I really admire them.”

Andre’s racing to the car when he calls, apologising for missing our appointed slot. He’s a busy man, what with a new album, new UK tour, new TV shows and new daughter Amelia competing for his time.

“I’m just grateful I get to work to be honest, I don’t really know how I’ve managed to be allowed to do all of this stuff. As long as the audience want me to do it I’m going to do it.

“I find a way to balance it... some people work nine to five in an office, my nine to five I could do four different things in that time. I’m lucky enough to be able to do interviews, then I can go do stuff for the coffee shop... I’m constantly busy but it really is great.”

Amelia, who was six-and-a-half months old when we spoke is doing her bit to make life easier.

“She is a superstar. She’s sleeping through, she’s happy. Honestly, I keep saying to Emily (MacDonagh, his fiancée) ‘you have no idea, she’s a dream child’,” he laughs.

Andre’s looking forward to tying the know with MacDonagh.

“We got engaged but it was always going to be about two years after the engagement and we’ve only been engaged six months so it’ll most probably be the year after that... we’ve got time,” says the multi-award winner singer, performing at Summer Saturday Live, Newmarket Racecourses, tonight.

The 60 Minute Makeover presenter, who caused pandemonium outside The Perfume Shop in Bury St Edmunds when he popped by to promote his new perfume, is no stranger to performing at Newmarket.

“It’s an incredible place to perform because everyone’s in such a good mood - well people who have won on the horse races are usually in a good mood but the whole day has a great atmosphere. I’ve performed there before with part of a band, sometimes a couple of musicians. This time we’ve got a whole 10-piece band, it’s something completely different.

“We’ve got a three-piece horn section so even doing songs people know, like Mysterious Girl, when you’ve got a three-piece horn section doing that song it gives it a whole new feel, it’s fantastic.

“This new album I’ve done, it’s swing, jazz, blues, rock n roll; all the elements I grew up loving. Blues was my favourite to be honest. To be able to do an album of original material with that is just great.

“What’ll we do is instead of just playing all those songs, which I wrote with a friend of mine; everytime we do a swing song we’ll throw in a swing song everybody knows, if I do a blues song we’ll throw in a blues song everyone knows...”

Andre’s Newmarket Racecourses show is a warm-up for his UK tour which starts next month, arriving at the Ipswich Regent on September 28.

“People who come to the Newmarket show will get an idea of what the concert is going to be like. Honestly, it’ll be a really fun night for everybody. I promise you won’t be disappointed so make sure you come down and get ready for a good night.”

Check out @WhatsonWayne on Twitter to listen to the full interview.