REALITY TV star Peter Andre followed in the footsteps of ex-wife Katie Price to speak at the Oxford Union yesterday.
The popstar pin-up spoke about his childhood, fatherhood and life in front of the lens to more than 100 students.
Dressed in a suit and with his television crew in tow, the 38-year-old spoke for more than half-an-hour to the audience – 80 per cent of whom were women.
The dad-of-two said: “I used to get bullied.
“I was battered and bruised because I was so skinny.
“But when I was 13 years old I wrote my first song. And that’s when I set my vision of playing at Wembley Arena.
“Ten years later, I sold the arena out.”
Mr Andre found fame in the mid 1990s with songs including hit singles Mysterious Girl and Flava.
He was mobbed by adoring fans – including during one memorable trip to Henry Box School, in Witney.A 2004 trip into the jungle for ITV reality show I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here relaunched his career and introduced him to now ex-wife Katie Price, the mother of his two children.
He discussed his fame, saying: “My downfall in this industry is that I’m not thick- skinned and you have to be.”
He talked about his experience of panic attacks, his fear of failure and his knowledge that one day, his own fame would die.
Mr Andre said: “One day, sometime in the future, I’ll decide I’ve had enough and then I’ll move to somewhere where no one knows me.”
He also discussed the secret to a perfect six-pack (an hour-and-a-half of sit-ups a day) and how much he loved his children.
And when asked how he had helped humanity, he joked: “Well I’ve given them a great song.”
He added: “And hopefully I’ve showed that a modern father can put their children first.
“I know I go on about my kids, but I love them.
“Being a good parent is the most important thing.”
Mr Andre’s ex-wife Katie Price, also known as Jordan, spoke to about 1,000 students at the Union in October.
Mr Andre seemed less able to fill seats, with more than half the chamber remaining empty.
But students who had made the journey seemed impressed with his performance.
First-year Japanese student Nicola Phillips, 18, said: “He was more articulate than I was expecting.
“I thought he was good. I liked that he remembered people’s names when talking to them.”
Fellow student Sarah Bevan, 19, agreed: “He was much better than I thought he would be.”
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