Peter Andre Branded Liar Over Contract Row

Peter Andre has been accused of lying about receiving death threats and branded "an extremely unsatisfactory witness" by a High Court judge.

ITV2 has been ordered to pay a reality show producer damages of what could run into millions of pounds after a contract dispute involving the singer and reality TV star.

Andre, who is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing, claimed he felt physically threatened after his close friend and manager Claire Powell allegedly received death threats from Neville Hendricks after the end of their relationship.

He told ITV about the issues and the company ended its production agreement with Mr Hendricks' company Mr H TV Ltd, saying there had been a breach of terms and conditions.

But Mr Justice Flaux ruled some of Andre's evidence was "not truthful" and his death threat allegations were "a complete fabrication".

Mr Hendricks worked with Ms Powell and her company CAN Associates on programmes such as Peter Andre: The Next Chapter and shows featuring Kerry Katona.

The pair were also in an "on and off" relationship and had a son together before they split in 2011.

By the beginning of June 2011, Ms Powell was looking for an opportunity to replace Mr Hendricks as the production company for Andre's programmes and told ITV2 Andre "had issues" with Mr Hendricks.

Around the same time, on 17 June 2011, the management agreement between Ms Powell and Katona came to an end "in somewhat acrimonious circumstances".

There had been false rumours that Mr Hendricks was having an affair with Katona.

"He considered, with some justification, that this rumour was being generated and spread by Claire Powell or people who worked for her or with whom she was on good terms," the judge said.

"Ms Katona then consulted Max Clifford who, before his recent disgrace, was the supremo of celebrity management and he ensured that the rumour ceased."

Mr Hendricks then set up a Twitter account where he sent tweets about Ms Powell and Andre giving "intimate details of their private lives, often in the most surrilous and vitriolic terms", said the judge.

Efforts to resolve the row failed and Andre's solicitors wrote a letter to Mr H TV's solicitors saying he "wanted no further dealings whatsoever" with Mr Hendricks or his company.

The judge said it was that letter which "almost certainly" led ITV2 to terminating the contract.

He added that Mr Hendricks was "an engaging personality" and "an essentially honest witness".

Mr Hendricks had admitted to being "a volatile character and often foul-mouthed" - but, said the judge: "I was simply not prepared to accept that he was capable of the level of violence ascribed to him by Mr Andre and Ms Powell".