Peter Andre says he 'doesn't feel right' leaving wife and newborn to visit sick mum

Peter Andre has opened up about his struggle with leaving his wife and newborn daughter to visit his ailing mother. The 'Mysterious Girl' singer, who recently welcomed his fifth child, Arabella, with wife Emily, shared that he finds it difficult to consider travelling to Australia where his mother resides.

At 51, Peter became a father for the fifth time last month when Emily, 34, gave birth to their baby girl Arabella. This is their third child together, following the arrival of Amelia in 2014 and Theo in 2016.

Peter also has two older children, Junior, 18, and Princess, 16, from his previous marriage to Katie Price, 45.

His mother, Thea, who is battling Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, along with the rest of his family in Australia, have not yet had the chance to meet little Arabella in person. However, they have been introduced to the newborn via video call, a medium Peter admits he uses almost daily to keep in touch with his parents.

In his column, he expressed gratitude for modern technology, saying: "It's amazing what technology offers these days, allowing families to keep in touch," He added: "When Princess and Junior were younger, the only way they'd really see their grandparents was if we travelled over there. I don't feel right to leave Emily and the baby just yet to go over and visit, but this way it feels like they're in the room and allows my parents to see those important first moments.", reports the Mirror.

In his column for OK!, he commented: "And they love the name Arabella, which in Greek is pronounced Arvela."

Peter shared a poignant video on Instagram early in April, capturing Junior and Princess with Thea who was seated comfortably while her grandchildren sat beside her.

Speaking of this moment, he stated: "Junior and Princess. The fact that you drove to Somerset to be with us hours before and the days that followed to see the arrival of your baby sister, AND THEN to get on a plane and travel 12,000 miles to be with your grandmother in a very difficult time for her shows me what beautiful children you are. I will never forget this moment. Thank you for being truly amazing. Love you all so much. Keep cuddling mum for me please and tell her I love her and we will come out soon."

Peter also gave an emotional health update about his mother earlier in February. He admitted he had observed a "rapid decline" in Thea's health over recent years.

Penning his column for new! magazine, he expressed: "I was worried as I approached 50, but I'm over that and I feel great. I'm loving life and age is just a number. You can live life to the fullest at any age. I will be honest, though, the only thing that makes me sad about getting older is that my parents are too."