Peter Andre says 'I was lost' during mental health breakdown

Peter Andre, the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star and Mysterious Girl singer, has spoken about his mental health struggles during the 1990s. He admitted to feeling lost until he reached his 40s.

In his column for OK! Magazine, during Mental Health Awareness Week, he shared: "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 also expressed his relief that we now live in a time where discussing mental health issues openly is more accepted, often using social media as a platform for self-expression, reports the Express. Recalling his own experience, the father of newborn Arabella said: "My breakdown lasted a long time. It was only when I got to my forties that I truly started to come through it.

READ MORE BBC Balamory cast look very different in reunion snap 22 years after show ended

READ MORE Jeremy Clarkson makes major Clarkson's Farm announcement to fans

"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 pop artist had previously opened up about the turbulent events that fuelled his struggles during the peak of his music career.

Famous for his song 'Mysterious Girl', Peter Andre shared how he oscillated between psychiatric units over a span of six years from the age of 25, amidst a haze of nightclubs, groupies, and a great deal of casual sex. Peter confessed how his iconic shirtless poses and outwardly display of "arrogance" were just a mirage to camouflage his insecurities as he craved validation and acceptance.

In an interaction with The Times last year, Peter, still grappling with brain fog and panic attacks, admitted: "It was an insecurity thing, trying to prove a point because of the years that you weren't accepted. I don't like who I became when I was just going with girls and not caring. I just went off on a tangent."

He also disclosed how the sudden surge of anxiety overwhelmed him after the tragic early death of his elder brother Andrew due to kidney cancer in 2012.

"It was even worse than it was in my 20s, but a lot of that was triggered by my grief. Saying that, I want to stress that mental health struggles are beatable."