Six years ago we moved to a six-bedroom new-build in a leafy Surrey village. It’s one of the last villages before London, but still in the countryside. I’ve always wanted to build my own house — many people do in Australia, where I grew up — and that’s still my ambition. This was a happy compromise. My wife, Emily, prefers older properties, but we both love how light and open this house is.
Do you have a favourite room?
It may seem pretentious to name a room, but I love the Silver Room where everything is silver and grey. You can open the doors on to the terrace. And in the winter, with the fire and TV on, it’s very cosy.
The kitchen is the heart of our home. I love cooking. I grew up in a Greek-Cypriot family where everything was based around food. One of my signature dishes is ribeye steak with sweet chilli and a mushroom and cream sauce. I also make an incredible butter chicken. Emily is an excellent cook, but she doesn’t get the same joy out of it that I do.
Do you have similar tastes in decorating?
When we started dating I was living in a clinical-looking bachelor pad in Brighton. There were no homely touches. Now, we love the opulent look. When Emily began decorating our present home with her interior designer friend Nicky, I was keen to get involved, but she said: “Trust me.” I’m glad I did because it has been done so well.
Are you an early riser?
I am, especially now that we have our baby girl, Arabella. Emily is obviously having more disrupted nights than I am, but I help with late-night and early-morning expressed milk bottle feeds. I also take our two other younger kids, Theo and Millie, to school.
Advertisement
Do your older children get on with their younger siblings?
They love them. Princess comes downstairs in the morning and says: “Dad, drink your coffee. I’ll take Belle.” She’s unbelievable for a 17-year-old. Junior, who is 19, will kiss the baby and play-fight with Theo. They have a great bond, but then, like many teenage boys, he disappears to his room.
Is it true that your previous home in East Grinstead, West Sussex, was owned by Tom Cruise?
That’s the story. Believe me, I did many Mission: Impossible moves when I was living there. The house was fantastic, but the kids barely used the extensive grounds.
Do you miss your parents?
It breaks my heart because they are in Australia. People ask me, “Why don’t you move there?”, but I have a lot of kids here. It’s especially hard because Mum has advanced Parkinson’s. Mum is 86 and Dad is 91. I plan to visit them this year.
You are 51, do you feel under pressure to look young?
I dreaded turning 50, but I breathed a sigh of relief the day after my 50th birthday. I thought: “Well, that’s done.” People often ask me if I dye my hair. I don’t. The greys are coming out on my chin, but not on my head.
Do you own a second home?
I have a beautiful villa in the village of Pervolia in the Larnaca district of Cyprus. I bought some land there more than 20 years ago and Dad and I spent three years developing it. I rent out the property, but we go there whenever we can.
Advertisement
Is it true that you’re no longer welcome at Buckingham Palace?
Put it this way, I’ve not had an invitation back. I was invited there by the Prince’s Trust and I was telling a joke when I knocked over my black coffee and it stained this beautiful red carpet. One of the staff joked: “One square metre of this carpet costs more than your house.” We laughed, but I was devastated. As I left, a security guard at the front gate said: “Her Majesty is not going to be happy.” They all knew about it before I’d left the building.
Super School Kids and the Baby Alien Rescue by Peter Andre (Scholastic £7.99). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
