One scene from Princess Andre’s fly-on-the-wall documentary must have left even the most hardened, celebrity-weary cynic a little teary eyed.
It’s also a scene that surely cleared away any doubts viewers might have had about the authenticity and depth of their love.
In it Emily MacDonagh – the 36-year-old NHS doctor who’s been married to singer Peter Andre, 52, for ten years – is preparing for Princess’s 18th party at their Surrey mansion.
As she pins childhood pictures to the wall, Emily starts reminiscing: ‘It’s actually emotional looking at them all. In my head, this is how she is,’ she says, holding up a picture of Princess, aged seven.
‘She used to fall asleep sucking her thumb laying across my lap, do you remember that, Pete? She was just …. Ahhhh.’
Ahhh indeed. It should be noted Emily was 23 when she took on an extremely thankless and stressful role: step mum to Princess, then two, and her brother Junior, four, after Peter’s divorce from their mother, wayward glamour model Katie Price.
Yet it’s a role she clearly relishes and has excelled at. As a source close to Peter and Emily tells me: ‘Emily is classy, well-educated and a bit of an old soul. She didn’t go looking for the limelight, she just fell in love with Peter Andre.
‘She has always taken her role as step mum to Junior and Princess incredibly seriously.’
Emily MacDonagh, 36, became Princess and Junior Andre’s step mum at just 23 when she fell in love with, and later married, Peter Andre
In an emotional scene from Princess’s new TV show, Emily starts reminiscing: ‘In my head, this is how she is,’ holding up a picture of Princess, aged seven
In 2019 Emily’s part in their upbringing became undeniable when Peter was granted full custody. The year before, the children were also with him full-time as Katie was, as she put it, ‘a bit of a mess’ during her third divorce.
It’s since emerged Katie – who has had countless cosmetic procedures, been declared bankrupt three times and spent time at the Priory following a suicide attempt – was actually deemed unfit to parent due to ‘wild behaviour’, and a family court awarded their dad full custody for their protection. Peter made the revelation last week in an excoriating social media post.
Katie, 47, had urged Peter to take part in peace talks, claiming Princess has been ‘unfairly’ dragged into their feud.
Hours later Peter angrily shared his side of the story: ‘For 16 years, I have stayed silent in the face of repeated lies from my ex-wife and her family, out of respect for my children and loved ones, but staying silent has been incredibly frustrating. That ends today.
‘The latest comments about my children’s welfare and living arrangements compel me to set the record straight. For well-documented reasons, and for their safety, Junior and Princess came into my care in 2018.
‘In 2019, the family courts issued a legally binding order to enforce this arrangement. I have never made this public before, out of respect for my children.’
It’s hard to believe aftershocks of their 2009 divorce are still being felt today.
The buzz word Chez Andre is ‘boundaries’ – Peter and Emily set them and expect the children to respect them, writes Katie Hind
The close bond between Emily and Princess is evident in the fly-on-the-wall series, The Princess Diaries
But Katie Price once branded Emily ‘two-faced’ and a ‘disgusting person’ in a shocking online rant
The couple met on the ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity in 2004 and married the following year. By 2009, however, it was all over after Pete suspecting Katie of cheating – something she always denied. Katie went on to marry, and divorce, two more times and had two more children, Jett, 12, and Bunny, 11.
Peter met Emily in 2010 after her surgeon father Dr Ruaraidh MacDonagh removed his kidney stones. Peter became friends with the family and spoke to Emily’s dad before asking her out on a date. They went public with their relationship in 2012 and their daughter Amelia was born in January 2014.
The following year she left her home town of Taunton, in Somerset, to move in with Peter and happily took on the step mum role, quickly falling in love with his children.
They also went on to have a son, Theo, eight and another daughter Arabella, one.
Emily was a stark contrast to Katie and ensured the children had a strict but loving upbringing. There were no phones at the table and no boyfriends or girlfriends were allowed to stay over.
In fact, the buzz word Chez Andre is ‘boundaries’ – Peter and Emily set them and expect the children to respect them.
‘They have parented those kids so well,’ says an insider. ‘They don’t take any nonsense, it’s all about manners and respect.’
Emily’s special relationship with Princess was evident throughout her show. For example in episode two Princess is invited to model at a fashion show in Ibiza. She’s discussing the opportunity Emily who reassures her she will be great and offers some modelling advice.
She says: ‘I remember what someone told me once, you’ve got to imagine you’ve got a book on your head.’ Princess then does a catwalk with her phone on her head as Emily and Pete watch.
And in the run up to Princess’s 18th birthday, there are more touching scenes, such as when Emily helps Princess get ready for her party.
The source added: ‘Emily is just so proud of Princess, and Junior. Along with Pete she’s done everything in her power to create a wonderful, happy and stable home life for them both.’
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Emily has often endured Katie’s wrath and it is thought a dig at Princess being made a ‘middle-class influencer’ was directed at her. ‘Katie must be so envious of Emily having such a close relationship with her daughter,’ mused one friend of the family.
In 2022 Katie posted an NHS magazine cover featuring Emily, branding her a ‘disgusting person’. In an astonishing rant, Katie said: ‘Emily you are not and never will be my kids’ parent so mind your own business, you’re so two-faced and definitely not the person you portray to the public.
‘I think you’re a disgusting person so stop trying to interfere in my life.’
The post was quickly deleted but the words must have stung.
My source added: ‘Emily has always kept a dignified silence and that is never going to change.
‘Her main priority is Pete and the children. She will always put them first. It’s awful what has happened over the last week or so. It should have been a time that the entire family celebrated Princess; the whole situation is devastating.
‘And the greatest impact is on Princess and Junior. Pete and Emily have always done everything that can to protect both Princess and Junior and they always will.’
