Peter Andre once had "a knife pulled” on his throat whilst clubbing

And later in life, after shooting to fame in the 1990s, he claimed men in his native Australia despised him, so much so, that one even threatened him with a weapon on a night out.

Speaking to the Metro newspaper, Peter recalled: "When I was 27, I went through a horrific breakdown.

"It came out of the blue and I ended up with therapists and on medication.

"I think being bullied at school triggered it.

"Then, as a singer, I was massive in Australia but guys hated me because I was on the cover of all the magazines so I suffered a different kind of bullying.

"I had a knife pulled on my throat in a club."

However, the 48-year-old singer - who has Junior, 16, and Princess, 14, with former glamour model Katie Price, and Amelia, seven, and Theodore, five, with wife Emily MacDonagh - hasn't been put off by the past experiences with locals Down Under, as he recently admitted he wants to work more in Australia.

Peter explained how he wants to spend more time with his elderly parents in Oz.

He said: “It feels like the right time because my mum [Thea] and dad [Savvas] are in their late eighties and every year is crucial now, especially with my mum not being very well.

“I hope I’ll be able to get over there soon, but I know there are millions of people in the same situation and many in worse.”

Peter was inspired to start considering the issue after receiving a home video clip from his sister.

He explained: “My sister Debbie sent me a video of my parents watching me and Emily being interviewed on Australian TV.

“It absolutely melted my heart and made me really emotional because it’s such a bittersweet situation not being able to see them in person. But to see they were able to watch their son and it make them proud makes me so happy.

“It also made me think about doing more work in Australia.”