05 September 2023 , 13:23
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Peter Andre has reveals the real, heartbreaking reason he doesn't like celebrating his birthday.
The dad-of-four explained as a child he used to not celebrate the special day to due to being raised as a Jehovah's Witness. Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate birthdays, Christmas, or Easter. as members of the church "believe that such celebrations displease God" and are rooted in pagan traditions.
The 50-year-old said that he only started celebrating his birthdays when he had children of his own. However, he stopped marking his own when his brother Andrew died two months before his 40th. Now the star spends the special day with his family.
Peter Andre's brother Andrew died in 2012 (ITV)Writing in his new! magazine column, Peter said: "You might have read in the media that I don't like to celebrate my birthday, I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and this meant we didn't really mark the occasion. It was only when I had kids myself that birthday celebrations were properly introduced.
"But when I lost my brother Andrew two months before my 40th, I was so devastated and didn't want to celebrate mine any more. My lovely manager Claire had thrown me a party but I found it really tough. Now I spend my birthdays in a different way and take time with my family."
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Peter previously revealed he will "never get over" the death of his brother Andrew. In his column with OK! magazine, released in November last year, he penned: "Losing my brother Andrew to cancer is something I’ve never gotten over, and would I want to know if I’m more likely to get cancer?
"I think if it’s something you could prevent then it would be great to know, but if it’s inevitable then maybe it’s best not to. Everybody has a different view. It’s very brave of Chris to talk about this and I wish him all the best."