When Peter Andre tied the knot with , he pledged to step in as the father figure for her son Harvey. The pair met in the jungle back in 2004 and quickly became an item, marrying within a year.
At the time, Katie was already mum to Harvey, whose biological dad – footballer Dwight Yorke – was absent from his life, leaving Peter to embrace the role of dad.
But Peter never legally adopted Harvey. In 2009 he told the Daily Mail: “I have been a real father of Harvey and he calls me Daddy. I guess that sticks in Dwight’s throat.”
Even as years went by, Peter maintained a connection with Harvey, frequently offering birthday wishes over social media. On Twitter, he penned a touching note for Harvey’s 15th birthday: “Happy birthday to a very special boy. Hope you like your prezzies.”
He affirmed in his New! column in 2017: “There have been a few times recently where he’s been to my house and I’ve been to his. Harvey will always be special to me and I just want him to be happy. He’s a great kid!”
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Harvey’s biological dad wouldn’t let Peter adopt him (Image: Getty Images)
Peter’s real reason for not signing a legally-binding adoption contract was all down to Dwight, who refused to let him.
In his memoir Born to Score, Yorke wrote: “When I met Andre I wanted to throttle him. I’m not a violent man and it takes an awful lot to rile me. But this man got under my skin at the outset. No way would I ever, ever, allow Harvey to be adopted by him.”
But Pete still considers himself to be a dad of six.
Peter Andre stepped in as a father figure for Harvey (Image: Getty Images)
Sadly Pete slowly drifted out of Harvey’s life – with Katie lamenting on X that all Harvey’s male role models had gone. She wrote: “When you divorce, you have to share the kids. But with Harvey, there’s no one. Well, look, Dwight don’t want to know. Someone else doesn’t see him anymore. He’s just got me, you know?”
In her book Katie Price: Harvey and Me released in 2017, she divulged that Pete’s retreat greatly affected Harvey. She reflected: “The split from Pete really upset Harvey. It must have been frustrating for him at the time because he couldn’t express how he felt. But now he can and he remembers a lot more than you’d think. It’s really sad.”
Katie stated that the meetings between Pete and Harvey gradually stopped. She added, “I began to notice a change in Harvey, I’d say things like, ‘Do you want to go see Daddy Peter today?’ and he’d shout, ‘No!’ So then I’d be like, ‘But he has a cake waiting for you’. But he wasn’t interested and he’d start kicking off, it’s probably because the visits were starting to fizzle out and Harvey could sense that.”
Katie and Peter tied the knot in 2005 (Image: PA)
Despite their subsequent split and Katie’s other marriages, she has been the sole carer for Harvey, who faces significant challenges including autism, septo-optic dysplasia, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and Prader-Willi syndromea condition that causes constant hunger. Now aged 22 and weighing 28 stone, Harvey’s health is at a critical point.
Katie has recently shared her fears for Harvey’s life if his weight continues to spiral out of control. In a heartfelt interview, she disclosed plans to start Harvey on , hoping they will be the lifeline he needs.
She opened up about the gravity of Harvey’s situation, stating it’s “really serious” and highlighting the risk of a heart attack due to his
Speaking to the Sun, Katie opened up about her son’s health struggles, revealing: “He’s putting on weight. It doesn’t matter what we do. He can’t put his shoes on without sweating. He can’t walk far because he gets out of breath.”
Doctors have recommended weight loss jabs to improve his quality of life.