How Emily André went from a shy red carpet girlfriend to a confident stepmom star
WHEN Emily André was thrust into the spotlight at the age of 21 after striking up a romance with Mysterious Girl singer Peter, she was ‘cautious and reserved’.
But the 34-year-old has become “increasingly resilient” as she has carved out a space for herself in the public eye, a body language expert has said.
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Now expecting her third child with Peter, 51, she is thriving in her role as stepmother to the children from his high-profile marriage to Katie Price.
“When Emily MacDonagh married Pete, he came with a very unreliable dowry that could easily have overwhelmed his young wife and put too much strain on their marriage,” says Judi James.
“Alongside Pete and his three children – Harvey, Junior and Princess – came the paparazzi, the red carpet outings and of course the loud, leering presence of his ex-wife Katie.
“Emily inherited fame by association, but from understandably hesitant and reluctant beginnings, her body language has increasingly defined her as a resilient, confident and determined woman.”
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The couple, who have been married for eight years, met after Peter became pals with Emily’s father Ruaraidh, a urology consultant known as Ru, who performed an operation on him in 2010 to remove kidney stones.
She was a student doctor training to work in the NHS at the time, and the couple later made their relationship public in 2012.
Over the years, Emily has transformed herself from the girlfriend of a shy pop star to a family-centered mother who is comfortable in the lives of celebrities.
Fabulous enlisted the help of body language expert Judi to decipher how this transformation came about…
Humble beginnings
Before Emily became a celebrity, she studied medicine and focused on her studies and career.
But soon she was teased by her new boyfriend, and Judi thinks this wasn’t always welcome attention.
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“Her body language suggests that she prefers the cameras to focus on her husband,” she analyzes.
“Emily walks slightly behind him, dressed in a simple black outfit, holding the strap of her bag with one hand and Pete with the other.
“Her smile looks polite, but her facial expression suggests she doesn’t feel like she really belongs to this world.”
According to Judi, Peter struggled to calm Emily’s nerves with a “tight and protective” hand, using his body as a “partial shield allowing him to show off to the press cameras at the same time.”
Chaos on the red carpet
Emily made her red carpet debut with Peter for the Pride of Britain Awards in 2012 and described the experience as “overwhelming”.
The 16-year age difference between the couple meant that Peter had the experience and wisdom to support her through life in the public eye.
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And in 2015, Emily attended public appearances with “a sense of inner peace,” says Judi.
In the photo above, she was 24 years old and eager to “draw attention to her husband,” which suggests “some fear of being in the spotlight herself.”
“Emily’s body language here resembles that of a royal engagement pose, with the perfect, serene smile but the look of subtle submission to the higher status husband,” says Judi.
Family first
Emily and Peter welcomed their first child, a daughter named Amelia, in January 2014.
And while the medical student had just managed to find her feet in front of the flashing lights, she now also had her daughter to think about.
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“Emily here seems to already be showing her inner turmoil about the camera attention as she carries her baby in a way that suggests actual fear and a strong desire to protect,” analyzes Judi.
“She cradles her baby against her torso, with one hand over the head and even presses her own head next to the baby’s. Emily’s big eyes suggest she wants to get away.”
They later welcomed a son named Theodore James in November 2016.
Emily is currently an estimated eight months pregnant with the couple’s third child.
Dr. Emily at your service
Although she became famous by association and could have made a living as a pop star’s wife without working, Emily still had plans to use her medical degree.
And according to Judi, her performances are stamped with “some quiet determination and confidence”, despite hints of “stage fright”.
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“Emily’s style and body language, appearing on a panel here, create a message of studied serenity,” analyzes Judi of her role as family doctor on ITV’s Lorraine in 2018.
However, Emily’s posture and even her facial expression look stiff and suppressed here.
‘It indicates some emotional repression, with signs of shoulder tension indicating some inner fear or stage fright.
“She seems to be deliberately avoiding the usual attention-seeking, extroverted look of celebrities here.
“Her body language suggests a more introverted personality, but also with some quiet determination and confidence.
“She seems determined to put distance between herself and the Katie Price world of loud drama and razzamatazz.”
Acting as stepmother
In 2021, Emily held her own on the red carpet and even accompanied Peter’s two older children, Junior and Princess.
Judi calls this the turning point in her public image, where life as a wife and mother of two allowed her to come into confidence.
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“Emily’s body language and clothing define a completely different woman,” says Judi of her performance at the 2021 Pride of Britain Awards.
“She looks like the powerhouse of the family here, in her beautiful silver dress that shows off the figure she has rarely featured before.
“Emily looks glamorous here, as if she now feels like she has finally earned her own place on the red carpet.
“Her much more confident facial expression shows that she now enjoys working with the cameras for herself.”
Soon to be mother of three
Emily leads a quiet life, but has shared some photos during her third pregnancy.
Judi believes her 12 years in the spotlight have completely changed her ‘attitude towards fame’, with her ‘level of inner confidence’ dramatically changing.
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“Pregnant with her third child, she sits on the armrest of the sofa with a warm smile that seems inspired by authentic happiness thanks to the round cheeks, the relaxed mouth shape and the endearing eye expression,” she analyzes.
“Her eyes now greet the camera like a friend and that hand on her stomach suggests that her approach to motherhood may no longer be relaxed either.
“Emily sits in the front pose here, while Peter seems happy to lean next to her, with a softer facial expression that suggests he is in love with fatherhood and his wife.”
The couple live in a luxury £5 million mansion once owned by Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise.
The four-storey, four-bedroom mansion was built in 2003 on the site of an old Victorian house and sits on a 14.2-acre plot in an exclusive area of Surrey.