Peter Andre’s junior doctor wife Emily MacDonagh has backed the recent strike action taken over changes to their contracts.
An all-out strike by junior doctors in England is planned for later this month.
Emily, 26, told Hello! magazine about joining her NHS colleagues in the recent walk-outs.
Peter Andre and wife Emily MacDonagh (Hello)
“When you’re working in the NHS you see how stretched it is and how hard all the staff – nurses, physios, everyone – works, if we give in and say we will work seven days a week, it will be the nurses and other key staff next,” she told the magazine.
The Somerset-born medic said it would be 'the first step towards everyone working more and more hours, ultimately leading to an unsafe environment for the patients'.
During the exclusive interview in the French Alps, singer and reality TV star Peter and Emily opened up about their first year of married life.
Emily MacDonagh and Peter Andre (David Jensen/PA)
Peter, 43, talked about seeing the stressful demands life as a junior doctor places on Emily. “It’s hard for her,” he told Hello!
“We do a ‘debrief’ when she comes home and she talks me through what’s happened in the day. I always try to make sure I’ve made her a nice dinner so that she comes into a nice, calm environment, where the baby is looked after.
“I just want to be a shoulder to her and help her through any difficult times.”
Peter Andre and Emily MacDonagh at the National Television Awards (Yui Mok/PA)
The Mysterious Girl singer is also father to son Junior and daughter Princess from his 2005-2009 marriage to Katie Price.
Emily said being a mother to their two-year-old daughter Amelia makes it difficult to detach from emotional situations in her profession.
“I do bring my work home and it’s hard to switch off, especially after a night shift, which is difficult and emotional anyway,” she said.
The Pride of Britain Awards (Ian West/PA)
“I don’t know if it’s because I’ve got Millie, but if I see mums and dads pass away, and their family is there, it makes me so sad because I think about Millie and what it would be like for her.”
She added: “It’s not the right way to think about it, but I think I’m just a softie. I just want to go and give people a hug and you can’t really do that.”
Peter Andre and Janette Manrara during Strictly Come Dancing (Peter Byrne/PA)
Peter, who recently took part in the BBC’s ballroom series Strictly Come Dancing, has previously told how Emily helped him through personal tragedy after his brother Andrew died in 2012.
He credited her with helping him to deal with his grief.
“I didn’t think I would ever be as happy as I am now. It’s amazing to be so content,” he said.
