Peter Andre
Peter Andre is the ambassador of the Fruit Shoot Nickelodeon Skills Tour which will be starting this summer. Peter says about the tour: “As a dad of young kids, I know how much fun they have trying out different things and learning new skills so I’m delighted to be part of The Fruit Shoot Get Your Skills on Campaign.”
We caught up with the talented star and loving father to find out more about this fantastic tour for kids.
Hi Peter! So, Nickelodeon has teamed up with ‘Fruit Shoot Get Your Skills On Campaign’- Could you tell us a little more about this?
It’s trying to encourage kids and parents to get their kids to do this to start learning skills. Once they’ve learnt the skills they have got their confidence. A lot of the time kids are indoors playing on gadgets. It happens to me with my children, I know exactly what it’s like, and you think to yourself, “How do I get my children outdoors learning something new when the weather isn’t great?” So this is a tour going around the country teaching these kids skills and encouraging them to be active. There is a micro site which you can upload your own skills, and there will be kids that will be confident to do this, others kids won’t be, hence why it’s good for them to go and show what they can do to build that confidence. It’s a big campaign and it’s a great campaign and it kicks off for half-term. So I think a lot of parents should get their kids involved in this.
You have been chosen to front the campaign- Are you passionate about children keeping fit and active?
Yes I am. The thing is, technology has taken over. What is considered as keeping fit sometimes is playing tennis on your Wii, which is cool, but get a kid in a tennis court, they are out in fresh air, socialising, it’s a real fitness. There isn’t anything wrong with technology, but I think to get the kids out and give them the confidence to let them learn things is a brilliant idea.
What tips have you got for parents who are unsure of how to get their children started in sports and activities?
The first thing they can do is go to www. fruitshoot.co.uk, they will see all the videos other people have uploaded with their skills, and to see other kids doing these skills, it’s more than likely they are going to want to get involved.
What advice could you give parents who want to keep their children active but want to keep it entertaining and diverse?
The lucky thing we have got with technology is that you can type in ‘activities for kids’ on the internet and get a huge list of ideas. I think this tour ‘Fruit Shoot Get Your Skills On Campaign’ is a great thing for the kids to go to over the summer.
When you were a child, what did you do to allow yourself to keep fit but still maintaining the element of fun?
Well I was really skinny in school and I use to get picked on in Australia for being skinny and having curly hair. So all the Aussie guys were surfing and I couldn’t surf. So I went to the gym, but I couldn’t do the weights either. So I would do sit-ups for a full hour. So I would say to my brothers, “You reckon I’ll get abs by the time I’m 16?” and sure enough I was ripped, so then I started on the weights. I did a little Kung Fu and Bruce Lee got me interested in this. I just loved how cool he was and how guys wanted to be like him. He was disciplined, focused and humble.
How do you try and ensure that your children stay active?
First thing they do when they get home from school is their homework, then they get to be social for an hour, whether that be outside or inside drawing. Then they have an hour between then to dinner to use technology to play games. On the weekends we always try and do something. The first thing is to bake cakes, and then we go out and do an activity for the day. There are lots of things to do like rock climbing. That’s why I love this campaign because it’s not about getting kids out. They are learning new skills and it gives them a whole new thing that they want to keep practising. It’s also a responsibility of parents to ensure that their kids are keeping fit and active.
The kids can meet with the ‘Fruit Shoot Skills Crew’- What do the ‘Skills Crew’ offer for the kids?
They offer to teach them the skills. I mean what a great thing, one on one. Imagine a guy teaching you how to spin a basketball on your finger or learning how to beat box. I mean, I’d love to learn, let alone the kids! This is why it’s cool for the parents to take them because they will be just as fascinated as the kids.
Nickelodeon will be there to capture the kids performing their skills. The videos will have the chance to be shortlisted for the ‘Fruit Shoot Breakthrough Award.’ What do you think the judges will be looking for?
Well I think the judges should be looking for talent, confidence and skill. Don’t forget, some of the kids don’t have the confidence until they get through. Really, what I hope they are looking for is their skills and their presentation, but confidence comes with it. If you go out confident from the start then this will help. But the confidence will come if you get through as well.
When should we expect the skills awards to take place?
It will be later this year at the O2 Arena and that is going to be great. It’s a big campaign and I think it will be great for people to give it a shot. They will be impressed.
As well as fronting the ‘Fruit Shoot Get Your Skills On Campaign’ what else is on the agenda for you?
I’m doing my reality show, ‘Peter Andre: My Life’, the 60-minute make-over show which will be back on ITV and they have kindly asked me to be the presenter. So I have got a lot of things lined up, it’s going to be great.
Fruit Shoot Nickelodeon Skills Tour Dates:
West Quay, Southampton-25-27 May
Arndale Centre, Manchester- 31 May-2 June
Metrocentre, Gateshead/Newcastle- 8-8 June
Westfield Stratford, London- 15-16 June
Bullring, Birmingham- 22-23 June
Braehead, Glasgow- 29-30 June
Westfield London- 6-7 July