Glamour model Katie Price and one-time pop star Peter Andre were, for more than three years, Britain’s most mediated celebrity couple, as well as the only one to literally build a business empire on selling details of their personal life. Consequently, when Andre announced that he was divorcing Katie the other week, the world was in shock, with many still not believing that the separation is the real deal.

For the first time since the decision to go their separate ways was announced, Peter Andre is breaking the silence to address rumors that the imminent divorce is nothing but a publicity stunt. Far from it being the case, Andre insists – he’s so devastated after he moved out of the house and misses the children so much that words cannot even begin to describe it, the star says in a brand new interview with New! Magazine.

“I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight about one thing. You may have read or heard that this is a publicity stunt, but I can assure you it’s not. How anyone could think I would pretend to split up from my wife to grab headlines is beyond me. It’s just sick. Everything is up in the air at the moment, but I am writing this from Cyprus as I came here to get away and spend some time with my family.” Peter Andre explains in the interview.

At the same time, Andre also opens up on the painful topic of the three children, whose custody he and Katie Price are yet to discuss in a crisis meeting that will reportedly take place any day now. While Price is in the Maldives with Junior and Princess Tiaami, the two children she has with Peter, Harvey (from a previous relationship) had to stay in Los Angeles because of his school routine. Therefore, Andre flew to Cyprus all alone and not having his children with him is killing him, he adds in the same interview.

“I desperately wanted to bring Harvey with me to Cyprus. But unfortunately he isn’t allowed any time off school, so Katie’s mum Amy is looking after him. I miss all the kids so much. I even wanted to take Harvey to Cyprus for the weekend, but I was told that Amy had to look after him.” the former pop star explains.

Despite both Katie and Peter issuing separate “statements” of this type, speculation in the media still has it that they’re doing it to attract attention on their future projects: Andre is preparing to relaunch his pop career, while Katie has several products coming out as well, including a new reality show and presumably another book.