Sending a very warm welcome to the next feature in our Father’s Day Series, Woody Whitelaw, the radio host who captured hearts as a contestant on the most recent season of 'I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here'.
Woody and his partner Mimi welcomed their daughter Remi to the world in October 2022, and we were thrilled to have him on board to chat about his first year of parenting. Woody and his radio co-host, Will, have always been incredibly open about navigating their struggles with mental health, and the importance of creating a space in which dads can feel comfortable being ‘imperfect’, emotional and openly loving.
What surprised you most about becoming a parent?
I was and am still surprised at how much more emotional I’ve become. I pretty much cried for three days straight after Remi was born and the other day I bawled my eyes out during an Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez Rom Com. I think it’s called ‘Marry Me’.
How has having kids changed your outlook on work and life?
This is a little cliché, but it truly has put everything in perspective. Before Remi came into the world I would get more worked up over little things like something going wrong at work or putting the wrong delivery address in UberEats. Actually, that second one still pisses me off but all is forgotten when I see a smile or get a cuddle from Rem.
What advice would you give people about to embark on a similar journey to yours?
My first piece of advice would be to not take any advice from anyone. Everyone’s journey and style are different so stick to whatever feels right for you. You’ll make mistakes along the way but that’s all part of it. My second piece of advice, which you can absolutely choose to ignore, is to just make effort. It doesn’t take any skill to try so we can all do it.
What has been your funniest moment as a parent so far?
I had Rem strapped to my chest in South Africa and suddenly had the desperate urge to go to the toilet. I want to keep this as clean as possible, but you need to know that it was number twos. Anyway, long story short, I ended up performing an emergency evacuation in the bush with Remi still strapped to my chest and a number of giraffes looking on in true horror.
