Former Strictly dancer Brendan Cole has opened up about becoming a father again, saying he’s not finding it as easy second time around.
The 42-year-old said he feels like a “bad dad” because he hasn’t bonded with his son, Danté, as quickly as he did with his daughter, Aurelia, five.
Brendan welcomed son, Danté, with his wife Zoe in March this year and he revealed on Friday’s Loose Women what life is like with the 11-week-old.
“My daughter is a complete Daddy’s girl. I’m struggling more with the second child. Not post-natal depression really, because that’s what women go through, but I’ve got a real sense of anxiety with the second one,” he admitted.
He added: “I feel like I’m a bad dad because I’m not really bonding – and I feel terrible for even talking about it because he is a gorgeous little boy but he does cry a lot.
“I find myself walking up and down with him at three o’clock in the morning going, ‘I just really want you to go to sleep now’. I know we all do that as parents…”
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Nadia Sawalha told him not to feel bad.
“There isn’t a parent in the world who wouldn’t identify with that feeling,” she said.
Brendan continued: “I find it very different to my daughter, who was never an issue.”
The Loose Women said he’s far from a “bad dad” as they praised him for getting up to do the night feeds.
Brendan was on the show to discuss his forthcoming appearance in the charity event Soccer Aid.
The New Zealander will play in Usain Bolt’s “rest of the world” team against Robbie William’s England squad, including Mo Farah, Olly Murs and Paddy McGuinness.
“I’m unemployed so I had nothing else to do,” he joked about his participation after he has been axed from this year’s Strictly.
The BBC confirmed at the start of the year that he would not be returning to the show, which he had been on since the beginning, winning the first series with Natasha Kaplinsky.
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Earlier this month, the BBC confirmed which professionals will be on this year’s series. There will be three new dancers as well as many returning favourites.
Asked what he was going to do next by the Loose Women, Brendan admitted that he has “no idea”.
“It is weird to go from 15 years of my life to a definitive change. It is slightly scary but exciting,” he said.
Can you identify with Brendan’s comments about parenting? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!