September 7th 2024.
Last September, comedian Jack Whitehall became a first-time parent when he welcomed his daughter Elsie with his partner, model Roxy Horner. As he navigates the joys and challenges of parenthood, Jack is also preparing for a different kind of milestone in his daughter's life - "the talk."
But it's not the talk that most people would expect. You see, Jack is known for calling his own father, former acting agent Michael Whitehall, "daddy." And now, as his daughter starts to call him "daddy," Jack is preparing for the day when she will have to stop because it's just too cringe-worthy.
In an interview with The Agency, Jack shared that he has been trying to police himself when it comes to calling his father "daddy." After all, he's now 36 years old and a father himself. But it's a habit that's hard to break, and Jack admits that he still cringes when he watches his Netflix show, Travels with My Father, and hears himself calling his father "daddy."
As Jack explores the ups and downs of parenthood in his new Netflix show, Fatherhood with My Father, he also reflects on his own relationship with his dad. In one episode, he attends an antenatal class with Michael, where they learn how to give a perineal massage on a dummy to help with childbirth. Michael couldn't resist making a joke, commenting that Jack's fumbling with the plastic vagina makes him wonder how he got Roxy pregnant in the first place.
The father-son duo also embark on adventures together, from meeting survivalists in Utah to trying out moon boots and having a lunch date with a robot. But perhaps the most painful experience for Jack was being strapped to a Tens machine, which replicates the feeling of contractions. Michael, who was in control of the machine, didn't hold back, causing Jack to squirm in agony.
Despite the challenges of parenthood, Jack has found a way to empathize with Roxy's experience. She suffered from symphysis pubis dysfunction, also known as pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain, during her third trimester. To better understand what she went through, Jack even tried on an empathy belly, which gave him a newfound appreciation for the difficulties of pregnancy.
In typical Jack and Michael fashion, the father-son banter is full of wit and humor. But for those who may think it's all for show, Jack assures that their dynamic is authentic. In fact, Michael sets the record straight when Jack jokes about creating an "empathy shoe" for him to wear and understand what it's like to have gout, a condition his father doesn't even have.
Their witty back-and-forth has often led to speculation that it's all staged, but Jack insists that it's genuine. He fondly remembers Michael's vocal presence on the sidelines during his school sports games, even getting into an altercation with a referee and making "sheep noises" at a Welsh school.
As for being a grandfather, Michael has been spoiling Elsie with gifts, including hand-me-downs from his beloved doll Winston, who he adopted from Thailand in Travels with My Father. Jack jokingly recalls his mom giving him clothes that were once worn by him, then Winston, and now Elsie. But he admits that getting hand-me-downs from a "weird, creepy doll" is a bit strange.
As Jack navigates the challenges of being a parent and a son, he continues to find humor in the journey. And with his trademark wit and charm, he and Michael make for an entertaining and endearing duo on and off-screen.
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