Daddy dearest
Jack Whitehall was worried he wasn’t ready to become a father, so he turned to his own dad, Michael, for a little bit of help
Netflix
- Robin Parker
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Three years since the fifth series of the road trip comedy Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father, Jack Whitehall is venturing on a new journey with his dad Michael – into fatherhood. Filmed as the 36-year-old comedian and his partner Roxy Horner prepared for the arrival of their daughter Elsie, who was born last September, the four-part series Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father follows Jack and Michael as they join an antenatal class, try new-age remedies and learn about the latest life-advancing technologies. But has any of 84-year-old Michael’s wisdom sunk into his son – and is the new dad ready to grow up?
Jack, why did you want to focus on fatherhood this time?
JACK: I was worried I wasn’t ready to be a father, because the comedy industry allows man-children to metastasise. I wasn’t a very serious person and having a kid is one of the most serious things you can do. So I needed to change quite a lot.
Michael, do fathers today have it easier than your generation did?
MICHAEL: Generally, it’s much easier. When I think of my mother having me in the middle of London when there were bombs dropping, and already bringing up my brother….
JACK: Without an iPad as well! How did you manage without that?
MICHAEL: Today if people are excited about having children, there’s an awful lot of things around them that will help them bring them up the way they want to.
You have been making television shows together for more than a decade now. How has it changed your relationship?
MICHAEL: We’ve become a bit Eric and Ernie, with one half of the act knowing what the other is going to say!
JACK: I’m in awe that he’s still doing it at 84 and I’m more conscious now of making sure it’s enjoyable for him. Michael’s amazing at throwing himself into things – sometimes reluctantly – and my respect for him grows more with each series.
I thought Jack would be pretty hopeless as a father
Michael Whitehall
How much planning goes into a series like this?
JACK: I’ve usually done some prep. I’ll try to loosely explain it to Michael, but he isn’t able to grasp it or isn’t interested. So his response is authentic because he just doesn’t have a clue. I’m trying to hold it together, and that friction is probably where the show lies.
MICHAEL: I have no memory. I could never learn a script even if there was one. There is not one scripted word anywhere in any of the series. It really is totally spontaneous, and it can only be like that because we know each other so well.
Jack, what’s the best parenting advice Michael gave you?
JACK: “Don’t stand down the business end at the birth!” And to be present. He recalibrated his life to make sure he was there for his kids. He was a good mix of strict when needed, and wise and caring. There’s a lot that I can learn from my dad.
MICHAEL: My age helped [Michael was 48 when Jack was born]. I wasn’t trying to climb the greasy pole. Fatherhood was a bonus, and I could be involved. A lot of young people fond it very difficult to cope with work and family.
Jack Whitehall as a baby. Netflix
Do you offer the same advice to all three of your children, or is Jack a special case?
MICHAEL: I never see any difference in my three children. Jack and his younger sister and brother, Molly and Barney, are all hugely talented in different ways. But in what I hope is a jokey way, we always talk about Jack as “the King”. Molly says, “Are you seeing the King this weekend?”
JACK: They’re definitely taking the p***! To be clear, Molly has always been the favourite child.
MICHAEL: Jack is the successful person in terms of the public and his siblings sometimes get a little bit annoyed. Molly might see a friend at a party and they’ll ask, “How’s Jack?”
From doomsday survivalists to artificial intelligence and new-agers, there’s a lot of unconventional wisdom in Fatherhood with My Father. Has any of it stuck with you?
JACK: I wanted to get ahead of the curve on the technology that might help me as a parent. The producers showed me some insane treatments that rich people do to prolong their life, like red light therapy and oxygen chambers. I’d already done both – I even have a red light mask at home. That’s LA rubbing off on me!
MICHAEL: On our first day’s filming, I met an AI robot called Ameca. It was so strange having a proper conversation with her. She asked me about music and art. I mentioned Eric Ravilious and she said, “Oh, some of his finest paintings were made during the 1920s and 30s…”
JACK: She’s perfect for you, because you love name-dropping really niche composers and artists. It was the first time you could have a conversation with someone who knew everyone you referenced!
Jack Whitehall taking part in a birth simulation for the new series. Netflix
Jack, what was it like having your mother Hilary join you on some of the trips?
JACK: She has this very different energy in just wanting to throw herself into anything. It’s funny to look at you two as a couple and how you have managed to function so well, for so long when you have diametrically opposed attitudes to life.
Jack, you take part in a birth simulation during the series and the maternity nurse tells you to take it more seriously. At your daughter Elsie’s birth, did you heed that lesson?
JACK: No, I think I was still trying to bring some levity, but I have learned that there are some moments where cracking gags is not the best course of action. Despite having sat through a visceral demonstration, I was still flustered and faffing around. I was given limited responsibilities, like making a playlist of things like the Champions League theme and The Lion King, and making sure we had Roxy’s crystals and lavender spray.
Have you found yourself slowing down a bit to focus on the new member of the family?
JACK: I’m being more selective and taking into account where things are filming. I had a long shoot earlier this year so I took time out afterwards to be as hands-on as I could be. I don’t want to miss anything. Elsie’s just starting to laugh at my jokes. It’s some pretty hack material, but it’s an amazing feeling.
Michael, what do you think of Jack as a dad?
MICHAEL: I’m surprised just how good he is. I thought he’d be pretty hopeless. He’s very caring and loving. He really thrives on that mix of family and work.
There were plenty of Travels…, but will there be more series of Fatherhood with My Father?
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JACK: Don’t tell him, but I think it will be Fatherhood with My Daughter next…
Authors
Robin Parker
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