Danny Dyer has revealed he and his family ‘stepped up’ to help his daughter Dani with raising her three children, while her fiancé Jarrod Bowen was away at the Euros this summer.
The former EastEnders star, 47, welcomed his first grandchild when his daughter Dani Dyer, 28, gave birth to Santiago, three, with her former partner Sammy Kimmence.
The reality star then gave birth to twins Summer and Star with footballer Jarrod Bowen in 2023, and her dad has explained how he and his wife Joanne Mas, 47, help with babysitting duties on top of being parents to Sunnie, 17, and son Arty, 10.
He told The Sunday Times Style Magazine: ‘Jarrod’s a great dad but he’s very busy. He was away all over the summer and Dani was flying back and forth.
‘It’s difficult to juggle that and the children, so we’ve come to the front as a family, as you do. We’re just trying to bring up decent human beings.’
Danny Dyer has revealed he and his family ‘stepped up’ to help his daughter Dani (pictured) with raising her three children, while her fiancé Jarrod Bowen was away at the Euros
Dani Dyer, 28, gave birth to Santiago, three, with her former partner Sammy Kimmence and then welcomed twins Summer and Star with fiance Jarred Bowen in 2023
Danny – who had been in a relationship with Joanne Mas for decades by the time they tied the knot in 2016 – also noted that it is a strange phenomenon watching his daughter have kids.
He said: ‘It’s mad seeing your children have kids. My Dani, she’s such an amazing human being. We’ve got a special bond.
‘We had her when I was 18, so I was still a baby myself. We grew up together. She’s seen my highs and lows, and she’s one of my very best mates.’
Even though Danny ‘wasn’t thrilled’ when his eldest signed up for the ITV2 dating show, they have since gone on to become a presenting duo together.
Danny also noted that because both his daughter and future son-in-law Jarrod, 27, are away a lot for work, he and Jo step in to take on babysitting duties.
He admitted that while it is a lot to ‘juggle that and the children’, it is something they ‘just do’ as a family in their attempt to raise a ‘decent bunch’ of kids.
Upon becoming a a grandfather for the first time, Dani explained that her dad welled up while admitting that he had ‘never’ had a feeling like it and become unexpectedly emotional.
Speaking on the Made By Mammas podcast, she said: ‘My dad didn’t realise [he] would be so emotional [about being a granddad]. He has been so emotional around Santiago, the other day he was really crying.
‘He went: ‘I love babies, but your baby. I have never felt anything like it. I didn’t think I’d feel like this’.
Danny and Dani have carved out a successful presenting career in recent years, but their latest E4 travel series was axed after just one series
The former soap star, 46, was thrilled to see that his daughter is set to tie the knot with West Ham player Jarrod (pictured
Dani has been in a relationship with the West Ham star since October 2021, and the pair recently got engaged.
Danny is a loyal supporter of West Ham United and recently admitted that when he met his future son-in-law he wasn’t sure what to say to him.
But upon meeting Jarrod at a family gathering for Bonfire Night, he knew instantly that it was ‘true love’ between the pair.
He told TalkSport: ‘ What do you say to him? I wanted to take his shoes off for him, put his feet up on the settee, give him a nice massage. But you don’t wanna go in too strong!
‘All I wanna see, like any father, is my daughter in love and when they’re not with the right person , they’re not the same. There’s something not right.
‘And she was my Dani in front of him. That’s love. He gets her and it’s a beautiful thing Maybe I encouraged it a little bit too much but it’s true love with them two. ‘
