The comedian, 36, and his wife Roxy Horner, 33, are parents to baby daughter Elsie, who’s about to turn one. But before that exciting journey began, Jack and his dad Michael, 84, went off to see if they could learn a thing or two about what was to come – including attending an antenatal class together.
Throughout the series, we see Jack become a dad and the dynamic between father and son change as Michael witnesses his son grow into a parent himself.
We caught up with the duo to chat about perineal massage, childhood memories and why Elsie eventually ends up stealing the show…
Tell us about the new series.
Jack: It’s a continuation from Travels With My Father but with a more documentary feel. So it would still see us travelling around the world and meeting interesting people, but it’s linked to a sort of theme of fatherhood.
You admit to worrying about bringing a child into the world – why?
Jack: Just whether I was capable and how I would function as a parent and a father, I had a lot of internal anxiety at that period.
Michael: I mean, at that point, Jack was very good if you wanted to book a table somewhere in a really good restaurant. But having a child? Being a father? I thought, No, not Jackie. Bless him for wanting to do it but put that to one side for the moment and maybe in 20 years’ time, you could maybe adopt a child, but don’t go that route.
So, you had reservations, did you, Michael?
Michael: No, I’m just joking. I had no reservations at all. I thought he’d be wonderful.
Jack: But I’m a bit of a man-child still and sort of feckless and haphazard and not really a serious person.
You went to an antenatal class at your mum’s suggestion. What was that like?
Jack: I mean, I guess I took some bits of information away. Was it entirely a success? Probably. Have I been to practise the perineal massage that I learned that day? No, because all I will hear in my head, when I attempt it is my father telling me that I look like a chimpanzee trying to get peanut butter out of a jar, which is slightly off-putting. I would say on balance, I would probably not take Michael to an antenatal class with me again and would suggest if you are planning on doing an antenatal class as a father, probably don’t take your dad, go with your partner.
What was Michael like growing up?
Jack: Michael has a little bit of a persona on our shows, a bit sort of colder and more acerbic. But the reality is he’s got a softer side, and he was very sentimental and caring as a dad. I watch the home videos of him with me and it reminds me of how I am with my daughter.
What’s it like watching Jack as a dad, Michael?
Michael: I think he’s amazing. I just had no idea that he had that kind of emotional commitment to fatherhood. I knew he wanted to have a baby and then he and Roxy produced this beautiful baby. But I had no idea he’d be quite so hands-on. I mean, Jack isn’t particularly hands-on with things. He just sort of gets on with whatever he’s doing. So that’s the biggest surprise.
Do you feel you are a natural father then, Jack?
Jack: No, I think you learn on the job. And that’s the one piece of advice that everyone kept giving me. You must roll with the punches and find your feet, and I found it to be an amazing experience full of loads of challenges that I didn’t foresee. But it’s great, and I have an amazing partner who’s a fantastic mum.
Do you think she had practice with you first?!
Jack: Yeah, definitely. She’s already used to looking after a big baby and has done so for five years!
Obviously, the star of the show is Elsie…
Jack: She’s amazing. She’s just got to that stage where she’s even more kind of connected and responsive. And she’s got an amazing little laugh and sense of humour. I do things like this now, and it’s amazing that she’s going to be watching stuff like this one day, she’s going to see me and her grandad, and what we were like together.
Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father launches on Netflix 10 September
