Going from one child to three before her 27th birthday was not something Dani Dyer ever imagined for herself, but becoming a parent has given her a new appreciation of family. Having shot to fame on Love Island in 2018, Dani has shared her journey to motherhood on social media, and now she wants to encourage a more open conversation about how much of a change it really is.
She had her first child, Santi, three, with her ex-partner Sammy Kimmence in 2021, but they split soon after and Dani, 27, later found love with West Ham and England player, Jarrod Bowen, 27. The couple announced they were expecting twins in January 2023, and their daughters, Summer and Star, were born last June.
“It was a massive, massive jump,” Dani says of going from one child to three. “I knew it was going to be hard, so I prepared myself for how it was going to be. But it’s been so special, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Fortunately for Dani, she’s got her parents, Danny Dyer and Joanne Mas, down the road to help with nursery pick-ups and babysitting. “My mum and dad are like seven minutes from me. I’m really lucky to have them round the corner,” she says. While grandad Danny is often away filming, he struggles to spend more than a day apart from Dani and the kids. “Oh he’s so hands on,” she tells Closer.
“He always wants to see the kids. If he’s not seen them for a few days, he’ll be ringing me saying, ‘Are you in? I want to come over’. Or he’ll pick up Santi from nursery for me or come over and cook me dinner. He’s so supportive and so loving. He’s such an emotional man and since he’s become a grandad, he’s even more emotional!”
It’s always useful having help with young kids, especially given that Dani’s partner Jarrod is a professional footballer and is often away from home – most notably in Germany for the Euros this past month. She says, “From the minute I met Jarrod, he was always very busy. So I think it’s just about enjoying those moments when they are home and doing things and trying to have little weekends away with the kids together and really appreciating those times. My dad was always away a lot with my mum, so I don’t know if I’m just used to that lifestyle.”
Jarrod does, however, make sure to help out with the kids when he can. When West Ham won the Europa Conference League in 2023, Jarrod was straight home after the celebrations ended. “He got home at about midnight and the twins were a few weeks old and he was straight on the bottles,” Dani smiles. “It was the night feed! So yes, when he’s home he is amazing.”
Becoming parents is a huge adjustment for any couple and Dani says she’s definitely noticed a change within herself.
“I think your priorities change when you become a parent, massively. All you want to do is look after your baby, so your focus is on them and making them happy. I just think you grow when you become a parent and realise how important family is. I would never, ever take them for granted again!”
But it hasn’t always been easy. She admits, “The sleepless nights at the beginning are always hard. But some people don’t mind that. For me, it’s getting out of the house, especially with twins, that I find hard. My mum is very good at saying, ‘No Dan, we’re going out.’” In the spirit of opening up about the challenges of new motherhood, Dani has partnered with Johnson’s to promote its new docuseries, A Parent Is Born, which explores the realities of starting a family.
“People are speaking about their journeys more and when you’re watching the episodes, it’s nice to see how people are feeling and know it’s OK to ask for support,” Dani explains. “It’s about being able to relate to people, especially at the beginning. We need a lot more of that, I think.”
As a mother in the public eye, Dani tries to strike a balance between showing the tougher parts of early parenting and the life-affirming benefits with her fans. She says, “I’ve always tried to be my complete self when it comes to my social media platform. I share what I can, when I can, and I sometimes do little Q&As. I don’t want to overwhelm people with it because I know how hard it can be. Especially when I was pregnant with the twins, I got a lot of, ‘Oh, rather you than me’, and you don’t want to hear those sorts of comments. You just want support. It’s hard, but the love you have for your children is just incredible.”
She’s certainly come a long way from her Love Island days – though still says her time on the show was one of the best summers of her life. “I love Love Island! It’s such pure entertainment,” Dani exclaims. “It’s crazy to think about it, six years down, three kids later!”
To find out more about JOHNSON’S Baby’s ‘A Parent Is Born’ docuseries and to watch all four episodes, head to johnsonsbaby.