Big Brother favourite Farmer Dave Graham drops major family news after becoming ‘donor dad’ to multiple kids – and reveals he was hospitalised from ‘burnout’

Big Brother star David Graham has revealed his ‘unconventional’ family has expanded.

Speaking to Ny Breaking Australia, David – or Farmer Dave as he became known after his stint on the reality show – dropped the bombshell that his brood has grown to five.

David, 45, who came out as gay on the 2006 season of Big Brother, served as donor father to the children he shares with two women, both close friends of the reality star.

Although he preferred to keep his children’s details private, the TV personality revealed the joy his life as a donor father had brought.

“It’s been the greatest reward of anything I’ve ever done,” he said.

“There is nothing that comes close to holding your child and being part of the story of humanity.

‘Knowing that you are not a failure. Knowing that it all ends with me, because that’s one of the trials you go through as a homosexual.”

He continued, “My natural habit is that I don’t breed, and because I come from a farming background, the only reason you exist is to pass the baton.”

David added that becoming a father had given him a sense of security and peace.

“When I hold my five children, I just feel safe, it gives me a sense of connection,” he said.

“It gives me a sense of peace, and it makes me feel like I’m part of something.

‘It also gives me the feeling that I, together with the mothers, have contributed to their sense of belonging and their sense of being part of the endless chain of humanity.’

He continued, “When I look into their eyes, I tell you what, all I see is endless possibilities and pure peace and joy.”

During the candid chat, David also revealed he had been hospitalized after suffering ‘burnout’ from a high-risk youth organization he founded.

The reality show fan favorite started the charity RuffTrack in 2019, which aims to connect at-risk youth aged 12 to 17 with dogs to help promote responsibility and confidence.

However, David revealed to Ny Breaking Australia that he has since walked away from the Sydney-based initiative he created.

He admitted he became overwhelmed by the problem of at-risk youth across Australia.

“To be honest, I had complete burnout and was in the hospital for six weeks,” David revealed.

“I did everything I could to save every damn child.”

The passionate youth advocate and mentor continued to admit that he was working around the clock to tackle a problem that was growing.

“We had kids from all over Australia coming to our program – we had kids from Alice Springs, we had kids from all over New South Wales and their problem was just enormous,” he said.

“The problem was I thought, ‘Well, I have to do what it takes: work seven days a week and burn the candle at both ends,’ and after five years I literally broke.”

David admitted that 12 months after leaving RuffTrack, which is still active, he is in a much better place and is back mentoring young people, this time through the Cooee Crew initiative.

“I’m doing absolutely great now and I’m back working with what we call the super-risk children who live in full-service care situations,” he said.

‘The name of the organization is the Cooee Crew and Cooee is this age-old and still used Australian way of saying: “I’m here, where are you?”. That’s what it’s all about: saying, “I see you, I got you, now let’s do stuff.”

David, who entered the Big Brother house twice – in 2016 and again in 2022, said he was excited about the expected reboot of the groundbreaking reality series in 2025.

“That’s fine, I’ll tune in,” he said.

‘I think Big Brother is the greatest reflection of society there is, it’s a look into the heart and soul of Australia.

“There’s been a big gap between the last time they had this version of the show, and now, and I’m so interested because there’s so much talk about the Gen : “Where are we now as a society.”

“It really represents a cross-section of Australia that really says, how are we following as a people?

“And I’ve always seen the show as the window into the living rooms of Australia, which is why I originally did it, to really have a conversation and change people’s minds about the sexual minority that I’m a part of.”

David’s on-air appearance proved to be quite a turning point for Australian television, but he admitted he never thought his revelation would receive so much attention.

‘I just wanted a bushy to say, “Hey, this is me”, and no one did it and I thought, “well f***, someone’s gotta do it, no one else is doing it, right? OK, jump over there,” he said.

“I didn’t think it would be as big as it was, it would be front page news for months.”

He added that fans still thank him for his openness on the show 17 years after his original Big Brother turn.

‘Another seventeen years later. “I’m stopped every day on the street by people saying, ‘Hey, you changed my life,’ whether it’s a parent or a better child or a better brother or sister, just by understanding that gay people are normal people.”