The Project host leads public backlash as enraged Aussies slam decision to name Today host David Campbell and rocker Jimmy Barnes as joint Fathers of the Year
Angry Australians have taken to social media to criticise the decision to jointly name rocker Jimmy Barnes and his son David Campbell as Father of the Year.
The duo received the award on Thursday from the advocacy group for fathers, The Fathering Project. It is the first time the award has been given to two recipients.
David and Jimmy were estranged for years. The TV star only discovered his father’s identity when he was ten, but they have since formed a close bond.
In a statement about the award, Today Extra presenter David Campbell (51) said it was “special” to share the honour with his rock icon father Jimmy Barnes (68).
However, not all Australians were happy with the news. Many were strongly opposed to the decision, arguing that they should not have received the award because of their fame.
Radio host Nick Cody
Nick Cody criticizes decision to name Jimmy Barnes Father of the Year, argues more deserving suburban dads should be recognized
“Why famous people? Where is the recognition for the real heroes, the real fathers of the year?” someone wrote on Instagram.
“The fathers who quietly toil away at multiple jobs so their children can do better than they did? The fathers who support, encourage, and help their communities?
“The fathers who invent? The fathers who gave their lives to care for disabled children? I could go on. What makes two celebrities so special?”
Furious Australians have taken to social media to criticise the decision to jointly name rocker Jimmy Barnes and his son David Campbell as Fathers of the Year
Others criticized the decision because David didn’t even know Jimmy was his father until he was 10 years old.
“So you can be a good father if you don’t tell your son you’re his father for the first ten years,” wrote one critic.
Another chimed in with, “Jimmy Barnes is a father of the year. Imagine the ego thinking, yeah, okay, cool, I’ll accept that.”
One follower added that he/she thought his/her own father was a better candidate for the award than Jimmy.
“There are at least 5 million fathers in Australia who deserve this award more than Jimmy Barnes,” they said. “My father was light years ahead of Jimmy Barnes.”
However, it wasn’t all criticism: many praised the decision on social media.
“What a duo,” one fan wrote on the Today post. “Absolutely beautiful people.”
David and Jimmy were estranged for years, as the TV star only discovered his father’s identity at the age of ten, but they now have a very close bond
Not all Australians were happy with the award, with many expressing their displeasure on social media about the decision, saying they should not have been awarded the prize simply because of their fame.
I’m A Celebrity presenter Julia Morris jumped into the comments of David’s post to offer her heartfelt congratulations, writing: ‘Congratulations darling. You certainly lead by example.’
Sam Mac, the weatherman who saw the sun rise, also sent her a good wish: ‘A simple congratulations, gentlemen.’
David, who has a son Leo (14) and twins Betty and Billy (9) with his wife Lisa, enthusiastically told how honoured he felt to share the prize with his father.
“It is very special in many ways to share this award with my Father,” he said.
“He is the example of how I navigate my life as a parent. While it feels premature to receive this award – given that my twins are in elementary school and my son is only in the eighth grade – it still means the world to me.”
Jimmy, a father of seven, said fatherhood had brought him a lot of “joy” and admitted in a heartfelt statement that he had “made mistakes”.
“From the moment you look into your baby’s eyes to the day he or she is about to walk on their own, joy flows freely,” says the Cold Chisel frontman.
“I have watched David grow from a small child to a clumsy young man on his journey. We have both made mistakes along the way, but we have worked through them with patience and love.”
David, who has a son Leo (14) and twins Betty and Billy (9) with his wife Lisa, enthusiastically told how honoured he was to share the gong with his own father
Jimmy has a son with Kim Campbell, but David didn’t discover who he was until he was 10. At first, he thought he was just a friend of the family. The two speak candidly about their estrangement over the years.
“I used to go to David’s when he was young, but he didn’t know who I was. It must have been so weird for him,” Jimmy admitted on The Apple & The Tree podcast earlier this year.
‘I was on tour with Cold Chisel and if I had a hangover I would show up wearing a leather jacket.’
David was raised by his grandmother, who he believed was his adoptive mother, while he thought his teenage mother Kim was his sister.
“I found out when I was 10. It was very overwhelming,” David previously said.
‘I was struggling with anxiety and I didn’t know who to talk to, but this was the easiest part of it all because I saw my sister as a mother. [was hard].
Jimmy also has four children with his wife Jane – Mahalia, 42, Eliza-Jane, 40, Jackie, 39, and Elly-May, 35. He is also father to Amanda Bennett and Megan Torzyn
Jimmy added: ‘He got sick and had migraines and we didn’t know what to do to calm him down. But there’s no real way to alleviate that.’
The singer admitted he felt relieved when he told David he was his father and said it didn’t take long for them to develop a relationship.
Jimmy and his wife Jane have four children: Mahalia, 42, Eliza-Jane, 40, Jackie, 39, and Elly-May, 35.
The rocker is also the father of Amanda Bennett and Megan Torzyn, whom he learned about in 2010 after taking a paternity test.