In their ITV series Breaking Dad, Bradley and Barney Walsh became Britain’s most famous father-and-son duo.
The programme, which sees the pair take on adventurous challenges as they travel the world in a camper van, explores their bond and sees them romp around.
But Barney, 25, has revealed that while the series has been a hit with viewers, there has been another unexpected but very welcome outcome: their on-screen antics have helped to mend broken relationships between fathers and sons across the country. to recover.
He told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The response to Breaking Dad has been so sweet. I’ve had a lot of messages from families on social media saying they were fighting with their dad and hadn’t spoken in years, but they had seen the show and wanted to reconnect with their dad.
‘For example, they say that they have booked a holiday with their father or son and that they are going to do something like that. It is so beautiful.
“If me and my dad did that for one family – managed to rebuild that relationship – then it was a job well done and it’s all worth it.”
Barney and Bradley Walsh on Breaking Dad. The show, now in its fifth series, sees the pair travel across America and Europe
The show, now in its fifth series, has seen the pair travel across the United States and Europe, being watched by an average of five million people per episode.
Barney, who currently stars in long-running BBC One medical drama Casualty as nurse Cameron Mickelthwaite, will once again team up with his father, 63, for the upcoming reboot of hit 1990s game show Gladiators.
Although accusations of nepotism have been made following the announcement that Barney would be joining his stalwart showbusiness father, he insists the BBC chose them to front Gladiators because they could attract a whole range of age groups to watch the show. watch, which previously aired on ITV.
He said: ‘It was a situation where the BBC was aiming for older and younger generations to come together. Gladiators was definitely big at the time, and many of the young people who watched it when it came out have grown up and now have children of their own.
“It’s a generational thing. We want the parents who grew up watching Gladiators, after their parents showed it to them, to then show it to their children.
‘That’s why me and my dad do it. Father and son, family show, everything together.’
Bradley Walsh has extensive experience presenting game shows; he hosted Wheel Of Fortune in the 1990s and the ITV quiz show The Chase since 2009. He also presents the revamped game show Carpety Blank, following in the footsteps of Terry Wogan and Les Dawson.
Barney 25 revealed that the hit show, which averages five million viewers per episode, has helped fathers and sons across the country mend their relationships
In addition to his presenting, Bradley is an accomplished actor, with roles in Coronation Street and Doctor Who. Bradley was joined by his son for the 2021 ITV series The Larkins – a reboot of nineties favorite The Darling Buds Of May.
But Barney says starring next to his father doesn’t feel like working at all.
“He’s my dad, but he’s also my best friend,” Barney said at the Inside Soap Awards last month. “I can talk to him about anything and he can talk to me about anything, and we support each other. That’s what family is for. There is no stronger relationship than blood.
“The best advice my dad gave me is to be yourself, have fun and do what you love – because if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”
