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Father Time

by | 19th, November 2004

‘“ISN’T he beautiful?” says Jodie Brook Wilson as she cradles her and Des O’Connor’s newborn son, Adam, in her arms.

‘I buffed up quite nicely, don’t you think?’

For once Hello! is momentarily speechless. And Jodie is taking no chances of there being an answer that is either too honest or not what she expects to hear, preferring to just plough on.

“Baby Adam was born at 10:44 on a Tuesday, so every week at that time we sing Happy Birthday to him to mark the fact that he is a week older,” says she informatively.

Of course, what with Jodie being an international singer-songwriter (she was born in Australia and now lives in Buckinghamshire), she’s perfectly suited to such a challenge.

But even the most trained of voices must take a breather and we are thankful that the 36-year-old doesn’t afford her 72-year-old husband the same musical privileges as her son.

Besides, the last thing Des wants to be reminded of is his age every Monday morning.

Just the other day at the National Television Awards, Jodi says Des blushed a deeper shade of orange when Trevor McDonald congratulated him on being a dad again at his “ripe old” age.

For Des, age is just a number – in his case it’s 72 – and he’s keen to be just like any other dad.

“When the baby was born, the odd comment was made about my age,” says the septuagenarian father of Karen (42), Tracy (37), Samantha (35) and Kristina (17), “but I plan to have a kick-around in the garden as soon as he’s old enough.”

That should be when Adam’s about two years-old, which will, incidentally, be when Des is 74, the perfect age to go in goal or warm the substitutes’ bench with a hand-made travel rug spread over his muscular thighs.

“I don’t dwell on the age that is on my passport,” says Des – well, life’s too short. “I’m still surprised when I read the age they say I am.”

But before we have worked out his true vintage, he tells us that before the news of Adam’s birth hit the papers “everyone seemed to think I was about 50”.

Whatever you say, Des, who “everyone” thinks fathered his eldest when he was a youthful eight.

And in another 22 years (when you hit 72), do you still think you’ll be ready for one more little O’Connor?

“I’m one of those people who don’t believe in living your life in the future…” says he. “Life has already brought us so much happiness. What’s the rush?”

Well, we can think of 72 reasons Des. But you take things at whatever pace you can…’



Posted: 19th, November 2004 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink