I’M A Celeb’s Danny Jones’ estranged dad has revealed what caused the huge family rift.
The McFly singer, 38 – who is one of the famous faces taking part in the ITV series this year – hasn’t seen his father Alan Jones, 72, for 18 years.
Radio DJ Alan left his ex-wife Kathy in 2005, shortly Danny and his sister left home in the early 2000s, and a year after he met his current wife Sharon.
Alan and Sharon used to hang out together in a group of friends, but it soon turned into an “intimate” relationship after a “very bad two years” with Kathy.
Speaking to MailOnline about how their relationship started, Alan said: “This sounds strange, but I used to hang out with a gang of girls who were worse than the blokes, and Sharon was part of that group.
“We used to go out and get drunk in the town, it was good fun, and me and Sharon got closer and closer.”
Alan and Sharon tied the knot in 2007 and moved to Benidorm in 2016.
Speaking about the split with Kathy, Alan said: “It was quite a bitter divorce that dragged on far too long.
“It could have been resolved a good few thousand pounds earlier.”
He added to the publication: “I feel as though he’s [Danny] painted himself into a corner and he doesn’t know how to get out.
“I think because he loves his mum so much he’s protected her, and I think any reunion with me, and this is only my opinion, would upset his mum, and I don’t think he wants to do that, and I understand that.”
Alan was not invited to Danny’s wedding to Georgia Horsley in 2014 and he also hasn’t met his six-year-old grandson Cooper.
He would love to meet the youngster and confessed: “I keep my fingers crossed that one day it will happen”.
Danny is one of the famous faces taking part in this year’s I’m A Celebrity.
Earlier this week the rockstar and Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough took part in the High Street of Horrors Bushtucker trial.
The pair did well and went back to camp with eight stars.
i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year..
Coleen Rooney – Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa – The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year’s I’m A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall – The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities.
Melvin Odoom – The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet – the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry – The UK’s biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough – A rising star amongst this year’s bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse – The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones – The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he’s now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Jane Moore – The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge – having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane’s first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan – Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer. He told The Late Late Show in 2021: “She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache.”
Maura Higgins – The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Rev. Richard Coles – Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity, and he’s ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: “Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.”
Emotions have run high in camp also, with Danny breaking down in tears about his anxiety battle.
Talk between the celebrities turned to tattoos, to which he admitted he has ink on his wrist which says: “Don’t worry, be happy”.
He explained: “It’s because I’m always constantly worrying, but that’s what I’m working on.”
Opening up further, Danny revealed that he has been in therapy since he was 19 to cope with anxiety.
He also recalled a harrowing experience of having a panic attack on live TV during an interview.
The lead singer told his campmates: “I was freaking out and I couldn’t answer the question that got asked to me.
“My heart rate goes crazy, I went white, and I felt like I was going to puke.”
When asked by Jane if his anxiety stemmed from childhood or the pressures of being in McFly, Danny admitted: “I think I escaped a lot.”
Revealing he hadn’t had an anxiety attack since 2013, Danny said: “At times it was so horrible.
“I experienced claustrophobia, coming out in cold sweats, feeling a band tightening around my chest and worrying I was having a heart attack.
“It’s so scary and I’ve felt like I was dying on occasions. You can’t believe your body can do that to you. I was also plagued with dark thoughts I couldn’t control.”
