The celebrity dads we’ve loved watching in 2022
They've warmed our hearts, made us laugh, made us cry and made us question if it's appropriate to have impure thoughts about an animated dog ... here are the dads we've been captivated by in 2022.
As 2022 draws to a close, we take a look back at the dads who caught our attention, kept us entertained and inspired us along the way.
From Bluey’s old man, Bandit to a dad who just kept on dadding – welcoming four kids in 2022 with another yet to come! Here are the dads who’ve made our list in 2022 …
The celebrity dads we’ve loved watching in 2022
Nick Cannon
We couldn’t build a 2022 dad roundup without mentioning the man who contributed more children to fatherhood than probably reasonable this year … Nick Cannon.
Nick Cannon is now dad to 11 kids – with another one coming very soon, and FOUR of them were born in 2022!
- Beautiful Zeppelin (Nov 2022) with Abby de la Rosa
- Rise Messiah (Oct 2022) with Brittany Bell
- Onyx Ice Cole Cannon (Sept 2022) with Lanisha Cole
- Legendary Love Cannon (June 2022) with Bre Tiesi
… and we’re waiting on Alyssa Scott’s announcement with #5!
Danny Abdallah
Danny Abdallah, the father of three of four Sydney children who were killed in a horror crash involving a drunk driver more than two years ago, was among a small group of “everyday” Australians invited to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
One year on from the tragic crash, grieving parents Danny and Leila Abdallah shocked Australians everywhere when they publicly forgave the crash driver.
The pair then warmed the collective hearts of the nation in March when they welcomed a new addition to the family, sweet baby Selina.
Matty ‘J’ Johnson
Matty ‘J’ Johnson has been a staple on Aussie TV screens since shooting to stardom on The Bachelor back in 2017.
The father-of-two enjoys regular appearances on The Living Room, Studio 10 and Have You Been Paying Attention? in addition to the hilarious social media videos he produces about life as a parent, but 2022 saw him take on a pretty epic TV gig.
He won our hearts even more when he took a stint as a presenter on ABC’s iconic kids’ show, Play School!
Anthony Albanese
Big ups to this guy who led his party to win the 2022 election, taking on the role of Australian Prime Minister.
Anthony Albanese is dad to 21yo son, Nathan, who headed to Canberra to take on his old man in a game of tennis for Father’s Day this year.
“Every year, I just ask him to spend some time with me. So that will be on the tennis court. So that’s the present that I’ve asked for,” he divulged in a radio interview at the time.
“Does he let you win?” asked Triple M host Steve Graham.
“No, he doesn’t let me win, he’s got my genes,” Mr Albanese shot back.
“But fortunately, you know, I go okay – he’s got to work on his volleys.”
Bandit!
The insanely popular Australian animated series about a dog called Bluey and her family premiered on ABC Kids in October, 2018 and has pretty much blown up globally.
Part of the series’ charm has to be the ever patient, hands-on dad Bandit, voiced by David McCormack.
Lovable larrikin Bandit, has won the hearts of us all with his charm, creativity, humour and his slightly bonkers personality!
Shane Warne
The world looked on in shock on March 5 when Aussie sporting legend, Shane Warne tragically died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand aged 52.
Known for many legendary cricket moments, including his famous Ball of the Century in 1993, there was no doubt that Shane’s biggest achievement in life was his kids, Brooke, 24, Summer, 20, and son Jackson, 22.
A 2020 Instagram post, captioned “So proud of the young awesome adults you’ve become @brookewarne @jacksonwarne18 @summerwarne!! Love dad.” sums up just how important fatherhood was to the famous athlete.
Andy Cohen
2022 was a big year for Andy Cohen.
The 53-year-old host of Watch What Happens Live, most famous for refereeing the Real Housewives reunion shows, who became a dad for the second time when he welcomed his first daughter, Lucy Eve Cohen at the end of April.
Lucy joins big brother, 3yo Ben, and we can NOT get enough of their adorable, happy family snaps on Instagram.
“Big Trev” Trevor Butler
“Big Trev” Trevor Butler had a second run at Big Brother in 2022, and as usual, it was his huge heart that stole the show.
He won the nation’s heart back in 2004 when won $1 million on that year’s series, and immediately proposed to his partner, Bree after his big win.
The 48-year-old was eliminated from winning this year’s series, and was emotional as he talked about his two sons, admitting that he would “love to go home” anyway.
Yes – the star, who now works as a radio host on the Gold Coast on his afternoon show Moyra & Big Trev on 1029 Hot Tomato, is still with his partner, Bree and the pair share two teenage sons.
Speaking of his 2004 win, Trev said: “We bought a house, the boys are in a great school, and Bree has finished her accounting degree. We’re in the best position ever because we’ve never had to pay for a mortgage, and that’s the one thing I take out of it.”
Jimmy Rees
The past couple of years have been big for comedian Jimmy Rees, who first came to our attention as as Jimmy Giggle, host of the ABC Kids’ show, Giggle and Hoot.
Fortunately for us, Jimmy decided early on to spend much of his downtime during the pandemic making funny home videos and posting them online, and we are addicted!
The 35-year-old is now a fully fledged social media star. His videos, including his hilarious takes on parenting have been watched millions of times via Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
King Charles III
As he mourns the loss of his mother, King Charles III has stepped up to take on role she left behind as he becomes King at last.
We’ve been fascinated with the royal goings on this year, and are keen to see how this dad of two leads the nation moving forward.
Hamish Blake
When it comes to parenthood, it’s important to find the right balance between having fun and being a role model who your child can look up to and admire.
And Hamish Blake is nailing it on all fronts.
What a year he’s had in 2022. Not only did the dad of two entertain us all as host of LEGO Masters, he only went and took out the TV Week Gold Logie!
Chris Hemsworth
Aussie superstar, Chris Hemsworth’s big announcement in 2022 is that he’s taking some time away from Hollywood.
Just this month, the star said his “biggest fear” has come true, after a series of genetic tests confirmed he has an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
After hearing the shocking news, Chris revealed he is taking an indefinite break from work to focus on himself and spend time with wife, Elsa Pataky, 46, and kids, India, 10, and 8-year-old twins Sasha and Tristan.
“It really triggered something in me to want to take some time off,” he said. “I’m going home and I’m going to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify. Be with the kids, be with my wife.”
