‘I thank my lucky stars I've got my little girl'

Actor and X Factor: Celebrity star Jeremy Edwards on why being a dad to daughter Scarlett is the best job he’s had

Soap star Jeremy Edward made a surprise return to the spotlight last year when he appeared on X Factor: Celebrity.

Viewers will recall how he and Strictly pal Brendan Cole performed a wobbly rendition of Kylie Minogue’s Love At First Sight in front of Simon Cowell and an array of music bigwigs in LA.

Unfortunately, the duo didn’t make it past the first round, but Jezza admits he had “such fun” doing it and enjoyed his small screen comeback.

Jeremy, 49, was previously best known for playing hunky Kurt Benson in Hollyoaks in the 90s and was also a regular face on Holby City as health care assistant Danny Shaughnessy. But most recently, he’s been playing his biggest role to date – being dad to his three-year-old daughter Scarlett, who he calls “his everything”.

As part of our Father’s Day special, Jez heartbreakingly reveals he and his wife of 11 years, Lydia Metz, 36, struggled to conceive naturally, but life changed when they fell pregnant with Scarlett through IVF. The doting dad adds that if another child came along that would be “an absolute bonus”.

Here, a chatty Jeremy, who speaks to us from a park close to his Winchester home, spills all on rowing in lockdown, his weight loss journey and how he’ll be spending Father’s Day…

Hi Jeremy. What’s the best thing about being a dad?

Oh my God, my little girl is just everything. She looks so much like me and she’s got me wrapped around her little finger. But we don’t spoil her, because I don’t want her to be a brat.

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