Britain's best dad revealed as father who bravely battled back from horror head injury to care for sons
The 47-year-old has had amnesia since suffering a life-changing head injury in a 2011 motorbike smash.
4
4
Damage to his brain's frontal lobe means Nick sometimes forgets he is married, or even where he lives.
But his proud sons Connor, 20, and 15-year-old Ryan, say that despite his agonising daily battles, the one thing he always remembers is to be a 'super dad' to them.
After being told he was the winner of our Father's Day competition, Nick beamed: 'I'm thrilled beyond words.
'Being a dad is my proudest achievement. I know what happened to me has been tough for them.
'Being a dad means the world to me and being called a 'Dad Idol' is just amazing. Thank you.'
Connor and Ryan nominated Nick, together with their mum Emma, saying Nick has been 'brave' and 'brilliant' despite the challenges.
Ryan told the Sun on Sunday: 'Dad is amazing as he always wants to talk to me and I can talk to him about anything. We know how tough it is for him, but he always puts us first and has fun with us. He is the best dad in the world.
'He's their rock'
'We know how heartbreaking it is for him not to be able to remember things. It is frustrating, too.
'We are going to capture so many memories thanks to the prizes, and we can't thank the Sun on Sunday enough for picking him. He really is a super dad to us.'
Former roofer Nick, of Dinnington, Tyne and Wear, came off his motorbike when the boys were aged just six and one, landing on his head.
Drawing pictures on holiday found to be the best way to retain memories - instead of taking smartphone pictures
Despite wearing a helmet, his brain smashed against the inside of his skull, causing irreparable damage to the part which controls memory and emotions.
Emma, 46, who gave up her banking job to become a full-time carer, says that from the moment he had the terrifying accident, Nick vowed to be the best dad he could.
She said: 'His entire focus in life became us. All he wanted to do was be the best dad he could, in any way he could.
"Everything was about the boys. He changed their nappies, he walked them to school with me.
'He loves supporting them — at sports day, through exams and guiding Connor at university. He is doing a course in paramedic science because of what happened to Nick.'
4
Emma said it was witnessing his father having a fit that drove Connor to pursue a career in health.
She added: 'He was there during one of Nick's seizures, and the relief he felt when the paramedics arrived is what led him to follow this career — it sparked something in him. He wants to help others and says his dad is his inspiration.
'With Connor, he shared his love of rock music and metal bands. With Ryan he learned about Xbox and PC games. Despite what has happened to him, Nick is their rock. They can talk to him about anything.
'He does the small but important things, like making Ryan's packed lunch each day, and is helping him as he goes through his mock GCSEs. They've always sat down and watched Marvel films together.
'As a result of the accident, Nick also developed epilepsy. His consultant said that the fitter he was, the less likely he was to have seizures.
'So as soon as they were old enough, he started training with the boys in the gym.
'Ryan sometimes runs with his dad too, because Nick is training for an Ironman event in July.'
Describing what Nick means to his boys, she added: 'He inspires them.
"Nick has completed marathons, half marathons and triathlons, raising money for charities such as Epilepsy Action and the Great North Air Ambulance.'
I am hoping one of the Dad Idol prizes will spark something so I can gain another memory with my sons that I can cherish. I truly hope so.
Nick
Amazingly, Connor and Ryan have learned DIY tricks from their father, too — even though he has to relearn the skills to do odd jobs every time they come up.
Once a task is complete, he forgets how he did it.
Amazingly, he has managed to fit a bathroom, fixes taps and does the painting and decorating at home.
Emma said: 'He does it by putting on YouTube videos and then copying what they show.'
'He doesn't remember to do things, though, so we leave notes, like to do the washing up. And he always needs one of us to guide him if he goes out.
'It means he spends more time with his sons than your regular father. Their bond is so strong and something I always love to see.
'We live in the moment — and that is a positive thing. We've been told Nick's memory will never come back, but we never give up hope.'
What he won
Four tickets to Butlin's Big Weekender worth £1,000
Dinner, bed, breakfast and golf at Celtic Manor Hotel worth £500
Safari Tent at Lovat Parks worth £700
Four tickets to Shocktober Fest in Sussex worth £600
Four Micro Scooters worth £1,000
Home technology Netgear upgrade worth £1,200
Rock Face men's grooming products worth £400
Instant Pot Grind and Brew coffee machine worth £150
Instant Pot multi cooker worth £250
Char-Broil gas BBQ worth £665
Vax SpotWash Home pet and car cleaning kit worth £220
Our Super-Dad has won an amazing prize worth nearly £7,000, including four tickets to the Butlin's Big Weekender music festival this summer.
He also gets a trip to Celtic Manor hotel in Newport, a stay in a safari tent at Lovat Parks in Cornwall or the New Forest, plus micro scooters, home tech, grooming gear, a coffee machine, a top gas barbecue and Vax cleaning kit.
And he hopes one of the prize experiences will trigger his memory.
4
Nick explained: 'Virtually everything since the accident in 2011 is blank.
"I can't remember anything ten years before my accident either.
'While I can remember meeting Emma, I can't remember our wedding day or the birth of my sons, which is just awful.
"I am hoping one of the Dad Idol prizes will spark something so I can gain another memory with my sons that I can cherish. I truly hope so.'
Nick relies on a memory bank of photos to piece his life together.
He said: 'I have 41,000 images just on my phone. When I need to remember something, I can scroll through them and fill in the gaps.
'Creating new photographs is so important to me — they are the memory bank of my life.'
As the thrilled family posed for a photograph together, Britain's best dad Nick said: 'I will be putting this in my memory bank, too, to remember today. I am so grateful to the Sun on Sunday.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Teen shepherd arrives with pet sheep at school to collect GCSE results
GCSE student Milly Johnson was accompanied by her pet sheep, Kevin, when collecting her results at Tarleton Academy in Lancashire. Johnson, a young shepherd, brought her "best friend" Kevin, a four-year-old North Ronaldsay sheep, for moral support. She stated that Kevin's "chilled" demeanour helped calm her nerves during the results collection. Kevin reportedly accompanies Johnson almost everywhere, having previously attended her prom wearing a matching halter. Watch the video in full above.
BBC News
7 minutes ago
- BBC News
Queen Camilla visits York races for Ladies Day
York Racecourse had a special royal visitor when Queen Camilla made an appearance on the second day of the annual Ebor Festival. Jockey Ryan Moore was among those who had a chance to meet her, after she presented him with the winning trophy for the Yorkshire Oaks was also seen speaking to racegoers and meeting representatives from local charities supported by the her visit, she unveiled a plaque dedicated to the Juddmonte International race being recognised as the World's Best Race of 2024 by the Longines World Racing Awards. The Queen became a patron of York Racecourse in June 2024, and officially opened the multimillion-pound Bustardthorpe development at last year's Ebor appearance comes two days after she and King Charles officially took up their summer residence at estimated 70,000 people are expected to attend this year's festival, which features 28 races over four days. The Queen was presented with a jar of honey by Selina and Harry Silk of Knavesmire Nectar, whose bees are based at the couple said they bonded with the Queen, who also has her own hives, over the "troubles of beekeeping".Mr Silk said: "We talked about the troubles she'd had this year with swarming and wasps. I think everyone's had the same problems this year." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The 'real reason' Junior Andre has stayed silent on his parents' 'embarrassing' feud as pals claim 'he has no time for his mum Katie Price'
Junior Andre has maintained a dignified silence on his parents' 'embarrassing' feud because he's firmly sided with his dad Peter, it's been claimed. The rapper, 20, has been noticeably absent from the discussion after tensions between his parents boiled over last week, with Peter sharing a bombshell statement accusing of ex-wife of 'peddling baseless lies.' A source told The Sun that while his sister Princess as been at the centre of the drama, Junior has been trying to 'dissociate' from his famous mum after being left mortified by the row, adding he 'hated' being featured in her endless TV ventures. They said: 'Junior is on his dad's side 100 per cent. He has no time for his mum as harsh as that sounds. 'She represents negativity and sadness in his life and he has been trying to move away from that and heal for a long time.' Junior rarely shares snaps of his mum Katie on Instagram, while he regularly posts images and videos with his dad Peter and sister Princess. The source added that Junior shares birthday tributes to his mother in a bid to maintain appearances, but after he moved out of her 'Mucky Mansion' ten years ago, they rarely spend any time together. Junior also has a close relationship with Peter's second wife Emily, who featured prominently in Princess' ITV documentary, while a 'hurt' and 'upset' Katie was banned from filming. The insider added: 'He totally avoided visiting her at the Mucky Mansion. He didn't want to live in squalor. 'It was constantly chaotic and the house was always full of people and this revolving door of men - and Katie's dramas.' Princess soon joined her brother Junior living with their father full-time, with family courts issuing a legally binding order in 2019 that they could remain in his care. Peter shared this in a terse statement last week, where he said: 'For sixteen years, I have stayed silent in the face of repeated lies from my ex-wife and her family, out of respect for my children and loved ones, but staying silent has been incredibly frustrating. That ends today. 'The latest comments about my children's welfare and living arrangements compel me to set the record straight. For well-documented reasons, and for their safety, Junior and Princess came into my care in 2018 and remained with me until they reached adulthood. 'In 2019, the family courts issued a legally binding order to enforce this arrangement. I have never made this public before, out of respect for my children. 'In 2011 and 2015, publicly documented court cases found my ex-wife had made false claims. She was ordered to pay substantial damages and legal costs, and to apologise to me and my management. The same falsehoods are being repeated today. 'Unfortunately, there are many more lies and baseless accusations I have yet to address. Those will now be dealt with in the coming months.' A source added that Junior was 'shocked' to hear his dad speak out, he 'doesn't blame him,' and is 'sad' to see his parents' feud play out in public once again. While carving out a career as a rapper and model, Junior is thought to enjoy a 'quiet life at home' with his girlfriend Jasmine Orr, who he began dating last year, with the couple recently sharing they've moved into a flat together. Katie had earned plaudits from her son in recent months by turning her life around, but the row has reportedly left him 'with a bad taste in his mouth.' When contacted by Daily Mail, a representative for Katie said: 'Kate has always supported Junior and will always continue to do so, she's loves all her children very much and will help and be there for them when they need her.' Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Junior and Peter Andre for comment. While Junior is yet to speak publicly about his parent's feud, Princess has hit back at claims she is at the centre of the row. The star has instead kept her head down and focused on fan reaction to her ITV2 reality series which follows her career as an influencer. Just days before the launch of the TikTok star's new ITV2 show, The Princess Diaries, Katie said she was 'upset' after alleging she was banned from filming scenes for the series, which follows a string of recent events, including her daughter's 18th birthday party, where Katie says she was also not welcome. But speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Princess explained any fallout from Katie's outburst at not being involved in her TV debut will be dealt with behind closed doors, as she insisted: 'It's my show, it's not based on my parents, it's focused on me. To be honest there's no rift between me and either of my parents.' Katie responded to Peter 's bombshell statement with a bizarre Instagram post about 'fake Sinners who play the victim' on Friday. Rumours of a 'rift' between Katie and their daughter Princess have been growing in recent weeks after Katie didn't attend Princess's 18th birthday party, or appear on the nepo baby 's fly-on-the-wall ITV television series. Katie later claimed that it was her daughter's management who had told her not to appear on the show. In a lengthy Instagram statement, Katie pleaded 'I'm trying to be the best I can' while noting she hasn't 'always been the best mother'. She wrote: 'Saints and sinners. As we know, in this life we are thought of as Saints and Sinners. I know I will always be a Sinner. That's fair, I allowed myself to fail into reliance on drugs and alcohol. 'At times I was not the mother I should have been while I struggled with mental illness. I have been at times a poor friend, an awful sibling, an an untrustworthy partner. I've self medicated, been unfaithful, damaged myself and those that I love. 'I've had many reasons - I was sexually abused when younger; I've had relationships that have been coercive; and my mental health issues - but I don't want to make excuses.' Katie continued: 'I've recognised my issues and worked to put them behind me. Sometimes I tried and failed, sometimes I succeeded. 'I've pulled myself out of suicidal spiral because I love my children and want to be there for them. 'I don't pretend to be perfect by any means - but I'm trying to be the best I can. Then there are the "Saints". Some are genuine and some have helped me. 'But some Saints are not who they would have you believe they are. They have a carefully managed image which must be exhausting to maintain. 'Some Saints are fake. They play the victim and to succeed in life they need a villain... or at least a Sinner. Without the Sinner they don't get to be the Saint... 'As a Sinner - I sometimes get bored of these Saints. But maybe I should feel sorry for them, It must be such hard work having to pretend all the time.
