If there’s one thing Dan Macpherson beams with pride over, it’s when talking about his son Austin Xavier.
WATCH Dan MacPherson on spending time with wife and newborn son in self iso
The Neighbours star and his ex-girlfriend Zoe Ventoura welcomed their son in 2019, but did not publicly announce his birth until later following months of secrecy.
The notoriously private couple have since split, but Dan often shares glimpses into his life as a doting dad.
And while we still haven’t seen his face – with both Dan and Zoe consciously deciding to keep him away from the spotlight – the adorable one-year-old often features on their social media accounts.
Despite staying intensely private when it comes to their family life, Dan spoke about fatherhood on an episode of athlete Samantha Gash’s podcast.
“Even in those first couple of months before he was born, it really has shed light on my relationship with my father,” Dan said.
“My father and I are now the closest we’ve ever been and I understand his love for me and the way he has shown that throughout my life a lot more and that’s been really lovely.”
He said that since becoming a father, one of the greatest lessons he’s learned is to “just be present” and explained how his mindset has changed.
“Looking back now, you can’t make decisions about life as a parent when you’re not a parent,” he mused.
“There’s things in our DNA, in our cells that we don’t even know about that get awakened when you’re looking back at a little version of yourself staring back at you going ‘Love me, hug me, feed me, hold me.’ When all of a sudden, the next job doesn’t really matter.”
Taking to Instagram in May, Dan shared a stunning snap of Austin walking along the beach in the early morning sun.
“There’s a whole world waiting for you out there my son. That curiosity will take you on adventures that you could never imagine. Don’t ever lose it. ❤️,” he wrote.
Last month, Dan opened up about fatherhood after he penned a long message amid COVID-19 lockdowns in Sydney.
“Twists and turns in this wild wonderful life. Fatherhood is the greatest gift, while health, fitness and family remain constant as they always have,” Dan began in the caption.
“Even more so in the challenges of lockdown & the Covid era.”
Dan went on to write that while his “fastest racing days” may be behind him, he is now prioritising raising his son.
“Strength & mobility rank as highly as lactic threshold and Km splits once did,” the actor wrote.
“Now, above all, I think of the lessons I will teach the little man. The example i set. The tools I equip him with for his journey,” he said.
He added: “I’ve had my triumphs and failures in sport, career & life, but wading neck deep into the frothing wild water of life’s adventure, throwing myself wholeheartedly into everything I do has served me well.
“So onwards we go…” he penned.
Over on his Twitter page, Dan occasionally shares glimpses into life with his beloved son, including hilarious anecdotes.
“My toddler son can’t quite pronounce the S sound yet. In fact he pronounces it with an F.,” he revealed recently.
“So ie the shower is ‘Fower’. So how do you think I felt when he started repeatedly screaming that he was “Stuck” in the playground yesterday…”
Zoe and Dan met and fell in love on the set of Channel Seven drama Wild Boys in 2011.
They secretly tied the knot in Noosa – the same place the actor proposed – four years later.
But in late 2020, Zoe, 39, and Dan, 40, revealed they had split after five years of marriage, and have since been seen separately with their son on social media.
Revealing the news at the time, both stars wrote: “With the greatest respect for each other, Dan and I have separated.”
They then went on to add: “Together, we will continue wholeheartedly to raise our beautiful boy Austin. He is, and will forever be, our greatest priority.”
In December, Zoe, a former Home And Away star, took to Instagram to mark her son’s first birthday with a rare photo.
“And just like that… my baby is one 😭❤,” Zoe captioned the sweet snap.
Following suit, husband Dan shared the same photograph, writing: “And In a heartbeat, he’s One. Happy Birthday my Little King x. #AustinXavier ❤️😎”
In the pic, the blond bub can be seen playing with a sign bearing his name. While his face isn’t shown, he looks adorable in a pair of denim overalls.
Austin is already adored by some of Australia’s most notable celebs after birthday wishes rolled in on both Zoe and Dan’s Instagram accounts.
“Happy birthday young fella!!” Luke Hemsworth wrote.
“Oh wow, Zoe. Amazing, how fast did that go 💙💙,” Home And Away actress Georgie Parker added.
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