My faith helps me not to be affected by the horrible things people say on social media
BBC BREAKFAST’S DAN WALKER TELLS HANNAH STEPHENSON HOW HE COPES WITH PRESSURE, TROLLS AND SPARRING WITH TV RIVAL PIERS MORGAN
BBC Breakfast presenter, Football Focus and NFL Show host Dan Walker has endured his fair share of physical and mental challenges over the years.
The keen sportsman and broadcaster has dislocated his right knee five times, broken his ankle, snapped his Achilles on a five-a-side pitch, and spent three days on an isolation ward because the doctors thought he had a rare form of meningitis (it turned out not to be).
He has talked about the vile insults he’s encountered from trolls on social media, and in his new book, Remarkable People, writes movingly about tear-jerking stories that have touched him personally – from the death of his friend, football pundit Gary Speed, to the heartfelt testimony of a woman whose son died in the Manchester Arena bombing.
Here, committed Christian Dan, 43 – who lives in Sheffield with wife Sarah and three children, Susie, 13, Jessica, 11 and Joe, 10, and cockapoo Winnie – tells us more...
How do you cope with the tragedies you’ve covered?
I still get upset, but there’s nothing wrong with that. In my professional life, I switch on my professional brain.
But there are times when you’re speaking to people who’ve been through absolute heartbreak, and you can’t not show natural human emotions. I do get tearful at times but I don’t mind that.
You say you don’t like hospitals – is that because of what happened to your daughter Susie in 2008, when she was rushed to hospital after suffering intussusception (the bowel collapses causing a blockage)?
I was covering a match in Blackburn when my wife rang to say Susie (aged just nine months) was being bluelighted to the emergency children’s unit at Chelsea and Westminster, I grabbed my things and went to the car park, only to find my car had been hemmed in.
I’ve never been a ranter but I remember standing in the car park thinking, ‘How can this be happening? How can I be so far away from my wife and family when all this was kicking off?’
Every part of my body was screaming, ‘I need to go!’
Thankfully I got there and the doctors did an amazing job (to reinflate the bowel). I’m thankful to the doctor in the ambulance with Sarah, and the doctors who treated Susie and knew what they needed to be doing.
Given the number of tragic stories you’ve covered over the years, have you ever had counselling?
No, never. My faith really keeps me grounded and provides the balance in my life. My wife and I have a really good relationship and talk to each other a lot about things, and I also have a very strong faith and a grounding, which provides a balance and a sense of priorities in life.
I have turned down jobs that required me to work on a Sunday. I made that decision a long time ago and it’s a really positive thing for me and my family. It reminds me of my priorities in life.
How have others in your profession reacted to your faith?
Sometimes you are mocked, but that’s something I accept. I don’t mind people taking the mickey out of me, I’m not too precious about it.
Some people don’t understand it, which is fine, other people want to talk to me about it, which is fine.
It’s a really important part of who I am. It informs the person that I am, the journalist that I am, the broadcaster and the father and husband that I am.
From my experience, I like to think it helps with perspective and understanding and empathy. I think it grounds you in lots of different aspects of life.
How do you view the criticism you’ve faced from breakfast TV rival Piers Morgan, who you’ve been sparring with on Twitter for some time?
Piers is brilliant at his job. I’ve known him for quite a few years and we get on well.
I went to his 50th birthday party about 40 years ago.
We’ve played golf a few times. He’s
big pantomime villain and I think that underneath all that froth, there’s a nice bloke fighting to get out. It’s really important with social media to get a perspective. I know I’m valued by God, so I don’t need to be validated by what people think of me. That helps me not to be affected by some of the truly horrible things people say to you on social media.
Are you trolled a lot?
Yeah, but I’ve the skin of a rhino so I don’t really mind about that.
How do you keep fit these days?
Every injury I’ve ever picked up is sport-related. I played football every Tuesday night until I snapped my Achilles about three years ago.
I play golf with mates. It’s really important to switch your brain off at times, and that’s why I love golf. It’s probably the one time I put my phone away. I love the quietness of it.
Do you have lasting aches and pains?
I just have tall person bad back syndrome and I don’t think that’s ever going to change. I’m 6ft 6ins and it’s hard to stand up straight all the time.
I take good care of myself but in the last year, I’ve had to start doing yoga. I do this six-minute hip activation two or three times a week. I’ve got very tight bum cheeks, so I do the yoga before exercise to loosen up the hip flexors. I think it helps.
Are you careful about what you eat?
One of the reasons I exercise is because I love cake and I love curry. If I don’t exercise, then my cake and curry needs will force me to get new suits.
I love food. It’s one of life’s great pleasures. I had an unbelievable iced
bun yesterday. It was magnificent.
Remarkable People: Extraordinary Stories Of Everyday Lives by Dan Walker is published by Headline, priced £20