Dr Chris and dad
The bond between the TV vet and his father is remarkably special tells LUCY MANLY
Sharing in some boyish banter and cracking jokes at our photoshoot, it’s clear Dr Chris Brown and his dad Graeme are great mates.
“Come on, Dad, crack us a smile,” Chris, 37, jokes as the pair muck around for the camera. “Our official sport is giving each other grief. We love to tease each other!”
When asked about his son’s sex-symbol status, Graeme, 71, chuckles. “We have a laugh. He’s brought down to earth by his whole family!”
In the genes
Chatting about Chris’s love for animals and adventure, Graeme, the original vet in the family, says he’s happy about his son’s career.
“I’m really proud of how Chris has taken on veterinaryy practice – he has a true passion for animals,” he says. . “As a kid I had that passionn for animals and wildlife and d Chris shares my love.”
Chris says his upbringing in Newcastle, NSW, was prettytty normal, aside from a focus on the animals in his life. “Dad was the local vet when I wass growing up and he’d bring home all sorts of animals.”
He grew up with everythingng from dogs and cats to an array ray of birds, and his beloved pet t Jersey cow, Bridget.
“Sometimes I’d watch over them and I guess that was where I learnt my first skills around animals,” he says.
“I can still remember Chris was always mad about cows. He used to go to local dairies and milk cows for fun,” Graeme recalls.
But it wasn’t always clear that Chris would follow in his dad’s footsteps. In fact, if he hadn’t been diagnosed with colour blindness, Chris may have had a loftier career.
“I always thought Chris would be a pilot,” says Graeme. “That’s what he always wanted to be as a kid, so it was a shock the day he e told me he wanted to be a vet, too.”o.”
Despite a demanding TV schedule with Bondi Vet, now in its eighth year, The Living Room in its sixth and the third season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! to begin, Chris still makes time for his loved ones. The baby of the family, he he’s s always been close to mum Anne and his two older brothers – Tim, an environmental engineer, and Matt, a biologist. “He always ways has a smile when he comes to see hiss mum and I,” says Graeme,eme, adding that he andnd Anne have visited their son on set in Africa twice and plan to do so again next year.
Building a future
Just like any father, Graeme can’t wait for his youngest to start a family of his own.
“We’dWe d love to see Chris settle down, but he’s never home for long to settle!” he says. “We have three sons and two grandsons, so we complain about not having any granddaughters. So the pressure’s on – for all the boys!”
‘I always thought Chris would be a pilot’
The Living Room Father’s Day special, Friday, Sept 2, 7.30pm, Ten