Barry McGuigan’s fatherly bond with Danny Jones is adorable, but what happened to his real dad?

Danny Jones has developed an almost father-and-son relationship with fellow I’m A Celeb campmate Barry McGuigan, with Oti Mabuse even going as far as to say that Barry is the dad Danny never had.

It’s been truly heartwarming to see this year’s I’m A Celeb crop grow close in a way we have never seen before. Danny and Barry are basically besties now, enjoying boxing lessons and opening up about the hardships in their life.

Naturally, I have wondered about Danny’s relationship with his real father, Alan Jones, and how their relationship is in 2024.

Alan left the family when Danny Jones was 18

Danny and his sister Vicky Wright-Jones were raised by their mum Kathy and father Alan in Bolton, Greater Manchester until they left home and their parent’s marriage began to dissolve. Alan ultimately left Kathy and the family in 2005, a difficult time in their lives that led to Danny and Vicky co-writing McFly’s track Don’t Know Why.

Danny was left with crippling mental health issues, something he opened up about on I’m A Celeb, and sought therapy for assistance with anxiety.

The relationship between Alan and his kids is still difficult and he did not attend either Danny’s wedding in 2014 or Vicky’s last year. He also hasn’t met his grandson, Cooper Alf Jones, who Danny had with Georgia Horsley in 2018.

Meanwhile, Alan met his current wife Sharon in 2004, a year before the separation, and married in 2007 before they moved to Spain in 2016. They now reside in Polop, a picturesque village that is a cushy 10-minute drive from Benidorm.

Danny’s dad recently opened up about the rift

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There are two sides to every story and Alan Jones, now 72, recently shared his in a rare interview with the MailOnline, telling the publication that his son is a “lovely lad” with a “heart of gold.”

“It was quite a bitter divorce that dragged on far too long. It could have been resolved a good few thousand pounds earlier,” he said. “I feel as though he’s painted himself into a corner and he doesn’t know how to get out. I think because he loves his mum so much he’s protected her, and I think any reunion with me, and this is only my opinion, would upset his mum, and I don’t think he wants to do that, and I understand that.”

Though a father and son rekindling is never out of the question, Danny earlier told the Star on Sunday that he believes it should be his dad’s job to build the bridge.

“If you’re a dad then it’s your job to do it. It shouldn’t be my job to do it. It’s his. He decided to have me,” he said.

The ball is in your court, Alan Jones.

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Featured Image credit: ITV