Rudimental’s DJ Locksmith has said that he has taken steps to reconnect with his estranged father after appearing on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
The musician opened up about the lack of contact he has with him during the Channel 4 programme.
He added that the show helped him “deal with some of the issues” in his life and he has now tried to “rebuild” his relationship with his father.
Locksmith, real name Leon Rolle, said that his dad’s failure to support him while he was a youth footballer for Arsenal caused problems in their relationship.
He added: “I had an opportunity to become a professional footballer and I felt that if I had the right role model and the right help and direction then I probably could have got there and I blamed him for years and I had that chip on my shoulder.
“Obviously there was a whole heap of other issues that we had growing up.”
He said that being on the show helped him realise that “life’s a bit too short to be holding all these grudges”.
“At least confront it, talk about it and use it as a challenge,” he added.
“Every step on that show was a challenge and my dad was another challenge and it allowed me to harness the way I felt about him and control my temper, my feelings, my anger towards him and talk to him amicably.”
He added that their relationship is “not a Disney movie”, and there is “a long road to go down” for the two of them.
“But the first initial steps are in place and that’s what’s most important,” Locksmith said.
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins sees celebrities try to prove themselves in a series of challenges in the style of an SAS selection.
Locksmith is one of six people into the final of the competition alongside soap actress Nikki Sanderson, paralympian Lauren Steadman, reality star Joey Essex, TV presenter Helen Skelton and former boxer Tony Bellew.
Celebrities including Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole, former glamour model Katie Price and former footballer John Fashanu have already left the competition.
– The final episode of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on May 25.