Writer and comedian Jeremy Corbett is busy changing baby daughter Billie’s nappy. The two are smiling and gurgling at each other – a picture of domestic bliss.
“Oh, there you are,” says Jeremy, casually. “You know I had this all set up for your arrival. I’ve never changed a nappy in my life.”
The host of hit satirical TV3 show 7 Days is, in fact, a very hands-on father to his two daughters – new baby Billie (4 months) and Charlie (2).
“Since we had Billie, he’s been pretty much looking after Charlie the whole time,” says wife Megan, as she breastfeeds Billie. “All I hear from the other end of the house is hilarity and laughter.”
“Charlie’s a great audience,” says Jeremy. “Our main gag at the moment is replacing words in songs with the word ‘sausages,'” he says. “But it’s a terrible habit, because she’ll just be drifting off to sleep and I’ll throw in a ‘sausages’ while I’m singing her a nursery rhyme, and she’ll get the giggles and wake up again.”
Jeremy’s girls Billie (left) and charlie (right) are his biggest fans.
At 50, Jeremy has come late to fatherhood, but is loving every minute. So much so, he has written a book for Father’s Day (September 1) called Which Way Up? – The Bloke’s Guide to Your New Human.
“It’s all about my perspective on Megan being pregnant with Charlie and having a baby and all that sort of stuff,” he says. “The idea was that it would be targeted at men, but actually I think it is for women who will buy it for a man who is not interested in kids. It can sit in the loo – and I’ve designed the chapters to be just the right length for him to read during a session.”
Jeremy is a big fan of Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson’s books, which he says have short, easy-to-read chapters.
“Guys can’t commit to a book, especially one about babies, so this is designed to be picked up and read a thousand words at a time.”
Megan says she had no problems with him writing about what was essentially her experience of pregnancy and childbirth, because she read each chapter as he wrote it.
“He never goes too far,” she says. “We have a very similar sense of humour, so when he makes jokes at my expense, I find it really funny.”
Jeremy says he often features Megan in his routines when he does stand-up shows, and afterwards people suggest that she won’t be happy.
“I have the perfect comeback, because it’s usually her that’s writing the jokes!”
Having never really thought about becoming a dad when he was younger, Jeremy had no preconceptions about what it would be like.
“But when you’re 50 years old and sitting at home looking after the kids, you’re not resenting the fact that your mates are out having a great time and you’re at home – because they’re not. And I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than be at home with my kids.”
Jeremy says adjusting to fatherhood was an easy process, especially as parents have smartphones these days.
“With your phone, you are never more than a few clicks away from finding out why your child is coughing. But you do need the three click rule, which means you can search and read two pages, and after that it’s off to the doctor, otherwise you’re into that dark vortex of scary exotic illnesses.”
When Jeremy first met Megan he was 40, and Megan was 27. He admits the age gap worried him at first.
“He wouldn’t ask me out on a date!” says Megan. “He was worried it would be a problem.”
“Well, yes, I was a bit. But I just asked her and she was okay with it, so we gave it a go and now here we are,” he says, laughing.
“Although, in 1988 I was 26 and she was 13, which is a bit creepy.”
When the couple decided to have children, they had trouble conceiving and sought fertility advice.
“They found that Megan had a fibroid – who we named Freddy Fibroid – which they whipped out and that did the trick,” says Jeremy.
Although he is embarrassed about his reaction on the day they were told.
“Megan’s up on the table having an ultrasound, and I just love gadgets, so I’m really impressed with the technology and totally zoned in on how incredible it was, that I lost focus for a minute and didn’t notice that Megan was falling apart
at the news.”
The couple went on to have a miscarriage, which Jeremy describes in his book as a “tiny hurdle on the way to wonderful things”.
Charlie is a happy, relaxed little girl, who snuggles up to her father and grins from ear to ear.
“She’s a really funny kid. Sometimes she comes out with things which make me laugh and I can’t work out how she did it,” says Jeremy, giving his daughter a cuddle.
Megan has taken time off from her acting career to be a full-time mum to the girls until they go to school.
“The good thing about having children later in life is that we have a house and I earn enough to get by, but we realise what a luxury it is for Megan to be at home. And we’ve agreed that if it all turns to custard, we’ll sell up and move smaller – whatever it takes to have Megan with them.”
Meanwhile, Jeremy says he’s quite happy to take on the role as poster boy for older fatherhood.
“I love it. I’m enjoying it so much – bring it on. Why not be an old dad?” he says. “Actually, ask me in 15 years.”
Photos: Todd Eyre • hair & make-up: Claudia Rodrigues using mac make-up • stylist: Claudia Renford
