David Walliams has a new Christmas book out this year which is inspired by his son
Little Britain star David Walliams has opened up about the pain of not spending Christmas Day with his son.
The comedian and his ex-wife Lara Stone co-parent their 12 year old boy Alfred and this year it’s her turn to have their lad with her during the festive holidays. Walliams, who rarely speaks about his private life, says he understands what single parents go through at this time of year when child care is shared.
He said: “I don’t have him for Christmas. I was thinking a bit about sometimes the pain you feel as a parent when you don’t have your child at Christmas.”
The former Britain’s Got Talent judge, 54, explores this theme in his new children’s book Santa & Son. It is about a young boy called Elvis who is being brought up by his single mum. His estranged dad is a retired grumpy Santa and he and Elvis don’t get to see each other that often but they get caught up in an adventure that brings them back closer together.
Speaking about how the story resonates, Walliams said: “The book is about the bond between a father and a son. This dad in the book is a sort of deadbeat dad but there’s definitely a theme running through about parents…separated parents.. and the boy basically hasn’t seen his dad for many years and he sort of gets to spend Christmas with his dad.
“And so I was thinking a bit about sometimes the pain you feel as a parent when you don’t have your child at Christmas. I was thinking about that because I think at Christmas there’s a sort of thing that we’ve all got to be happy but there’s often sort of melancholy creeps in.
“So I wanted a little bit of it. I mean it is a comedy action adventure but I like to have a theme. I like to make a point. It makes it interesting for me. And it means there is something for the reader to take away and to discuss with their parents. I think that’s important.
“If I’m going to go to the effort of writing a book I want there to be some point. Sometimes they’re just funny. Sometimes they’re silly. Sometimes they’re just adventures. But I feel like if I’m going to write a Christmas story, it’s got to have some resonance.”
The Come Fly With Me comic revealed that he would not be having Alfred with him this year and so he was having an early Christmas by flying off to The Maldives with him as a treat.
He told The Mike Hosking Radio Breakfast Show: “I am taking my son away before Christmas to The Maldives. He’s really into scuba diving. So we’re gonna go diving together and I’m very excited. I don’t have him for Christmas, which is probably what I was talking about just now.
“But I have my mum, my sister, my nephew, so that’s all good. But yeah, I don’t mind. London’s quite exciting in the run up to Christmas with the Christmas menus and the restaurants, the lights are up and the pantomimes are on. And so it does become quite exciting. I rather like being in London at Christmas.”
Walliams also revealed how he went through a very sad time at Christmas back in 2008 when his father died. He added: “I remember my dad died some 17 years ago now but it was in November and I remember sort of dreading the first Christmas without him and it was just horrendous missing him.
“And so it’s one of these things, isn’t it? It’s a time where it’s almost like you’re forced to be happy, but it’s not always the happiest, especially if something has gone on like you’re grieving or something.”
