Married At First Sight can throw up excruciating moments of car-crash TV that you can only watch through your fingers while wincing. But the reality TV show, that involves couples get married sight unseen, has witnessed one truly heart-warming tale. Cameron Merchant and Jules Robinson became a rare success story by genuinely falling in love and they’ve since consolidated their marriage with news that they’re expecting their first child. Vocal from the outset about his ambitions to become a dad, here Cam reflects on the looming prospect of fatherhood.
The best piece of advice my dad gave me was to be true to who you are. Be yourself. Express the person and character you are and be proud of that
But the second would be always to be open to learning. He was a genius on Sale of the Century. Every Night without fail over dinner, he would blow every single contestant out of the water. I would always say to him: ‘Go on it, you would win everything!’ He never did, but he was always committed to learning and I have always been open to trying new things, too. Maybe I took my own advice to him one step further by going on national TV. But it wasn’t a game show it was a love show and I won!
I’ve always wanted a family and I think that stems back from being lucky to have had a wonderful childhood, so I knew it’s something I wanted to have myself one day. I coach kids for a living in cricket and love it, so that’s always been part of me. But more specifically about six years ago I was going through a tough time and contemplating life. Something that continued to motivate me to keep striving and become a better person was the one thing I hadn’t achieved in life. And that was to be a father.
Do I have any specific anxieties about fatherhood? Of course, shit I’d think we all do… I worry about being enough, providing enough, putting a nappy on correctly, having a quality relationship with my child, what they’ll go through growing up and if I can put them on the right path to learn and deal with the fast world that we now live in. Times have changed so much since I was a kid. Some of that is good and some of it’s not so good. But one thing I think Covid19 has done is to slow life down to help us appreciate the simple things again. I hope that part of this experience stays in our lives
What am I most looking forward to about becoming a dad? Establishing a wonderful connection with the little mini me I’ve been so blessed to create.
Having responsibilities to make sure they have a fulfilled life and watching them grow, smile and bond with both Jules and I. Loving something so much more than yourself. Also learning so many new facets of life, testing myself, making mistakes but learning from them to be the best dad I can be.
What advice would I give to someone who becomes a recognisable personality overnight? Our world changed in the blink of an eye overnight and it was certainly overwhelming to start. I think you’ve got to stay in your lane, know who you are – or at least be open to trying to learn and figure that out. You’ve got to stay humble. But if you have the opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face and help others then by all means do it. That’s the part I’ve loved most. Smile and wave.
Photographer – Julian Rinaldi
Styling – Ben Sherman
Agency – The MGMT