Life

Danny Jones: Being active as a kid it helped me cope with school bullying

The Voice Kids coach opens up about how exercise helped when he was a child, and how he's helping school kids get active now.

McFly musician and dad of one, Danny Jones, shows primary schoolchildren how to get active using Change4Life’s Disney-inspired 10 Minute Shake Up games
McFly musician and dad of one, Danny Jones, shows primary schoolchildren how to get active using Change4Life’s Disney-inspired 10 Minute Shake Up games McFly musician and dad of one, Danny Jones, shows primary schoolchildren how to get active using Change4Life’s Disney-inspired 10 Minute Shake Up games

POP group McFly frontman Danny Jones loves being part of a team. Whether that's in the band, on TV, with the group of talented children he's built as a coach on The Voice Kids or parenting, with his wife and young son, teamwork is an important part of his life.

And he admits being in a team is what helped him through one of his earliest challenges, when he was bullied as a child. He says: "I was football mad when I was younger, but what I loved most about playing football as a kid was how much it made me feel part of a team. Being active also helped me get through the tough times at school – when I was bullied, being part of a team really helped with my confidence and self-esteem."

Being physically active has always been an important part of Jones's life too, and he's keen to make sure his 18-month-old son Cooper, and children throughout the UK, get plenty of exercise too. So he's teamed up with the public health campaign Change4Life and Disney UK to encourage kids to get active for 60 minutes a day through '10 Minute Shake Up' (10MSU) games inspired by their favourite Disney characters.

Jones (33) talks about his love of physical activity and how he hopes to help get more kids moving:

Were you active as a child?

"I loved being outside and being active, whether it was playing football or going on bike rides with my family. I didn't realise at the time but being active was really important for more than just my physical health – it helped me to make friends and feel part of a group.

"I also really enjoyed boxing and was a fast runner. I'd encourage children to try different things and keep going even if you're not the best at it. Enjoying yourself is the most important thing.

"As I got older, I began to realise that it also helped me to cope with anxiety and now it's a huge part of my routine."

Will you make sure your son's active when he's old enough?

"Definitely, although I don't think he needs any help getting active – I feel like I'm always running after him! His new favourite activity is scooting, so we try to scoot down to the park most days and play a bit of football. It's really important to keep kids active as it helps with self-confidence, self-esteem and to build skills to help deal with life's challenges."

What exercise do you do now?

"I go to the gym a lot these days, but I still love kicking about a football and boxing from time to time. Finding activities you love makes it easier to continue being active.

"As I've got older, I've started to realise just how important being active is. For myself, I know that if I'm feeling down or anxious, doing a workout or going for a run around the park will make me feel so much better.

"I'm also conscious that I want to be a good role model for my son, so he sees all the benefits of being active."

Do you enjoy being a coach on The Voice Kids?

"I love being on The Voice Kids, I'm always blown away with how talented kids are and keep thinking how most of them are way better than I was at that age."