A new ‘World Dad Dancing Champion’ crowned at DadFest 2024

Beryl’s Campsite in Beeson, near Kingsbridge, South Devon has just hosted yet another hugely successful DadFest, providing a weekend of camping, outdoor activities and fun-filled adventures on Fri 20th, Sat 21st& Sunday 22nd September. With, as ever, its highlight - the global phenomenon The World Dad Dancing Championship.

After a busy day of beach fishing, a wrestling show, bushcraft, archery, Forest School and a host of other activities with their children, it was time for the dads to put on their dancing shoes.

Dads piled into the dance-hall marquee on Saturday evening and picked up some courage from the bar on their way to the dance floor. From unicorn onesies to green spandex, the dads came ready to embarrass the kids and take home the trophy and bragging rights.

With five children judging the jivers, it was a hard-fought dance-off... every dad laying down moves, many never seen before (and hopefully never again) but ultimately there could only be one winner. Soon enough only three dads remained and while everyone's foot was loose only one foot was the loosest. Our esteemed judges, the children, voted Phil Drury-Grant the new World Dad Dancing Champion 2024.

Father of four, Phil, a software architect from North Devon, says: “I had an amazing time at DadFest. The children absolutely loved it, the outdoor elements, like Forest School and campfire stories, were absolutely great, We even caught a sea bass down at the beach. I'm normally a pretty lame dancer but as I came with former world champ, Frankie, and he injured himself on the volleyball just before the competition started, so he insisted on giving me his costume. As soon as that disco shirt and medallion came on, I was overtaken by the power of DISCO. Something magic started to happen and I flailed in a trance until the very end. I was blown away by just how much my kids were proud of me. Little did I know that I would come home a World Champion with a golden action man trophy. What a feeling. Never in my wildest dreams – except perhaps when I have had too much cheese before bedtime – did I imagine I would be a world champion. It is a dream come true. I'm excited to share my story with the world and to inspire other dads to get out there and dance”.

DadFest organiser and founder of The Dads Network CIC, Ian Blackwell, added: ‘DadFest has been running since 2014 and goes from strength to strength - we had over 200 fathers and children this year. Saturday night was as hotly contested as ever. It was a tough contest but Phil’s unique style - which his children will hopefully not need to experience again - somehow managed to impress the judges. Phil wins his height in beer and a fetching gold statuette, as well as the World Dad Dancing title and a free ticket to next year’s DadFest, so this is no insignificant accolade’.