Barney Walsh, co-presenter of Gladiators and son of TV star Bradley Walsh, is gracing our screens once again. He is teaming up with his famous dad Bradley, known for presenting The Chase, again for a new series of Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad.
Born in 1997 to comedian and presenter Bradley and his choreographer wife Donna, Barney is their only child. He sharpened his acting abilities at the East 15 Acting School and later, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Now aged 27, he has carved out a reputation for himself with roles in various TV shows and films such as Casualty, Death in Paradise, and King Arthur: Legend of The Sword. The father-son pair share a tight-knit relationship, having acted together in Law and Order and co-hosting Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad and Gladiators.
Despite his accomplishments, Barney has faced accusations of nepotism throughout his career, according to the Mirror. Here’s what we know about the actor’s life, his girlfriend and his relationship with his father.
What shows and films has Barney Walsh been in?
He portrayed young Arthur in Guy Ritchie’s film King Arthur: Legend of The Sword and starred in The Larkins alongside his father. He also made a guest appearance in BBC’s Death in Paradise.
His other credits include Doctors and Law and Order. In spring 2023, Barney joined the cast of Casualty as the accident-prone nurse Cameron Mickelthwaite. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
Initially finding it difficult to adapt to the fast-paced emergency department, the student nurse gradually found his footing at the hospital. In addition to his acting work, Barney has taken part in All Star Musicals, CelebAbility, and Celebrity Catchphrase.
Bradley and Barney’s bond
Bradley and his son Barney share a formidable bond with Bradley having been a driving force behind Barney’s venture into showbiz, especially in acting roles. This has been seen in their previous series of Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad.
Further showcasing their dynamic partnership, they’ve co-hosted the revived Gladiators following its triumphant 2024 comeback. Bradley has openly praised his son’s talents and their time working together.
On the Tommy Tiernan Show he reflected: “For dads and mums that try and forge a career for themselves, you don’t spend enough time on your kids I guess.” He added with heartfelt sentiment: “That’s payback time but I’ve really really loved it”.
Clearly proud, Bradley said: “Barney, I always say this about him. He’s the man, he’s the person, I always wanted to be.” However, not all feedback was positive when Barney stepped into the co-host role on Gladiators alongside his father with some attributing his appointment to nepotism and not merit, leaving a handful of viewers unimpressed by his seemingly stiff presentation skills.
A commentator from The i Paper struck a more balanced note, saying: “There is nothing terribly wrong with Barney Walsh as a presenter. I can already hear some of you yelling at me for typing that.
“But he’s fine. He can read an autocue and hit his mark and seems comfortable in front of a camera. Given another few months in the job, he’ll only improve and grow in confidence. But is it likely any of these presenting gigs would have found their way onto his CV without Dad? Probably not.”
Barney’s relationship
Barney Walsh is in a relationship with Stephanie Del Valle Diaz, the former Miss World titleholder from Puerto Rico. The pair reportedly met when Barney was hosting the 2017 Miss World pageant, an event where Stephanie had been crowned previously in 2016.
Stephanie has impressive academic credentials, as she has studied Law and Communication at Pace University in New York and speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and French. During her win at the 2016 Miss World competition, Stephanie was poignant about the changes she would advocate for on a global scale, saying: “If I have the opportunity to change something about the world, I think what I would do is send a message of how important it is to change exclusion for acceptance, to promote and provide justice for others, and the importance of helping those in need. Thank you.”
While Barney and Stephanie are usually quite private about their relationship, they did step out together for the BAFTA TV Awards in 2019. They were snapped alongside Barney’s parents Bradley and Donna at the prestigious event.
Where does Barney Walsh call home?
Barney lives with his dad Bradley and mum Donna in a luxurious £2.5 million barn conversion in Epping, Essex. The property boasts five bedrooms, a sauna, a gym, and an enticing outdoor swimming pool.
Despite Bradley and Barney’s tendency to keep their personal lives off social media, we’ve been given glimpses of their stunning abode during various television appearances, offering us sneak peeks into their beautiful mansion. In one ITV interview, the duo showed viewers around their ‘man cave’ shed, filled with memorabilia such as a poster from Tonight at the London Palladium, which Bradley hosted, and a drum kit for spontaneous jam sessions.
