Howard Donald feels "a hell of a lot of guilt" about leaving his ex-partners to look after his kids.
Howard Donald
The Take That star - who has Grace, 22, and Lola, 15, from two previous relationships, as well as Bowie, five, and Dougie, three, with his wife Katie Halil - has confessed to feeling deeply uncomfortable about leaning so much on his ex-partners.
He shared: "I hold a lot of guilt. I hold a hell of a lot of guilt for leaving my ex-partners and leaving my child for them to look after.
"Obviously though, I've not been one of these fathers that's said, 'Right, I've got a new partner, I don't want anything to do with this now. I don't want anything to do with that child.' I've always been there, I've always felt so guilty about it, I've always been there for them."
Despite his sense of guilt, Howard has always made an effort to be supportive of his kids.
He told 'Dave Berry’s Dadpod': "I've been there, especially my daughter, because my second partner lived in Germany.
"I used to go back and forwards to see Lola every two weeks and stay there for three nights and, in the beginning when I didn't have an apartment, I was staying in a hotel for three nights and had to take my daughter to the hotel to stay there with her."
Meanwhile, Howard conceded that being a father in his 50s has been "draining".
The 52-year-old singer has found that fatherhood has become more physically and mentally tiring.
He said: "I think, at 52, which is what I am, I've really struggled in the 50s being a father. I've actually really taken it physically and mentally, draining for me … I would advise to fathers who maybe already have children that may be in their teenage years, don't do it. In (your) 50s don't do it. That's my personal experience.
"I'm sure there's people out there in their 50s that have found it a doddle, maybe they've got, you know, babysitters and nannies and stuff like that, maybe not. Maybe they're really struggling as well, but, I've really struggled with it and I would never advise anyone in their 50s to have young children."
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