Locksmith reconnected with his dad after being inspired on 'Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins'.
Locksmith
The Rudimental DJ - whose real name is Leon Rolle - decided to reach out to his estranged parent after hearing DS Mark "Billy" Billingham experienced the same heartbreak.
He told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column: "It was hearing from someone like Billy going through a similar situation where he was talking about his dad not coming to his boxing matches.
"That was the same thing for me. When I was younger I was an Arsenal youth member and I had the opportunity to become a professional footballer.
"I felt that if I had the right role model and help and direction then I probably could have got there. I blamed him for years. I had that chip on my shoulder."
Locksmith, 33, admitted he has had difficulty controlling his anger since his dad had walked out on his family, leaving his mum to care for him and his two sisters by herself.
But the celebrity survival show helped him to overcome his grudges and process his emotions.
He added: "Every step on that show was a challenge - and my dad was another challenge. The show made me feel like the impossible was possible. Being on the show and going through what I was going through - just thinking that life is too short to be holding all these grudges.
"It allowed me to harness what I felt about him and allow me to control my anger, my feelings and my temper towards him. And talk to him amicably."
However, he knows it will be a difficult process but has already made the first move.
He said: "It's not a Disney movie this, there's a long road we have to go on, but the first steps are in place and that's what's most important."