What’s Burning Wednesday: Who’s the Daddy?

So we’re less than 24 hours away from the shock announcement of who will be crowned Bounty’s Celebrity Dad of the Year 2010.

And I’m hardly going out on a limb by predicting it will be a shock announcement. After all, the short list of nominees is already mind-boggling.

We’ve got one ex-prime minister going up in a rematch against his replacement in No. 10. Strangely only one half of the coalition made the grade – apparently Nick Clegg wasn’t enough of a celebrity before those electoral debates.

Since Gordon Brown actually was pushed stepped down from his post to focus on what he called ‘the most important job’ of raising his family, he looks like a shoo-in. On the other hand, you could argue that Cameron is providing a greater role model for his kids by working the most significant job in the land. It’s almost a case of the ‘mummy wars’… except of course dads don’t get saddled with such nonsense.

Another thing about this list that stands up and boffs you in the face is the inclusion of not one, not two, but three love rodents in the form of Ronan Keating, super ‘sexter’ Vernon Kay and serial adulterer Mark Owen.

Now it’s not for us to judge that you can’t be a good daddy if you’re a lying, cheating partner. But is this list really all we could scrape together as public faces of fatherhood to celebrate?

What is it that defines a good father?

According to Bounty, these celeb papas have been picked for their ability to balance a hectic public life with the demands of parenting.

Apparently you get extra points for being a dad who knows how to cook (Jamie Oliver), how to kick a ball around (Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard) and how to cry in public (Peter Andre and Jeff Brazier).

In reality, none of us outside their homes have any idea what kind of parents these men are, beyond what they and their PR reps have allowed us to see.

Left to us, we wouldn’t dish out any awards to celebrities just because they’ve managed to spawn offspring like the rest of us. However there are some famous fathers out there we’d at least like to give a high five.

So we’ve compiled an alternative short list of dads that rock. Not all of them are British. And (note to Bounty) not all of them are white.

1. Anthony Hamilton
The original driving force behind Lewis’ success.

2. Hugh Jackman
Because he oozes niceness along with hotness.

3. Djimon Hounsou
He packs a mean lunchbox.

4. Matt Damon
So low-key with his precious daddy’s girls.

5. Bruce Willis
A role model for co-parenting.

6. Seal
He makes fathering four look easy.

7. Chris Noth
Mr. Big’s a latecomer to the game and loving it.

8. Barack Obama
Enough said.

Photo of Seal and son: Family.Go.Com