Bluey’s Dad is Best: Bandit Heeler Takes the UK’s Parenting Crown
In the battle of TV dads, Bandit Heeler, the playful and occasionally beleaguered father from Bluey, has come out on top. A new BBC Studios survey reveals that the Bluey patriarch has captured the hearts of UK families, with kids and parents looking up to him for guidance and laughs.
The survey of 1,000 UK parents shows Bandit leading the pack in several categories. A third of parents said their kids admire Bandit the most, while 16% of dads admit they’ve borrowed his trademark brand of “dadvice” for their own parenting dilemmas. His closest competitors — Daddy Pig, Homer Simpson, and Frasier’s Martin Crane — didn’t stand a chance against the Aussie doggy dad’s blend of humour, humility, and heartfelt parenting.
It turns out that Bandit’s mix of relatable chaos and meaningful moments makes him a role model for real-life fathers. Among dads of kids aged 2–8, one in four said Bandit’s parenting style is aspirational. Whether it’s playtime adventures or navigating the emotional challenges of raising Bluey and Bingo, Bandit seems to strike the perfect balance between fun and responsibility.
Borrowing Bandit’s Wisdom
Being a great TV dad isn’t just about delivering punchlines — it’s about offering life lessons. The survey found that over 95% of UK dads admit to taking cues from TV dads when navigating tricky parenting moments. Bandit Heeler leads the charge as the on-screen dad whose advice fathers are most likely to replicate, even outranking friends and social media as a source of inspiration.
Actor and dad Rob Delaney weighed in, saying: “Being a TV dad is hard, but being a dad for real life is even harder. We need on-screen TV heroes like Bandit to help inspire us and get us through the trials and tribulations of parenting.”
Delaney, who recently joined the Bluey family as a guest reader for the Bluey Book Reads series, will narrate Daddy Putdown, a story that celebrates the trials and triumphs of fatherhood. It’s available on the Official Bluey YouTube channel
from 14 June, just in time for Father’s Day.
Image: Lodo Studios / BBC
