Stage and television actor Darren Day has embraced his new role as a grandfather with visible pride, despite contending with a significant injury that required emergency hospital treatment. The 57-year-old performer was spotted arriving at work over the weekend, enthusiastically showing off a tiny baby outfit intended for his grandson. This heartwarming family moment comes just days after Day and his former partner, singer Susanne Shaw, 44, publicly announced that their son Corey had welcomed his first child, a baby boy named Colton, with his girlfriend Erin.
A Painful Setback Before the Curtain Rises
Darren Day's joyful grandfatherly display was set against the backdrop of a painful professional setback. The actor revealed on social media that he had suffered a broken wrist and a chipped bone in his elbow, injuries sustained just hours before he was due to perform. "I've got a broken scaphoid. I've got a chipped radial head bone in my elbow. It's been painful," Day shared in an Instagram update, wishing his followers a happy Easter while acknowledging the well-wishes about both his new family status and his injury.
Rushing from A&E to the Stage
The incident occurred on Friday, when Darren Day was forced to rush to a hospital Accident and Emergency department with a suspected broken arm. Remarkably, this emergency visit took place merely an hour before he was scheduled to appear onstage. "Currently sitting in A&E with suspected broken bones in my wrist and elbow. Just over an hour ‘til I’m onstage!" the actor posted at the time, demonstrating a show-must-go-on mentality that is characteristic of theatre veterans.
Despite the acute pain and the medical diagnosis, Darren Day proceeded to perform in the touring production of "Mother Goose" at the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury. In this festive Easter pantomime, he portrays the villainous character Demon Vanity, sharing the stage with former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan as Princess Jill and the iconic puppet Basil Brush as King Basil. His co-star Helen Flanagan expressed her support in the comments of his post, writing affectionately, "Your the best Darren love you loads."
A New Chapter as Grandparents
The arrival of baby Colton marks a significant and positive new chapter for both Darren Day and Susanne Shaw. The former couple, whose past relationship was notably turbulent, have evidently reconciled and now present a united, smiling front as proud grandparents. Their son Corey became a father for the first time, an event that both parents celebrated publicly on social media earlier in the week.
Susanne Shaw, a former member of the pop group Hear'Say, took to Instagram to share the joyful news, posting a photograph of the newborn wrapped in blue. Darren Day also shared his excitement online, humorously noting the age difference between himself and his ex-partner by captioning a photo, "Grandad loves you so much…and is actually old enough to be a Grandparent, unlike Nanny!" Shaw responded with a poetic tribute, writing, "Something beautiful, something true, My baby boy Corey, became a father To a precious son, wrapped softly in blue."
Overcoming a Checkered Past
This harmonious co-grandparenting dynamic represents a substantial evolution from Darren Day and Susanne Shaw's complicated history. Their relationship began controversially in 2003 with an illicit affair while both were engaged to other people during a touring production of "Summer Holiday." The situation deteriorated further when Day reportedly walked out on Shaw and their infant son Corey on Mother's Day in 2005, a period when Shaw was battling postnatal depression. This led to a major decline in Day's public reputation and career prospects.
Now, nearly two decades later, the pair have clearly moved beyond past conflicts to focus on their shared joy in becoming grandparents. Darren Day continues to work through his injury as part of a month-long UK tour with Anson Benson Productions. The touring schedule for "Mother Goose" is set to conclude with a final performance on April 19 at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax, providing the actor with a professional milestone to match his new personal role as a grandfather.
