Return Of Superman dad on the downside of raising his kids on TV
Star of Korean series The Return Of Superman says he is under constant scrutiny
Viewers cooed when Seoul-based Australian comedian Sam Hammington's two-year-old son William won their hearts with his adorable looks and troublemaker antics on hit South Korean reality TV variety show The Return Of Superman.
Running since 2013, the series follows celebrity fathers in South Korea as they look after the home and children.
But when Hammington's Korean wife posted a video on social media in April showing William hitting his pet dogs with a foam sword, viewers were up in arms, accusing the toddler of animal abuse.
In response, she deleted the video and apologised for her careless act and parenting.
The couple have another son, seven-month-old Bentley.
Hammington, 40, told The New Paper: "Being in the public eye, you have to be aware of everything you do 24/7.
"You live, you learn, and at the end of the day, it was a mistake. We are apologetic for what happened and it (animal abuse) certainly was not the intention."
Hammington, who rose to stardom in Korean military-themed reality show Real Men in 2013, was in town last week to film the family's vacation in Singapore for an upcoming episode of The Return Of Superman.
Together with his sons and mother, he visited Sentosa and the Marina Bay area.
The Return Of Superman is now showing on KBS World (StarHub TV Ch 815) on Sundays at 5pm.
During our interview with Hammington at DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, onlookers who recognised them gathered to snap photos.
"It does not matter where in the world, people will stop us to say hello and take photographs," he said.
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Hammington, who joined the show in 2016, said he had not expected William, who has more than 673,000 followers on Instagram, to be a hit among Korean audiences.
Thinking this would be a good chance to document their childhood, the family officially got on board after receiving an overwhelming response when they made a previous guest appearance on the show.
But there was a downside to the overnight fame.
Admitting that his family is always under scrutiny, Hammington said: "In the public eye, everything is being broadcast, so people are looking at everything you do and you have to be careful. There is no (one) answer to raising children, and everyone has a different way of doing it...
"It is like trying to please people all the time. For me, the hardest part is making sure that my children are always happy and healthy and that they grow up to be responsible adults.
"(The public) might not agree with your parenting techniques sometimes, but you are the parent and you have to make the decisions for (their good)."
Nonetheless, he remains positive about sharing moments with his children on TV, saying this chance to spend so much time with them "is not a reality for a lot of (working fathers)".
He hopes to see his sons in the entertainment industry one day. "Growing up in the environment makes it so much easier to relate... I think Bentley (might) move on to sports and William (might) be good at comedic acting, but he can do serious dramatic pieces too. And whatever they decide to do, I will support them 110 per cent."
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