'We are strict': Dan Walker reveals phone 'contract' with children to protect them
Dan Walker has revealed the "strict" way he and his wife are protecting their children from the negative impact of social media.
The TV presenter, 45, has shared how they have drawn up a "contract" with their three kids about how they can use their devices.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, he explained: "We are strict. When we got them their phones, we got them to sign up to [the contract and] we had a chat.
"The contract is...there are things we expect from you in terms of what you do with it and how you use it. If you cross the line, we will take it away for a period.”
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Walker shares daughters Susanna, 15 and Jessica, 13, and 11-year-old son Joe with his other half Sarah.
Some of their rules include not allowing their children to keep their phones in their bedrooms, and instead charging them downstairs overnight.
The Channel 5 news host only let them have a phone when they started to walk back home from secondary school.
He and his wife also check the websites they look at and wouldn't let them download social media apps, like Instagram, until a certain age.
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The father-of-three said: "They were behind a lot of their friends in terms of getting the apps like Instagram, but that is what we decided to do."
Of their "you lose it if you abuse it” approach, he added that he and his wife "routinely" have a look at the contents of their children's phones.
Walker revealed his decision had been influenced by experiencing trolling during his career, which has also seen him present on BBC Breakfast and take part in Strictly Come Dancing.
Speaking about threats of violence on social media, he noted: “That is never nice. I have a family to protect and look after and I take their safety more seriously than I take my own."
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