Prime Target star Daisy Waterstone is the daughter of a mega-famous multi-millionaire

Megan Bull
·3-min read
Daisy Waterstone on This Morning
(Shutterstock)

Daisy Waterstone joins Leo Woodall and Quintessa Swindell in the stylish crime thriller, Prime Target. Well-accustomed to the world of celebrity, the actress, who also portrays Margo in The Durrells, hails from a mega-famous family, with both of her parents recognized as major players in the publishing industry. Here's what we know about Daisy's life away from the cameras…

Meet Daisy Waterstone's family

If Daisy's last name wasn't clue enough, the TV star is the daughter of Sir Tim Waterstone, who famously founded the Waterstones book chain. A multi-millionaire, the British businessman and author established his namesake company after he was let go from WHSmith in 1982.

Sir Tim Waterstone posing in a black suit
Daisy is the daughter of Waterstones founder Sir Tim Waterstone (Getty)

Using his £6,000 redundancy package and additional venture capital, Tim opened his first bookstore in London's Old Brompton Road, and subsequently expanded the business, launching more branches.

After founding and later leaving the HMV Media Group – which merged Waterstones and HMV – in 2001, Tim continued to focus on his writing career. Among his bibliography, the father-of-eight has penned four novels, including Lilley & Chase (1994), An Imperfect Marriage (1995), A Passage of Lives (1996) and In For A Penny In For A Pound (2010). More recently, Tim's memoir – The Face Pressed Against A Window – was published in 2019.

Daisy Waterstone and Executive Producer Rosie Alison attend a photocall for Series 2 of BBC Drama "The Capture"
Daisy's mum Rosie Alison is a director, producer and author (Getty)

As for Daisy's mother, Rosie Alison is a director, film producer and novelist. She served as an executive producer on Paddington (2014), Paddington 2 (2017), and Wonka (2023).

Read more

Daisy's close bond with her parents

Daisy and Tim teamed up for a joint interview with The Times in 2019. Opening up about their sweet bond, the Waterstones founder said: "Daisy is my youngest child and impossible not to love.

"I have six older children through my first two marriages," he noted. "The kids all really love each other and talk the whole time, and there are all these big family parties. When I went to the palace to get the knighthood recently, all eight of my kids were there with me and my wife — it was just lovely."

Daisy Waterstone at the TV Choice Awards
Growing up, Daisy was unfazed by the success of her father's business (Getty)

Asked about her father's business legacy, Daisy told the publication: "Growing up with the Waterstone surname was normal to me; we walked down the high street and Waterstones was just there. But when I was about 10, I rebelled a bit against it and didn't read anything for a few years."

Echoing this sentiment while chatting with the Sunday Post, Daisy mused: "My parents brought my sister and I up not to be spoiled brats. I didn't really associate the family name with the shops until later."

Daisy Waterstone at the ITV gala in 2017
Daisy's parents have always been extremely supportive of her acting career (Getty)

After discovering her passion for acting, Daisy's parents were "hugely supportive" and would drive her to drama classes. While reflecting on her mum's influence over the years, the actress described Rosie as "emotionally strong and quietly intelligent".

Latest stories