Danny Painter opens up about childhood fame, death and new love
Behind the signature blonde cut and edgy tattoos lies a story of the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, navigating grief and finding love again.
Danny Painter has been a familiar face and voice in the South African broadcast and entertainment industry for two decades.
Starting in children's theatre at the age of three, she later landed her first big break as a teen presenter on SABC 2's children's television show, 'World of Winners'. Danny is now the voice on Jacaranda FM weekdays between 19:00–22:00 and host of the weekly chart show 'Top 40 with Danny Painter Powered by Pick n Pay' on Saturdays.
Over the years, she has established herself as one of the country's most recognisable media personalities.
But behind the bubbly personality, signature blonde cut and edgy tattoos lies a story of the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, navigating grief and, ultimately, finding love again.
In a recent interview on the Recovery Room podcast with Jennis Williamson and JC Snooke, she candidly spoke about the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, getting married at 21, dealing with the grief of losing her husband at 38, and meeting her current partner.
Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, youth variety shows like KTV and YoTV were a staple in many South African households. For countless youngsters, the presenters they watched every afternoon felt more like friends than television personalities.
Danny knows this firsthand.
As a teenager, she became a familiar face to viewers across the country. But while many young people dream of fame, Danny says she wasn't prepared for just how much her life would change.
"SABC2 was one of the only things that you had when you came home from school… I was with you during your homework. I was with you before your parents came home. I was your best friend," she says.
"I was just thrust into this audience of people that I had no idea of. It was to the point that you couldn't go to the mall. I had to be escorted out of the zoo once. It was insane. TV was different back then."
I remember driving through the airport and my face was on every pillar. That's insane for a kid from Brakpan.
The reality of growing up in the spotlight
While she loved the work, Danny admits that fame wasn't always what people imagined. From weekly weigh-ins to hiding the fact that she was already married, these were just some of the challenges that came with being a young star.
Behind the scenes, she was often forced to live a double life, balancing the industry's expectations with the realities of her personal life.
"I was young, maybe 16 or 15. I loved every minute of the work; the fame was the f*ck up for me," she says.
"You couldn't do anything wrong as a kid.. You f*ck up, you're out. If you weigh five kilograms over what you're contracted to weigh, you're out. If you dye your hair, you're out.
I would go in every Monday and get weighed. You were supposed to look a certain way. Every single Monday, I would get weighed
Living two different lives
Danny ended her TV career at the age of 21 and moved to the UK, where she lived for a year.
"I was 21 when I ended my kids' TV career. I was already married, but couldn't talk about it. So acting 16 on TV, but running a household, being a wife, and remembering to take my ring off everywhere I went… I was living two different lives."
After spending a year in the UK, Danny returned to South Africa and spent four years trying to find her way back into the industry. No longer the teenager the audience grew up watching, she found herself facing scrutiny over her appearance once again.
"To get into the industry initially is difficult. To get back into the industry is worse, and you've always been known as the kids' TV presenter.
"(Now) you've come back heavily tattooed with no hair. Even my agent was like, I can't help you."
Determined to break into the radio industry, she took any opportunity she could get, even if it meant working for free.
"I approached a community radio station, and I begged for a show. I did the graveyard shift for free for about a year. I would drive from Brackpan to Joburg every single day for free to do the 9-12 show just to get the experience to get into radio."
Years later, she joined the Jacaranda FM family, where she's been "part of the furniture" for the past nine years, and the rest is history.
Becoming a widow at 38
In 2023, Danny’s life took a devastating turn when her husband of 17 years, Phil, died after a sudden heart attack.
"It was immediate; he thought it was heartburn. He was at the doctor that day, and that night he was gone," she says.
A year later, she was dealt another blow when her father took his own life. The loss forced her to confront grief in a way she never had before and to accept that loss is an inevitable part of life while finding healthy ways to navigate it when it strikes.
"Just after my husband, a year later, my dad took his life. So it was grief on grief.
"We are going to move through life, all of us losing people, and we're going to start navigating it differently. All you need to do is get up every day and try your best.
Finding love again
For Danny, dating as a widow has been a balancing act between embracing the present and carrying memories of the past.
However, her partner, Nick Storm, whom she has been dating for a year, understands the complexities of grief, having also experienced the loss of his mother and father.
“Nick is amazing. He is very calm about it and allows me the space to talk about it, and he allows me to grieve.
"Even though grief never ends, I'll have days with my new partner where I'm still like 'oh f*ck, I shouldn't be doing this'."
Now, a year later, things are “amazing”, although the fear of losing another loved one never leaves.
"I feel terrible to say this, but it’s the best relationship I've ever been in - because I've done the work. Sometimes I will lie in bed and listen to him breathing."
What's next for Danny Painter?
"Peace, whatever that means for me. Continuing to be authentic.
"The only goal is to help someone every day - be that with a post of physical help.
For Danny, the dream is to write a book, go on a speaking tour and have a podcast.
However, the delusion is to have R5 million and live on her own island in a cottage with no Wi-Fi. Same, Danny, same.
Listen to Danny on Jacaranda FM from Monday to Friday at 7pm-10 and again on Saturdays for the Top 40 with Danny Painter powered by Pick n Pay from 10am-2pm.
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
Follow us on social media: