By Glen Williams
Pictures: Gina Milicia
They’re the parents of notorious “bad boy” Corey Worthington, the so-called tearaway teen who found worldwide celebrity as an attitude-laden, yellow-sunglasses-wearing party-thrower and street-wrecker. Now back into the spotlight in the Big Brother house, Corey’s infamy looks set to continue. In a revealing interview with Woman’s Day, Corey’s mum and stepfather, Jo and Steve Delaney, set the record straight and answer to accusations of being the world’s worst parents.
**There are mixed feelings regarding Corey. Some say he’s a hero, others say he’s a total loser? What do you say?
Steve** There’s always a generation gap. Adults would see him as having a bad image, and yet the young can associate with him. The girls in particular are fascinated by him and think he’s cute. The parents say he needs a kick in the bum, the kids say he’s portraying independence. Love him or hate him, everyone has an opinion about him. It’s all very surreal. We’re trying to get on with our everyday lives, and in the background there’s this bizarre situation.
**Do you get stirred for being Corey’s dad?
Steve** I’m a sales executive and move around a lot. I hear all sorts of comments. But we’ve had an overwhelming amount of support. Fact is, we have to have a bit of fun with it and laugh otherwise we’d be in a psyche ward. Then I often feel like a priest in a confessional. I have people coming up to me and saying, “Do you know what I did when I was a kid? What Corey did was nothing?” See today you do something and it can be around the world in 10 seconds.
**Has all this caused you to reassess your lives?
Steve** It’s made us realise there is worse things that could happen — there’s illnesses and death. Yes, it’s been rough, but we’re lucky compared to a lot of stuff that other families have to go through.
**What are your hopes for Corey?
Steve** That he’s happy, and that he just gets on with his life — and is given the opportunity to do so.
**Were you shocked by those who took the moral high ground and pre-judged your whole family?
Steve** We were shocked and upset by the whole thing and the attention it had drawn. The moral side was very upsetting. There were all these messages coming across that Corey was a bad kid, we were bad parents. But it wasn’t about morals. The fact is, the kid went behind our back, threw a party and it went pear-shaped. When the police came, Corey asked for their help, saying it was out of control.
Jo It must have been frightening for the neighbourhood. Our neighbours have told us that Corey went and saw them and told them he was having a party, and that it should be over by midnight. They just told him to have a great time. He tried to be responsible. He was going behind our backs, but he was trying to be responsible with the neighbours. The public thinks he’s this irresponsible kid who went on MySpace and advertised his party hoping he’d get hundreds of people — that was never his intention.
**Your family has been on the receiving end of abusive phone calls and your house has been graffitied …
Steve** Yes. Unfortunately, the world knows our address, so we’re left wide open. People come by and yell out. We’re very exposed and it’s very upsetting but why should we move from our home?
Is Corey grateful for all the opportunities that are coming his way?
Steve: I think he is, but it has to be a head spin for him at the same time.
It looks like he may now be set up for life?
Steve Let’s hope it gives him a good foundation once all this has died down. We have to be realistic, he can’t go back to school and get a normal job, not at this moment. At the moment, he’s the kid on TV, the party boy with a lot of negative associations. This is life changing for him. Now that Corey is in the Big Brother House, hopefully people will see he’s not the ratbag, irresponsible type of kid he’s been portrayed as. And they might realise his parents don’t have 10 heads.
Have Corey and his sister patched things up?
Steve They’re working on it.
Critics have said that you’re both profiting from Corey.
Steve Some idiots have no correct facts about us whatsoever. We’re not pimping Corey out. We’re not profiting from him.
Are you shocked he’s now a fashion icon, and there are Corey clones everywhere?
Jo Really, are they Corey clones? Or were kids always dressing like that and Corey’s just become the focus of that look because of how he was dressed on the news?
Steve It’s amazing. He is a role model for a lot of kids.
Kids seem to love him …
Jo Yes, and he’s not a bad role model, but then you get a lot of the parents saying, “My God, I don’t want my kid to be like that little a***hole.”
For more of this interview, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on sale May 12).
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