Weeping dad explains One Direction tears

He was hailed as Australia's greatest dad for breaking down in tears after helping his daughter realise her dream of meeting her boy band idols. Now Brisbane's Anthony Lee has told the full story behind his emotional response to the meeting last week. Mr Lee, a full-time father of six, said getting his eldest daughter Catie-Rose to meet One Direction was his reward to her for helping take care of the family when his wife Colleen, who has since recovered, was struck down with a life-threatening illness. Four years ago Mrs Lee spent twelve months in hospital having operations to repair a potentially fatal leak in her spine.



"While my wife was in hospital Catie-Rose stepped up and helped me so much with the other five children doing so much and asking for nothing in return," Mr Lee said. "Feeding the baby .. housework ... just so much for a then 11-year-old.. I promised one day I would repay her. Then two years ago when One Direction formed and she became a huge fan she asked me if she could go to their concert if they came to Australia. I vowed then that I would get her to see them." Together Mr Lee and Catie-Rose relentlessly pursued every possible avenue to try and get her tickets during the group's Australian tour.

"We both tried so so much to win tickets .... we made videos and shrines," he said. "I was interviewed on the radio because I said I would walk near naked with a sandwich board outside a radio station for tickets," Mr Lee said. "For weeks and weeks I tried everything imaginable to get tickets." Finally, Mr Lee and Catie-Rose waited outside a Brisbane studio for three hours on Wednesday before managing to catch the band in person. "We never got tickets but we got the best thing, a hug from Harry and autographs from all the boys," Mr Lee said, crying after the momentous occasion.

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"It's taken so long to get her here and she's got a signed thing by them. She's done it." Also crying, Catie-rose said "I love him (her dad) so much". Mr Lee said the reactions to his much-publicised tears had not all been positive. "A lot of people were sort of saying "man up" and wondering why I was so emotional," he said. "But it was the release of emotion after everything we had been through. I wasn't just crying for no reason. The story really should be 'teenager of the year', not 'dad of the year'."