YouTube personality and popular Twitch streamer AngryGinge spoke openly about his difficult upbringing ahead of an upcoming appearance on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here.
The 24-year-old, whose real name is Morgan Burtwistle, will join a host of other celebrities on the 2025 edition of the show, including former England international Alex Scott and rapper Aitch.
Burtwistle's on-screen journey to the jungle is well-known.
After streaming FIFA to a couple of hundred Twitch viewers in 2020, his popularity soared beyond his wildest dreams. In fact, the Salford-born creator currently has over 880,000 followers on his main YouTube channel.
He has also participated in the Sidemen Charity Match, played in Soccer Aid with Manchester United legends, took part in the Match for Hope 2024 charity match and more recently, managed his own team in Baller League.
AngryGinge at Soccer Aid alongside Michael Carrick and Gary Neville. Image credit: Getty The much-loved Mancunian has also been open about his life off the screen.
Speaking on the Off Stream podcast, Ginge spoke about his complicated relationship with his dad. “Growing up my dad was a massive racist," he said. "It’s only once I’ve grown up I’ve saw this back now. But obviously, when I’m seeing him, I’m picking bits up [as a child].”
Burtwistle said he hadn’t said or done anything ‘stupid’ as a result of this, but added: “Now that I’m older I notice it. For example, his Call of Duty name was a certain word and killer."
In another appearance on the podcast, Burtwistle recounted how, as a child, his father had taken his mother to court in an effort to have his name legally changed.
His mum lost the case, leading to his name being changed from Morgan Sam Lee Burtwistle to Morgan Sam Lee Burtwistle Smith.
Ginge revealed he "got rid of that" when he got older, adding that his father would avoid paying child maintenance payments.
“This is why I repeatedly say he’s not a good man, and this is the tip of the iceberg, he used to actually keep moving jobs so this company couldn’t keep tracking him down so he wouldn’t actually pay my mum anything," he said.
“I also remember as a kid, I cannot count on two hands how many times there would be the back fences kicked in because they were wooden. There’d just be cans of Stella and smashed glass outside, which was him.
“In the middle of the night he just came to the house… he just picked a brick up and threw it through the window, then the next day had the balls to come and try and see me.”
Burtwistle claimed his dad reached out to his mum when he began finding success online, but that he didn't have any interest in speaking to him.
Morgan "Angry Ginge" Burtwistle has close relationship with his mum
Burtwistle has often praised his mum for her role in his upbringing.
An insider told The Sun: “Morgan has a very complicated relationship with his dad but hasn’t heard from him since he became famous. In the past he’s done things just to rock the boat and there is some concern he might do that while Morgan’s in the jungle and on telly every night.
“His dad was a very difficult man – when Morgan was a kid he has memories of him being racist and occasionally aggressive. He has been in and out of Morgan’s life for years, but cut contact before he became an online star.
“It’s incredibly sad that he’s had no real part of his son’s life or his success, but it’s been his own doing."
They added: “His relationship with his mum is incredibly tight and he has made it his mission to support her now he is famous, after everything she did for him.”