Johannesburg – Bert Le Clos, the emotional father of SA olympic swimming medallist Chad, has embraced his new-found fame in later life, the Sunday Times reported.
"This happened 30 years too late and 40 kilos too late. People stop me to have a picture taken," Le Clos told the newspaper.
He returned this week from the UK after he attended the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony.
He was nominated for an award as an overseas sports personality for the emotionally exhuberant TV interview he gave during this year's olympics.
During the interview, Bert repeatedly shouted out "unbelievable" as he watched Chad win the 200m butterfly event.
The BBC award eventually went to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
However, Bert says his family's life has changed completely since Chad's win.
"I still cannot believe what happened."
Besides travelling to numerous overseas events with Chad, Bert has appeared in his own SuperSport advertisement.
In the ad, he is dressed in a tuxedo and croons along to Nat King Cole's 'Unforgettable' – but instead changes the word to 'Unbelievable'.
"I am the Nat King Le Clos," Bert told the newspaper.
"I know I am not a good singer. It's no Michael Buble, but a fat oke from Pinetown". – Sapa