The brilliant way David Campbell explained his tattoo regret to his son.

“Dad was an idiot.”

Those are the words Today Extra co-host David Campbell wants his kids to remember every time they look at his tattoo.

Writing for Stellar Magazine, Campbell has opened up about why he regrets getting a “quasi Celtic armband” tattoo in the 1990s.

Happy Wednesday! Let’s do this #wednesday #work

A photo posted by David Campbell (@davidcampbell73) on Oct 25, 2016 at 4:17pm PDT

(And if you’re thinking, ‘I never knew he had a tattoo!’ you’re not alone: it appears Campbell has kept the ink hidden with strategically placed arms and long sleeves in many of his snaps. In fact, we were hard pressed to find an image of it anywhere.)

“I was feeling very lost at the time. I was living in NYC, my career was in its infancy and I had no idea what I was doing or who I was,” he said of the tattoo.

“I was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. Lacking in confidence and control. So this felt liberating.”

Campbell revealed he never truly regretted the tattoo – “it being a symbol of where I was in my life at that time”- until his oldest son, six-year-old Leo, asked what it was.

3 kids. All smiling in one photo!!! Nailed it. #billyandbetty #leo #twins

A photo posted by David Campbell (@davidcampbell73) on Sep 24, 2016 at 5:18pm PDT

The entertainer revealed the question formed part of his ‘final break-up’ with the ink.

“The boy I adore. The one who looks to me for guidance in his life. The young boy who I will help shape to be a man. A man who will make his choices and one day be old enough to get his own tattoo,” he wrote.

“So I said: ‘It is something stupid Dad did one time. Long before you were born.’

Look at this #throwback On Channel V back in the early 00’s. With @osher_gunsberg Man how are the highlights and the faux hawk? We will miss you Channel V #ripchannelv

A photo posted by David Campbell (@davidcampbell73) on Feb 24, 2016 at 4:28pm PST

“I am now the parent who, under no circumstances, wants my kids to think my tattoo is cool. Hell, I don’t even like the fake ones kids get in party bags.”

Now, instead of getting the tattoo removed, David says he is keeping it as a reminder and a lesson for his children.

“Dad was an idiot. He did not have a clear idea of who he was so he went exploring. Now it’s there forever,” he said.

Did you know we have a parenting podcast? Join Andrew Daddo and Holly Wainwright every week to discuss every aspect of family life on This Glorious Mess. It’s the perfect podcast for non-perfect parents. Listen to the latest episode here: