A Bermudian lawyer who got up on stage and performed with his ballet-dancing daughter after she was hit by stage fright has been named 2018 Father of Year by a top-rated American television programme.

Marc Daniels shot to international fame after a video of his pirouettes with two-year-old Isabella went viral.

He was given the award by news magazine Inside Edition, which attracts more than four million viewers a show and featured a clip of their duet.

However, Mr Daniels played down the award and insisted he had been trying only to be a good father. He said: “I am just a father who loves his children and got caught in the act of expressing that love.”

He added: “Six months on we are still receiving messages from people all around the world expressing their gratitude for viewing this clip, which has been so surreal and humbling.”

Mr Daniels became an internet sensation after Isabella, who was performing with older sister Giada, 4, at a show at the In Motion School of Dance in Hamilton in July last year, froze on stage.

The barrister, still carrying his youngest daughter, Suri, aged seven months, took to the stage and coached the little girl through her moves.

Mr Daniels said: “I think it has actually exceeded one hundred million views on different platforms combined, based on the data that we have seen, which we think is amazing, especially if it helps to promote being an engaging and present father.

“And it gives a platform to promote our island home.”

Mr Daniels added: “It has basically made the rounds on every major US network and various news publications in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

He said he was told a churchman in the US had written a sermon based on the video clip and a musician from the French Riviera sent the family a song based on the video.

Mr Daniels added: “We have actually received a few requests for the video to be used in commercials, primarily in Europe thus far, but we have not accepted any requests as yet, despite a couple of pretty big names — primarily because I am still holding out for a request for it to be used in a Super Bowl commercial.”

Inside Edition highlighted the video in a year-in-review segment on December 31 about the stories that touched their hearts during the year.

Mr Daniels said he jumped on stage and began to dance alongside the girls to calm Isabella after she became scared.

The video quickly went viral after being put on the In Motion Facebook page and has since been viewed more than a million times on The Royal Gazette’s YouTube channel alone.

Mr Daniels said he had stopped keeping track of the video, but his wife, Kimmie, had tracked its international spread.

He added that the video also brought him fame at home — and could spark a second career.

Mr Daniels explained: “My four-year-old, Giada, suggested that I should write a ‘Daderina’ book with pretty illustrations so that she can share the story at school with her friends, and Bella can perform the moves at home.

“Hearing this truly inspired me and it has encouraged me to embark on that path, which has been more rewarding than I could have imagined thus far.”

He added that Isabella had recovered from her attack of stage fright and continued to dance with Giada at In Motion.