The Untold Truth Of OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale
Dale Mills, aka Uncle Dale on TLC's OutDaughtered, may not be the main star of the popular series, which focuses mainly on Danielle and Adam Busby and their six daughters, but fans know the show wouldn't be nearly the same without his presence. Yes, he's managed to make quite a splash thanks to his charming, thick southern accent and hilarious facial expressions.
Since the very first season of OutDaughtered, Uncle Dale has played a part. And, as fans quickly learned, he stood out among the Busby's family members thanks to his lovable personality, quick-wittedness, and ability to roll with the punches (sometimes literally). From Busby family vacations to surprise sleepovers with the quints, Uncle Dale is there through it all — and with a joke at the ready, of course. But there's more to America's favorite uncle than meets the eye. This is the untold truth of OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale has his own (albeit smaller) family
Obviously, OutDaughtered is mainly about the Busby family. The fact that mom Danielle Busby gave birth to the first set of all-female quintuplets in the United States makes them pretty special. But Uncle Dale's family is pretty special too. No, he doesn't have quintuplets or as many kids as Adam and Danielle Busby, but he does have a son and daughter, whom he loves so incredibly much. Dale Mills is the caring father to McKenzie and Bronson — and he wouldn't have it any other way.
In one post for his daughter's birthday, Mills wrote, "My sweet McKenzie turns eight years old today! I can't begin to explain how much I love this little girl. She has changed my world ... for the better the day we had her." In another post, Mills dished about his special bond with his son. "Always a good day when I got my golfing buddy with me," he wrote alongside a photo of him and Bronson smiling in a golf cart.
Uncle Dale owes his marriage to OutDaughtered's Danielle Busby
Anyone who has watched OutDaughtered knows that Danielle Busby has a pretty special relationship with her sisters and mother. Danielle and her twin sisters, Ashley Mowbray and Crystal Mills, seem to want to see each other as often as possible. In addition to living near each other, the sisters and their respective families go on quite a few trips together as well, as seen in episodes of OutDaughtered.
That bond also happened to came in handy for Dale Mills or, as he was later dubbed, Uncle Dale. Well before he had a family of his own, he met Crystal. In an Instagram post wishing Danielle a happy birthday, Uncle Dale revealed he wouldn't have married Crystal without Danielle's help.
"We have been friends/family for about 17 years!" he wrote. "It's all your fault I met and married your crazy sister [Crystal] but for that I'm grateful that we met in this crazy life. Never would have imagined what has happened in our families life over this span but I wouldn't change anything about it." Aw!
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale didn't always live in Texas
OutDaughtered takes place in Texas, with the Busbys living outside of Houston. Obviously, Uncle Dale lives nearby as well, but he wasn't always a Texan. Much like his wife's family, the hilarious uncle hails from the great state of Louisiana — a heritage of which he's proud.
During an appearance on the Good Old Boy podcast, Dale Mills chatted with host Buster Caballero about how they were both originally from the same state. In fact, Uncle Dale and Caballero bonded over both being from the same area of the state, with the affable uncle being from Westlake. "If you're from Louisiana, you're automatically gonna ask some questions, ya know, 'Who's your family? Who's your friends?'" Mills explained, adding that he and the host had plenty of mutual friends. Uncle Dale and Caballero also bonded about the good times they had in their home state. Though he may be a certified Texan these days, Mills will always call Louisiana his home.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale has been with his wife since they were in their teens
Since OutDaughtered isn't centered on Uncle Dale and his own family, you may not know much about his and wife Crystal's backstory. Interestingly, the couple started dating back when they were just teenagers.
On one episode of the Good Old Boy podcast, the reality television star explained how he and Crystal first got together. "We were dating at 19 so, the going out years," he first revealed to the host. Uncle Dale added that his eventual wife fell for him when he was at a pretty low point in his life. "I lived in a rent-house in Lake Charles with three of my buddies, and so it was just a party house, dude," he said. "We had no door on the stove. That's where I met Crystal, I was living there ... it was nasty, it was filth."
Before starring on OutDaughtered, Uncle Dale began a career in food service
Nowadays, it's clear by watching OutDaughtered that Uncle Dale is going well for himself. As the show makes obvious, the star has a nice house and, according to his LinkedIn page, he has a stable job. But back in the day, Mills' first job was nothing out of the ordinary for a young man on the rise.
As Mills told host Buster Caballero of the Good Old Boy podcast, "I worked at Casa Manana, if you remember that place. Fresh out of high school, man, I worked there for five years, I was loving it, man." Uncle Dale's LinkedIn page supports that claim. According to his profile, he worked as a server at the Mexican restaurant from 2001 until 2006. As the reality TV star told Caballero, he really enjoyed working there but eventually had other aspirations and found work in sales within the oil field.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale has a special bond with one Busby quint
If you've ever watched an episode of OutDaughtered, you may have picked up on the fact that Uncle Dale has a pretty special bond with one of the quints: Hazel Grace. In addition to spending time together on OutDaughtered, Uncle Dale has posted more than a few pictures of himself with Hazel to Instagram.
One reason for the unique connection Uncle Dale shares with Hazel is the fact she was the first quint he got to hold in the hospital. And if the photo he shared of that special Outdaughtered moment is any indication, it was a pretty amazing time. "And this is where #DAZEL all began," Mills wrote alongside a photo of him, teary-eyed, holding a tiny Hazel. "Buzz found this picture from the first time I visited the NICU," he explained. Ever since that first meeting, Uncle Dale has been in love with Hazel — and fans have been in love with Dazel.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale is close to his brothers-in-law
One of the things that makes OutDaughtered such a great show is that the Busby family is so genuine, especially regarding their relationships with their extended family members. Fans will know just how much fun the quints have with their Mimi and how excited they get to hang out with their cousins. But the connection between the adults, like Uncle Dale's bond with his brothers-in-law, is just as authentic.
Along with Adam Busby, Uncle Dale is close with his other brother-in-law Nick Mowbray. As the reality TV star told Buster Caballero on an episode of the Good Old Boy podcast, "I think that's what makes the show, too," referring to the family. "[The] three brothers in-law, we work together ... we're all super tight. We're a close family ... we really are that close, we're with each other all the time." The star later joked that "it's nice to get paid to hang out with your family." Although he may be known as Uncle Dale to OutDaughtered fans, to his brothers-in-law, he's also a loyal best friend.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale could give you a call
Fans of any reality television show may already know about Cameo, a platform where celebrities of all ranks can send private video messages to their fans — for a fee, of course. It's a great side-hustle for many reality TV stars to make some extra cash while also connecting with their fans. And, for Uncle Dale, it's just part of being a fan-favorite on OutDaughtered. Yes, for just $25, fans can request a video from the beloved uncle. According to reviews on Cameo, his videos are excellent.
"My wife's jaw literally dropped and she screamed so loud our dog ran out of the room!" one review read. "Safe to say this was the perfect gift and we highly recommend! Uncle Dale was super personable!" In April 2020, the profits from his videos also went to support the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. Uncle Dale is a man of many talents and it's clear that his fan base loves to hear from him so much they're willing to pay for it.
Uncle Dale was a fan of reality TV before starring on OutDaughtered
Uncle Dale probably didn't know that OutDaughtered would change his life the way it did when he first agreed to be on the show. Of course, who could have known that Uncle Dale would be so popular among fans or would spark the hashtag #DAZEL to become a thing? But it did, and the reality television star loves the fact that he's so well-loved on the small screen.
Speaking with Buster Caballero on the Good Old Boy podcast, Uncle Dale admitted that he'd been a long-time fan of reality television, even before he was part of it. "Dude, I was always a fan of reality TV, even when the first Real World started, you know, from then on," he explained. He further revealed that he enjoys the attention he gets from fans of the show. While some people may be bothered by it, he relishes it.
"You know, for me ... I might seem cocky or whatever [but] people just pump me up," he said. "It's awesome; I live it up, I love the fans." Mills added that OutDaughtered is, in fact, an actual reality show. "We're just some real people that happen to be on a TV show," making them as real as it gets.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale is surprisingly sensitive
OutDaughtered fans know Uncle Dale to be a goofy and light-hearted guy, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of sensitivity. When his brother-in-law, Adam Busby, came forward to him to talk about his struggle with postpartum depression, the lovable uncle handled the confession with more grace than anyone may have expected.
In the episode (via In Touch Weekly), Busby explained he was terrified to tell people about his condition. "Dale, for one thing. I mean how the heck is he going to react to something like that? He's just going to make jokes," Busby lamented. However, Mills was completely understanding. "It's hard for me to be serious sometimes, but this isn't something I would joke about. Ever," he said. Busby's struggle with postpartum depression was a huge issue on OutDaughtered and the fact that Uncle Dale was there for him through such an intense time was nothing short of incredible.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale keeps up with the times
It's no secret that Uncle Dale is a total goofball on OutDaughtered. Whether it's joking about dirty diapers or poking fun at Adam Busby, the star knows how to make fans laugh. This was especially true when Uncle Dale showed off his line-dancing skills in one episode of OutDaughtered. In an effort to teach Adam how to dance, he told him, "You gotta have fun with it. It's all in the hips." Uncle Dale continued, saying, "Don't get too technical with it man, just have fun."
On top of his impeccable dance skills, Uncle Dale is also on board with the latest tech trends and challenges. On Twitter, the star shared a video of himself and his family doing the popular TikTok dance challenge in which one dresses up as Joe Exotic from Tiger King. Clearly, Uncle Dale knows what's up — and he's got some killer dance moves that would impress even younger generations.
This is what OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale does for a living
For some people, being on a reality television show is a full-time job. But for Uncle Dale, that isn't the case. While he may be fun to watch on OutDaughtered, he also works a more traditional job. According to the star's LinkedIn page, he is the director of sales at Lance Rental Company's pump division in Houston, Texas. Of course, as Uncle Dale has said himself, he does also "get paid" for appearing on OutDaughtered — but that doesn't mean he's quitting his day job anytime soon.
In an interview on the Good Old Boy podcast, Uncle Dale explained that he quite enjoys his more regular job. "I've been in the sales-management gig for a while, which is fun," he said. "I'm probably a little more unorthodox than others," he joked. No, he may not look like a serious businessman when he appears on OutDaughtered, but it's the main way he brings home the bacon.
OutDaughtered's Uncle Dale is so in love with his wife
Fans of OutDaughtered are likely familiar with Adam and Danielle Busby's relationship, including their love story. The two met while working at Target and the rest is history. As sweet as that is, Uncle Dale's love story with his own wife is also pretty adorable. As the star revealed on Instagram, he feels he owes his marriage to Danielle since she introduced him to his wife. Although they've been married for quite some time now, Uncle Dale remains totally smitten.
In one Instagram post, the couple were seen celebrating their 10-year anniversary in an untraditional way — by grabbing each other's butts. Uncle Dale wrote a funny caption alongside the silly photo. "It's been 10 great years of marriage and grab-a**ing!" he wrote. "I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else but you baby! What a life we have had together so far and many many more years to come!"
One year later, Uncle Dale shared a throwback photo addressed to Crystal. "Happy 11th anniversary to my girl!" he captioned the post. "We've made a great life together and I can't wait to see what's to come."
Does Uncle Dale want to become outdaughtered?
With a brother and sister-in-law who have a full house of kids, it's only natural that people would wonder if beloved Uncle Dale has plans on having more children. Of course, the reality star is already a father to two adorable kiddos, McKenzie and Bronson, but some can't help but wonder if he wanted to add more kids to his brood. Does he want to become outdaughtered too — or maybe outson-ed? Well, the short answer is no. Not at all.
Uncle Dale is not on board for having any more kids. On an episode of the Good Old Boy podcast, he told the host Buster Caballero, "I'm not down for three either." Mills added, "I'm fixed, bro." In fact, it was when Mills found out that his extended family was about to grow five-fold that he decided to have a vasectomy. "Adam got pregnant with the quintuplets, and I'm like, 'Just take it off. I don't need any of it,'" Mills joked on the podcast. Hey, having six kids isn't for everyone and Uncle Dale seems more than happy being the father of two and uncle of many.