Headingley: Gender reveal goes wrong as Leeds dad suffers burns from faulty firework
A joyful gender reveal celebration in Leeds ended in a painful twist after a faulty firework exploded unexpectedly - burning a father’s forearm and cutting the moment short.
Daniel Moore, 41, had planned a backyard gender reveal for his partner Sophie, 40, with close friends at their home in Headingley.
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But he had ordered a gender reveal firework from a cheap, unbranded website he found online, hoping for a fun moment to mark the occasion.
After lighting the firework in the garden, nothing happened. Thinking it had failed, Daniel cautiously stepped closer to check it.
To his surprise, it suddenly ignited at ground level, sending a blast of heat and sparks up his bare forearm. He had been wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt at the time.
“We still found out the gender," he said, "just not how we planned! I waited a bit and figured it had fizzled out.
"I went to check and it just blew without warning - straight across my arm. It burned right through my sleeve and felt like I’d dipped it in boiling water.”
The firework eventually released a cloud of blue powder, revealing that Daniel and Sophie were expecting a boy.
Daniel joked: “That memory’s going to stick with me - literally.”
Now recovering at home, he is keeping the injury covered - especially around their five-year-old son Caleb.
“He was excited for the reveal and I don’t want him to be scared by it," said Daniel. "I’ve been wearing long sleeves around him so he doesn’t ask too many questions.”
It comes as fireworks safety experts remind the public to avoid purchasing fireworks from unverified or unknown websites, as cheap or poorly made products can malfunction.
Big Shotter Fireworks, one of the UK’s leading firework experts, confirmed they did not supply or sell the firework involved in this incident. However, they issued a reminder for those planning celebrations to always buy from sellers with a strong reputation for quality and safety.
Their tips include only buying from reputable sellers, never approaching fireworks after lighting, and setting up securely. They also recommended using a long-arm lighter and move back immediately after lighting.
A spokesperson for Big Shotter Fireworks said: “No reveal is worth the risk of a bad product. This story is a strong reminder that where you buy from matters.
"If something looks off - if it’s from a site you’ve never heard of, arrives in poor packaging, or lacks instructions - don’t light it. No reveal is worth risking your health over a dodgy product.”