Good Morning Britain‘s Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley shared some heartbreaking comments about losing their fathers on Wednesday’s episode of the ITV show.
During the latest instalment, they touched upon how the programme’s 1 Million Minutes campaign went on the road, and saw Charlotte, Scott Mitchell, 62, soap legend Natalie Cassidy, 42, TikTok vicar Jordan Palmer and TV star Tyler West, 29, head to St Pancras Station in London to connect with a stranger.
After the segment played out, Charlotte joined hosts Richard and Susanna Reid, 55, on the sofa, alongside Scott and guest Judith Williams.
Scott opened up about the fifth anniversary of late wife Barbara Windsor‘s death, while Judith bravely spoke about her late son, who she lost a year ago.
Susanna pointed out that Christmas is a difficult time of year when you’ve lost someone, and said to Charlotte: ‘And of course, you’ve had to face Christmas for a number of years without your dad.’
Charlotte’s dad Frank passed away in 2015 after a three-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
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Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins (pictured) and Richard Madeley shared some heartbreaking confessions about losing their fathers on Wednesday’s episode of the ITV show
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Richard Madeley (pictured) spoke about the loss of his father Christopher, who died at the age of 49 in 1977
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During the latest instalment, they touched upon how the programme’s One Million Minutes campaign went on the road, and later saw Richard and Susanna Reid, 55, chat to Charlotte, Scott Mitchell and guest Judith Williams
According to the NHS website, it ’causes muscle weakness that gets worse over a few months or years. It’s usually life-shortening and there’s currently no cure’.
Charlotte said: ‘Yeah it’s a difficult time isn’t it?
‘Families come together and sometimes there is a glaring absence.
‘The one person that you wish was there, but isn’t there anymore.
‘But I think it is important to acknowledge that, to talk about that, to bring them to life through those memories, through those shared conversations you can still have.
‘Particularly with grief, it’s so hard for so many people to get over it.
‘It is that thing that feels so personal, but actually, it’s having those conversations, talking to people, it’s sharing those memories and having those connections.
‘That’s the thing that can get you over a difficult situation.
‘I would urge anyone going through a difficult time, whatever it is, grief, feeling in a horrible place or lonely, just reach out to people.
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Charlotte said: ‘Yeah it’s a difficult time isn’t it. Families come together and sometimes there is a glaring absense. The one person that you wish was there but isn’t there anymore’
‘Quite often, that’s a turning point to help you feel better.’
This then got Richard thinking about his own grief, and he spoke about the loss of his dad Christopher, who passed away after a heart attack in 1977.
Richard replied: ‘Finding acceptance, the fact this person really has gone.
‘My father died very suddenly without a moments warning, he just dropped dead of a heart attack one day.
‘For a very long time afterwards, it was very difficult not to expect him to come into the room…’
Everyone agreed with him, to which he continued: ‘It’s hard isn’t it?
‘It’s almost like another version of reality.
‘But discussing that and discussing that with the rest of my family was really helpful.’
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Charlotte pictured with her late dad Frank, who passed away in 2015
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Richard pictured with his late father Christopher, who he lost in in 1977 after he suffered a heart attack
Scott replied: ‘It’s the realisation that they are not coming back.’
‘They ain’t coming back… That’s hard,’ Richard said.
‘And that’s hard to process,’ Scott replied.
Scott also opened up about his late wife Barbara, who passed away on December 10, 2020, aged 83, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014.
The actress is best known for playing Peggy Mitchell in BBC’s EastEnders, and starring in The Carry On films.
Susanna also said to Scott: ‘It’s a sad anniversary for you Scott, five years ago today you lost your lovely wife.’
Scott said: ‘I was thinking about it, this anniversary has hit me really hard. It’s a milestone of five years…
‘The build up to it has affected me, I’ve been feeling quite emotional about it.
‘I can’t believe it. Still, people coming up and talking about her, which is so lovely.
‘I love it because when people talk about her, they’re usually smiling, they say how much they miss seeing her face, her positivity and sense of fun.
‘So to me, that’s a really wonderful thing.
‘Importantly, the effect her name still has in the world of dementia, I’m very proud of that for her, and so would she be.’
At the end of the conversation, Susanna praised all three of the guests for opening up.
‘I just want to say a huge thank you to all three of you, that conversation was really, really powerful.’
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Scott and Barbara (pictured) tied the knot in 2000
The Daily Mail has launched a drive to defeat dementia after shocking statistics showed the disease is still the UK’s biggest killer, accounting for one in nine deaths and claiming 76,000 lives each year .
This newspaper’s Defeating Dementia campaign, in association with the Alzheimer’s Society, aims to raise awareness of the disease, increase early diagnosis, boost research and improve care.
Dementia patients suffer a ‘cruel injustice’ as they often face higher care bills and there are no drugs available on the NHS to slow down, cure or prevent the condition .
However, at odds with its impact, the disease receives less funding for research than some other major illnesses, such as cancer, despite costing the economy a staggering £42billion a year.
Charities fear progress could stall after dementia was removed from official NHS planning guidance this year, effectively signalling to managers and clinicians that they should deprioritise it.
The health service aims to identify at least two in three people living with dementia, so they can get the help and treatment they need. But rates collapsed during the pandemic and have never recovered, leaving tens of thousands to struggle alone.
Tim Baverstock, from the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘A third of people in England and Northern Ireland and nearly half of people in Wales living with dementia still don’t have a diagnosis.
‘This means that thousands are facing the devastating realities of dementia without access to the vital care, support and treatment a diagnosis can bring.
‘Alzheimer’s Society has been working tirelessly with successive governments to improve dementia diagnosis rates.
‘We’ve seen a gradual improvement in the national rate, which is on the precipice of hitting the 66.7 per cent target, but sadly access to a diagnosis can vary greatly from one postcode to another.’
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 from 6am and is available to stream on ITVX.
