A Good Morning Britain star rushed to comfort a heartbroken veteran on Wednesday (December 3) as he admitted, “It was hell”.

As part of their One Million Minutes campaign, GMB hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls interviewed two veterans, who reached out for support after feeling “lonely”.

The ITV campaign has brought together thousands of volunteers with thousands of people experiencing loneliness and isolation around the UK.

GMB has teamed up with The Silver Line, Royal Voluntary Service, Age UK and Campaign to End Loneliness to offer viewers specific volunteering opportunities or they can just pledge to help an elderly neighbour, friend or relative before Christmas.

During the show, Susanna and Ed spoke to former Royal Artillery member Ian Roberts, who experienced significant loneliness after the death of his wife, reports Wales Online.

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Susanna Reid supported a veteran on Wednesday(Image: ITV)

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“I joined the RA in 1965, did my training for eight weeks. From then on, it was hell to go through,” Ian explained, as he reflected on completing three tours in Northern Ireland.

Ian left the army in 1974, and sadly lost his wife Janet last year after 47 years of marriage, which left him feeling “totally lost”.

“[She was an] amazing woman,” Ian then said, as he fought back tears. The veteran shared that his wife found it “hard” to cope while he was in the army.

“I was an alcoholic and when I met her and the years went by, just one day I woke up and thought, ‘I’m pushing my luck here’, and I stopped drinking on the 21st of April 1986. She was [my strength and stay] all the way through it.”

Susanna then noted: “So, losing her is a particular form of heartbreak, isn’t it? On top of everything else.”

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Ian Roberts shared his heartbreak after the death of his wife Janet(Image: ITV)

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The guest went on: “The grief is hard to come by. She was an amazing woman.”

Ian then reached out to veteran’s charity Stepway, which helped him “to cope” with his grief. He has since formed an “unbreakable” bond with fellow veteran Paul Taylor, who gave him a sense of belonging.

“It doesn’t just stop because we’ve left the army. What does stop is the camaraderie is a daily thing, and it’s every day. When we come out of the army, the loneliness is subtle,” Paul explained.

“So, it hits really slowly and then you become isolated in yourself, because there’s nowhere to go to air your opinion or to speak with someone that is familiar with what you’re saying… We don’t recognise we’re lonely until we’re out there with people and the panic starts.”

Paul went on to volunteer 55 hours a week with Stepway, which helped him to “be the person that could build relationships and form friendships.”