Sally Nugent stopped BBC Breakfast live on-air to announce some thrilling “breaking news” after getting a nod from the production team.
The telly favourite, 53, teamed up with Ben Thompson, 41, and they couldn’t hide their excitement as an emotional charity event skyrocketed past its goal, busting the target with the cash pile now whopping over the initial aim.
In an earlier segment, viewers were gripped by the tearjerker tale of rugby hero Billy Twelvetrees and his squad who pedalled a gruelling 350 miles in a single day to shove the spotlight onto the desperate race to find a cure for deadly Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Later, Sally jumped back to the fundraising epic, announcing: “Guess what, we have some breaking news to bring you which is…” Then Ben jumped in, beaming: “They have beaten their target £74,500 and they are currently at £77,000.” Sally declared: “They have doubled that total just while we were on-air this morning so well done.”
(Image: (Image: BBC))
Kickstarted last summer, The 4Ed Cycle smashed into action following rugby star Ed Slater’s own battle with MND. His teammates didn’t muck about, charging in to back him up and raise money for a cause dear to them, reports the Express.
MND attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord, and alarmingly, most peeps diagnosed won’t see more than two years post-diagnosis. The rugby league world has been left in a state of shock as two of its stars faced the devastating effects of MND. Ed is battling the condition, while the community mourns the loss of the legendary Rob Burrow, who passed away in June this year.
Discussing how his mate Ed’s diagnosis shook him, Billy shared: “It really hit my wife and I as soon as we heard about Ed’s terrible news. It’s drastically sad, we were angry. We all want to help as friends and teammates, and that’s what I’m here to do.”
Ed and the late Rob have been at the forefront among high-profile athletes advocating for and shining a spotlight on MND following their diagnoses.
In a heartfelt tribute on BBC Breakfast, Ed celebrated his friend Rob’s extraordinary efforts before he died to further the cause.
Ed remarked: “Rob was a special human, he has left us so many incredible stories and that’s just his rugby career alone, how successful he was defying the odds, the size of the spirit he had.”
The star then reflected on Rob’s courageous journey with MND, saying: “Then you move on to his life with MND, his devotion to Lindsey [Burrow’s wife] and the kids and then of course leading so many of us out of the darkness by shining a light on MND. That’s why when I heard Rob had passed away the first words I could think of were ‘thank you’.”
BBC Breakfast is on BBC One weekdays at 6am
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
