This Morning host Cat Deeley was overcome with emotion during a segment about a guest’s late dog who saved his life.
Co-host Ben Shephard had to step in and take over the opening dialogue as Cat, 47, struggled to hold back her tears during the heart-wrenching dog segment. The hosts were joined by three dogs in the studio, one of which shared the sofa with them as they interviewed guest Kerry Irving.
Tears flowed freely as Cat and the guest reminisced about Max, the miracle dog who sadly passed away in 2022 at the age of 14. Kerry adopted Max in 2008 after a serious traffic accident left him severely depressed two years prior.
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Max quickly became an internet sensation, with photos of his walks gaining popularity on social media. The beloved pooch helped raise nearly £300,000 for various charities, including PDSA, and even won the animal equivalent of an OBE.
(Image: ITV)
A statue in his honour stands in his hometown of Keswick, Cumbria. Kerry trained Max as a therapy dog in 2016 and turned their daily walks into a Facebook Live event during the pandemic, providing comfort during lockdown and raising almost £1m for charity.
On Thursday’s episode of This Morning, Kerry appeared to remember Max and discuss his new book, Forever Max. However, Cat was visibly moved as she welcomed the guest, her voice trembling: “In 2022, Max sadly passed away at the age of 14 but his legacy lives on, Kerry’s fundraising continues” before she was overcome with emotion, adding through tears: “We were talking about dogs in the break. Er, he’s got the spaniels, carry on, you read..”
(Image: ITV)
Ben stepped in to continue, introducing the three dogs and mentioning Kerry’s new book honouring Max. He then addressed Cat’s emotional state, explaining: “The reason Cat is getting upset is because the idea of losing a dog, you lost a dog you still think about all the time.”
As the interview progressed, Kerry too became choked up, saying to Cat: “We’re not going to cry, are we Cat” to which she firmly replied: “No, I’m definitely not going to do that!”
(Image: ITV)
The segment touched viewers deeply, with one sharing: “Awful losing a dog mine was 16 when we had to put her to sleep #thismorning” and another commenting: “Dogs always know when someone is pain and needs comfort. They are such special animals. So glad this man and Max found each other and Max’s legacy will always live on. What a beautiful, emotional story. #ThisMorning.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
