Susanna Reid fights back tears during ‘hard to watch’ Good Morning Britain interview-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

Susanna Reid was left fighting back tears during an emotional Good Morning Britain interview.

The 54-year-old presenter joined Ed Balls on Tuesday’s ITV programme, where they heard from the mother of a teenager who died of cardiac arrest minutes away from a locked defibrillator.

Jamie Rees died aged 18 in 2022 after suddenly collapsing on New Year’s Day when his heart stopped.

His mother Naomi is now campaigning for police cars to carry defibrillators to prevent other tragedies and ‘take the panic out of the situation’.

Jamie’s family have also been able to help others after he signed up to donate his organs.

‘Losing a child is unspeakably dreadful,’ Susanna, who is mum to three boys, had said, hearing about Jamie’s story.

Susanna Reid was left fighting back tears on GMB (Picture: ITV)

Naomi is campaigning for defibrillator’s to be carried in police cars after her son’s death (Picture: ITV)

Naomi went on: ‘One of the reasons we do what we do is because Jamie had signed the organ donor register three times in his short life, and I stood outside the front of Coventry Hospital the morning after we lost Jamie, and I watched Jamie’s lungs take off in a helicopter to go to Bristol.

‘Jamie saved five lives including that of an eight-month-old baby girl on the night that we lost him.

‘I knew from that second that that wasn’t going to be the end of Jamie’s life, he was meant to save lives and since we launched Jamie’s Foundation, he’s saved 13 more lives with his defibrillators, and I know that he will go on and save hundreds of lives.

‘For us, he was never going to be just that lad that died on New Year’s, he was always going to be so much more. In life he was amazing, and even now, he’s saving lives everyday and taking the panic out of situations for people through his Foundation.’

Jamie Rees died aged 18 in 2022 after suddenly collapsing on New Year’s Day when his heart stopped (Picture: ITV)

Susanna was visibly emotional hearing the story (Picture: ITV)

After hearing her speak, Susanna was left visibly emotional, choking back tears as she hugged Naomi and called her ‘amazing’.

‘Well done for what you’ve done,’ she said, her voice breaking as she fought back sobs.

Good Morning Britain star Andi Peters was also in tears, after watching the segment.

As he began introducing the competition live from Edinburgh, he sniffed back tears and said: ‘Slightly moved, I can’t lie.’

Viewers were left just as emotional, taking to X and sharing how difficult the interview had been to watch.

She held back tears as she comforted Naomi (Picture: ITV)

Susanna praised Naomi for her campaigning after Jamie’s death (Picture: ITV)

‘The emotion showed by @susannareid100 to then cut to @andipeters to see him also show those emotions definitely contributed to my emotion too! God bless Jamie and huge respect to your Mum too! #GMB,’ viewer Paul wrote on X.

‘Really felt genuine emotion from Andi Peters there too! I rate that in presenters. Good to see empathy shown from him and Susanna,’ Fall said.

Helen added: ‘That was tough to watch. Huge respect to all the work Mum has done and is doing. Emotional from @susannareid100 and @andipeters.’

‘That was a hard watch,’ account @Tall&Firey wrote, while others expressed concern for Andi.

Viewers shared concern for Andi after he was moved to tears (Picture: ITV)

Susanna later shared a touching story on behalf of Andi, explaining why he was so moved.

She said: ‘One of the reasons that Andi was so moved, as a human being and as a viewer, is that he wanted to tell a story about the fact that a man in his gym had had a heart attack, and the defibrillator that was accessible on the site saved that man’s life.

‘There’s always that feeling of, if that hadn’t been there, which is of course the tragedy for Naomi and her son. So thank you Naomi for being with us this morning and thank you to everyone who has gotten in touch.’

‘Her son Jamie would be so proud,’ Ed added.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1.

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