Celebrities pay tribute to lost loved ones ahead of nationwide memorial toast

Celebrities, including Dame Prue Leith, Rob Brydon and Sir Stephen Fry, have paid tribute to lost loved ones in a series of moving videos ahead of a nationwide memorial toast.

Former Bake-Off judge, Dame Prue, paid tribute to her brother Jamie, while Would I Lie To You Host, Rob Brydon, reflected on Australian comedy hero, Barry Humphries, and Sir Stephen Fry reflected on the enduring impact his dear friend Christopher Hitchens has on him to this day. Other names marking the memory of those no longer with us include Sir Mo Farah, Ellie Simmonds OBE, Jake Humphrey and Sir Geoff Hurst, who paid tribute to Bobby Moore.

The films were made for Celebration Day and The Big Toast, an annual national moment at 7pm on May 25, when people across the country are invited to raise a glass of their choice to those who shaped their lives.

It comes a poll of 1,000 adults who've experienced bereavement found 26 per cent admitted they avoided talking to others about their loss despite always thinking about them.

Talking about her brother, Dame Prue Leith said: “Jamie was a great influence on my life. He was a wonderful man who was one of the few people who would actually tell me that I’d got it wrong or I was behaving badly, few people dared do that, and Jamie always dared.

“We all think we’re responsible for our own success, but actually all sorts of people lead to your success or your happiness.”

The study also found 26 per cent “suffered in silence” during their bereavement, while 49 per cent said the loss affected them more than they let on to those around them. Despite this, thoughts of loved ones remain ever-present, with around a third (32 per cent) admitting they think about the person they lost at least once a day.

For many, grief continues to surface in key moments, with 47 per cent saying anniversaries bring memories to the forefront, while 41 per cent said quiet moments alone were when they felt their absence most.

Family milestones also prompt reflection, with 38 per cent saying events such as weddings, new babies or graduations bring loved ones to mind.

The impact of loss can be long-lasting, with 11 per cent admitting they took a year or more to feel able to function day-to-day again, while five per cent admitted they still do not feel they can, according to research carried out through OnePoll.

Sir Stephen Fry said: “I shall be raising a glass to the memory of my dear friend, the incomparable Christopher Hitchens. He was full of intellectual energy and a sense of understanding and a point of view which you didn't have to agree with, but you could not deny his articulacy and the brilliance he brought to bear.

“I hope people join me, and many millions of others, in celebrating someone on May 25.”

On the abiding memory of England's World Cup winning captain, Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst said: “After we win the World Cup and it's absolute chaos, when he goes to receive the trophy off the Queen, he noticed that she was wearing white gloves.

“And so not to dirty her white gloves, he wiped both his hands on the cloth parapet before he shook her hand. In the heat of all that, he had the presence of mind, not to dirty the Queen’s gloves, and that just absolutely sums him up above everything else.”

Other celebrities who share their own stories can be viewed on the Celebration Day YouTube channel and include actress Rita Wilson, Gavin & Stacey stars Larry Lamb and Alison Steadman OBE, designer Dame Anya Hindmarch DBE and BAFTA-winning actress Joanna Scanlan.

While actress Ophelia Lovibond, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, broadcaster Clare Balding CBE and England rugby star Meg Jones MBE also talked of memories of loved ones, mentors and inspirations they still carry with them today.

As part of Celebration Day’s nationwide Big Toast at 7pm on Monday 25 May, more than 650 Craft Union pubs across the UK will host a special Big Toast Pub Quiz.