Entertainment

Sir Tom Jones and Little Mix pay tribute to NHS staff during One World concert

The broadcast also featured highlights from the US show, including Sir Elton John and Taylor Swift.
The broadcast also featured highlights from the US show, including Sir Elton John and Taylor Swift.

Sir Tom Jones, Little Mix and Michael Buble paid emotional tributes to healthcare staff during an evening celebrating frontline workers fighting the Covid-19 crisis.

The BBC’s coverage of One World: Together At Home featured highlights from the global event held on Saturday night, which was staged in conjunction with Global Citizen and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and was announced by Lady Gaga, as well as UK exclusives.

Sir Tom performed The Glory Of Love, which has been recorded by Jimmy Durante, Dean Martin and Nina Simone and said: “I’ve lived a long time, I’ve seen a lot of things, I’ve experienced a lot of things.”

Gesturing to a photograph behind him, he added: “Like this house for instance right here, that’s 44 Laura Street, where I was born and brought up.

“I was isolated there for two years with tuberculosis in that house, and I thought that was bad then.

“But the National Health Service helped me then like they’re helping all of us right now.

“So I would like to say thank you so much to the National Health for doing what they did for me then and what they’re doing right now for everybody else and we have to do our best to stay home to help the National Health, we should stay home.

“And follow orders and go along with what we’re being told to do.  

“Stick with it, be together and we’ll survive.

“God Bless You.”

Little Mix performed their hit Touch and band member Perrie Edwards said: “We wanted to say hi and we really hope you guys are being positive during this weird, weird time that we are in and I think we can all agree that the love that we feel for the NHS staff at this time and the key workers, doctors, nurses, carers, retail workers, postmen, waste collectors, the list goes on and on.

“You all deserve such a huge thank you and we appreciate you so so so much.

“Everybody please take care of yourselves, take care of your loved ones, stay home, save lives, protect the NHS.”

Meanwhile, Buble performed the Beach Boys classic God Only Knows and said: “We’re here tonight to thank and to celebrate all those incredible frontline healthcare workers and all the people in essential services who day after day have gone and risked their lives to save ours.

“On behalf of my own family, I love you dearly. 

“You are the real superheroes and right now I’d like very much to dedicate this song to all of you. 

“I hope you like it.”

The broadcast, hosted by Clara Amfo, Claudia Winkleman and Dermot O’Leary, featured highlights from the US show, which was livestreamed around the world, including performances from Taylor Swift, Steve Wonder, Billie Eilish, Sir Elton John and the Rolling Stones, as well as Sir Paul McCartney talking about his mother Mary, who was a nurse and midwife during and after Second World War.

It also featured surprises for UK healthcare workers, including Sam Halliwell, 33, who is a midwife at Birmingham Women’s Hospital and living in a hotel to protect her husband, who has a severe kidney illness.

During a call with her daughter Rosie, nine, The Call The Midwife and Harry Potter fan was surprised to be joined by Miriam Margolyes, who plays Mother Mildred in the medical drama, as well as Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

The show, to support the Covid-19 Response Fund, set up by the UN Foundation, finished with a UK exclusive performance of You Make Me Feel My Love by The Kingdom Choir.