Holly Willoughby made a surprise appearance at this year’s National Television Awards, and ended up being a part of a very emotional moment. The former This Morning host, who was noticeably absent from last year’s ceremony, took to the stage at The O2 in London on Tuesday evening to present the award for Best Authored Documentary.
Our Girls: The Southport Families took home the gong, beating the likes of Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth, Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home and Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage and Me.
Our Girls, released in December last year, followed the parents of the children killed in the Southport dance studio attack on 29 July 2024, carried out by then 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana.
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The creators of the documentary as well as the parents of the victims – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine – accepted the award, with Elsie’s mum Jenni delivering a touching speech.
“We never expected to be stood up here so I literally don’t know what to say,” she began.
“Thank you to the amazing BBC Breakfast team that not only gave us this opportunity to tell our girls’ story, but the love and care that they did.
“They’re not just people that made a documentary; they’ve become our friends. It’s a documentary that should never have had to be made, but it was, and thank you to everyone that voted.
“I know you didn’t vote for us; you voted for Elsie, Alice and Bebe, and for that we will be forever grateful, so thank you.”
ITV
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She tearfully embraced Bebe’s mum Lauren and Elsie’s mum Alex as her speech came to an end.
Speaking about Our Girls at the time of its release, Richard Frediani, BBC Breakfast and News at One executive editor, said in a statement: “This inspirational film is a heartfelt tribute to Alice, Bebe and Elsie, told through the voices of those who knew and loved them most.
“It is both heartbreaking and uplifting, a testament to the strength of three families united in grief and now driven by purpose to ensure their names are never forgotten.
“We’re endlessly grateful to Jenni and David, Lauren and Ben, and Sergio and Alex for sharing their stories with such courage and honesty.”
Sarah Campbell, BBC News correspondent, added: “It has been a huge privilege to have been able to document how the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie have worked to create a positive legacy for their daughters.
“Our hope is that people will take from their story that it is possible to find light and humanity in the darkest of times.”
Our Girls: The Southport Families is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more.
Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club.
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