Inside Look At Home Ant And Dec Gifted To Tragedy-Stricken Family On Saturday Night Takeaway

If you joined Ant and Dec for their Saturday Night Takeaway, then you'll recall a touching moment of the show nestled among all the pranks, inexplicable Viking costumes and Pussycat Dolls. The hosts surprised Simon and Petra Williams with the keys to a brand new home, as millions across the country watched on.

It was a bit of luck that the couple more than deserved, having lost their daughter Darcey-Leigh from sudden infant death syndrome in 2017.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Petra set up charity Darcey's Dream, which provides support for families of the recently bereaved, while delivery driver Simon works around the clock to provide for his wife and three kids: five-year-old Emelia-Paige, three-year-old Layla-Grace and two-year-old Bailey.

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Stepping inside their new £260,000 ($337,538) three-bed house on Bellway Home's Moorfields estate, near Gosforth Park, Newcastle, Petra said: "It's just a dream come true. You never in your wildest dreams think you're going to find yourself on Saturday Night Takeaway, being handed the keys to your own house."

Simon said: "I don't think it will sink in until we've got the kids running around in here, the dog settled in - then it will be ours."

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The house was built by property developer Bellway. Petra's best friend and right-hand man at Darcey's Dream, Nikki Pinchen, helped Q Interiors make sure the design of the house was just right for the Williams family.

Explaining why she dedicates so much time and effort to Darcey's Dream, Petra said: "We are a bit like passing ships sometimes, we both work so hard. But for me, I could work an 85 hour week, barely see my husband, and I would still feel it was worth it to do my job, to see the difference it makes to the children.

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"At the end of the day, it's my little girl's legacy, and getting recognised for the work we do has been amazing.

"Since we were on Saturday Night Takeaway, we've had thousands more views to our website and social media: as as small charity, it's often hard to be recognised, so this is amazing.

"We want to raise awareness of the fact that the siblings have lost just as much as mummy and daddy when there's a bereavement, I'm passionate about raising awareness of sibling loss, so this has been brilliant for that."

But while the home is almost perfect, the family have a few very important possessions that need to be moved in before it is truly their family home.

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Petra said: "We've got so many things of Darcey's that will come over here - her blankets, her teddies, the kids have their memory boxes and their 'Darcey bunnies', the sibling link teddies which remind them of her, which they love. I think Emelia-Paige tells her Darcey bunny more than she tells me.

"I have a rocker that was Darcey's which I keep next to my bed, with all her teddies and things in. We talk about her every single day, we keep her memory alive, and the girls keep her memory alive - she'll never be forgotten in this house.

"When Darcey died my world fell apart, when you lose a child you don't think you will ever smile again in your whole life, but then your other kids will do something and you do smile. Layla-Grace [Darcey's twin] has the most beautiful smile and I always say she's smiling for the two of them."

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Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey