Chris Tarrant says he paid for Ukrainian family living with him to move into their own flat
Chris Tarrant has paid for a family that he took in after they fled the war in Ukraine to stay in their own flat in Berkshire.
The former Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? host decided that he had to do something after Russia invaded Ukraine earlier in the year, so decided that he’d open up his home to a family of three.
The 76-year-old TV presenter said that he and his wife Jane were compelled into action after seeing the ‘evil war’ waged by Vladimir Putin on the TV.
They realised that they could do something when the scheme for UK families to take in Ukrainian families was opened up, and they gladly welcomed the family into their home.
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Speaking on Greatest Hits Radio, Tarrant said: "I never thought I’d see in my lifetime the scenes we’ve seen – and are still seeing - since this sick, evil war started in Ukraine.
"When it started Jane and I were watching the news at home shaking our heads and thinking ‘we should really help, we’ve got room, we can take a family’.
"This family, three generations – Mum, 65, daughter of about 30 and a little baby who was then 7 months – had been sleeping on the floor of an airport in Poland but moved in with us in March and they’ve really enhanced our lives - this little baby is now 14 months old and is toddling and gurgling away.
"But they’ve been living with me for a long time and it’s coming up to winter now and where we are is quite remote, so I want them to have access to shops, the cinema, baby classes."
With that in mind, Tarrant has decided to pay for the family to have their own flat in the city centre near to where they live.
He continued: "I’m paying for it all but it’s my pleasure just to do something.
“Of course they want to go home but they live about 60 miles from the Russian border and the husband is fighting in the Donbas – it’s a very precarious situation still."
Tarrant had previously spoken about his plans during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, telling the hosts: "I'm getting them a flat soon, done paid for and whatever cause they really want to be closer to the city centre so they can just walk to the shops and the pubs.
"I've got a big old house but I'm right in the sticks."
It’s clearly been a good experience for Chris, as he described how ‘sweet’ the family of three have been.
"They have enhanced my life these people [...] They're the sweetest people and they keep wanting to do things and I go ‘no you don't need to’... They are fantastic".
Tarrant has even become the godfather of the baby, talking about how 'besotted' he is with her.
He joked: "I said to one of my kids, ‘I prefer this baby to you when you were younger’, and they go, ‘Oh, Dad!’
“I say, ‘I don’t mean it darling I love you’, but this kid is so sweet.”
Heartwarming stuff for a bleak morning, even if the circumstances that led to it aren't fantastic.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Ukraine, UK News
Tom Wood