LIKE most families across the world, Ruth Langsford hasn’t been able to see her elderly mother during the coronavirus pandemic.
Today the TV star, 60, revealed on Loose Women how she was left in tears when she was finally reunited with her mum at her care home.
With the vaccination in circulation, care homes are now giving families an option to designate one member to act as the “nominated person” to see their loved ones once per week.
Ruth, who has had the Covid-19 vaccine, said: “I was allowed into her home and into her residential home yesterday.
“It was very emotional we had a little cry of course.”
Speaking to panel members that included Brenda Edwards, Frankie Bridge and Janet Street-Porter, Ruth explained what a special moment it had been to “hold her mum’s hand” again.
The TV star said: “We had a bit of a cry and then we just did our thing. We had a cup of tea and we sat together and I held her hand, she talked to dog.
“It was amazing, my mum keeps dog biscuits in the cupboard and when I told her I was bringing the dog she said ‘I wonder if Maggie will remember where those biscuits are?’
“Oh my goodness, she literally went straight into my mum’s room sat in her little kitchen-et looking at the cupboard and then looking at my mum and then looking at the cupboard.”
Ruth went on to give viewers at home hope that they too will be able to be reunited with their loved ones.
She went on: “It was a lovely moment.
“And I know that so many of you, because we’ve talked about it on the show and I got very emotional about it as you know how I hadn’t seen her, I physically needed to hold her hand and that is gradually happening now.
“So if that’s happening for you, I’m really happy for you, if it’s not yet, then hopefully it’s coming.
“But it was a really really special moment.”
Last month Ruth revealed on This Morning how she’d had the vaccine.
She said she was shocked to be invited to receive the vaccine, believing she was too young to be offered it now.
Ruth told viewers: “I’m 60 – I thought ‘This is too early.’ I called my surgery and they say no, no that’s absolutely right.
“It was amazingly well organised. It was quick, it was painless. I feel very lucky.”
Explaining she thought her offer to get the vaccine was fake because of her age, she said she had no side effects.
She wrote on Instagram: “Thought it was a scam message at first as I wasn’t expecting to be called until March!
“Thank you everybody, staff & volunteers, at the vaccination centre in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey…a quick, well organised and very friendly experience.”
Currently, more than three million vaccination doses are being given a week – more than 400,000 are being given out every day.
Invitations are now being sent to the three million people aged over 65 years old, with the aim of reaching everyone over 50 by the end of April.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News: “The letters have already been sent to over a million over 65-year-olds asking them to come forward, and also the next group after that is those who have underlying health conditions and are carers.”
