GOOD Morning Britain anchor Susanna Reid was left fighting back tears on her first day back on the ITV series after the summer break.
The mum of three, 53, admitted “it makes me feel sick” as she and co-presenter Ed Balls, 57, tackled a hugely emotional interview on Monday.
The Good Morning Britain favourites were chatting to grieving mother Pooja Kanda, who lost 16-year-old son Ronan in 2022 after he was murdered in a case of mistaken identity.
The schoolboy – who Pooja described as “charismatic” – was stabbed with a Ninja sword in a case of mistaken identity as he walked the streets of Wolverhampton listening to his music.
In the ITV daytime studio, producers had brought a host of huge knives and they sat in a display cabinet alongside the discussion.
As they were brought on-set, Susanna confessed: “It makes me feel sick.
“I feel sick just being in the presence of them.”
She told the panelists how the show producers, who had bought the knives online, had not been asked for age verification.
She confirmed they would be sent to a surrender point straight after the show – yet it was highlighted how many of the weapons would not be included in the Government’s new zombie knife and machete surrender scheme.
It meant weapons like the one which killed Pooja’s son and was plunged to his heart, will still be available.
Wearing a “say his name” T-Shirt, she was campaigning for Ninja swords to be included in the ban.
While Susanna was clearly shocked by the details unfolding, she became hugely emotional as the proud mum paid tribute to her son.
Talking about the impact of his brutal murder, which came when Ronan was walking back from his friend’s house after buying a Playstation controller, his mum said: “This has absolutely destroyed out family in pieces.
“You [the killers] haven’t taken the lives of the individual, you have taken other lives with you.”
She added: “It has totally destroyed us.
“Absolutely destroyed us. But I will carry on campaigning because I believe that if someone had done that for me, my son would be here for me.”
Ed could be heard in the background empathising with her hugely emotional claim.
Pooja’s eyes filled with tears as she told how the teen’s school pals had filled in gaps about his character.
She told how it was through the memories of others they got to know more about their son and said: “The other children told us stories about him.
“I was like ‘wow that’s my son.’
“And that proud moment I carry today about Ronan – Ronan is an amazing child.”
Susanna, who had pulled on her glasses, took a big gulp of air as she tried to stable her emotions.
She choked back tears as she said: “That was so powerful, thank you so much.
“All credit to you and all power to you.
“I find it absolutely astounding.”
Last week, her fellow GMB host Kate Garraway pulled out the tissues as she fought back tears talking about the murder of a teenager by a known sex offender.
She asked the parents of Leah Croucher “how do you cope?” as they opened up on their grief, which was compounded by the suicide of Leah’s brother during her disappearance.
