Susanna Reid reunited with singing Ukrainian girl during GMB Christmas special
ITV’s daytime festive coverage also features an interview with Gary Barlow.
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Susanna Reid is reunited with an eight-year-old girl who went viral after singing Let It Go from a Ukrainian bomb shelter during Good Morning Britain’s Christmas Day special.
The presenter first met Amelia Anisovych in April when she travelled to Warsaw in neighbouring Poland to report on Russia’s invasion.
Amelia later travelled to the UK with her mother, Lilia, and appeared on the ITV show in July, singing the Frozen song in three languages.
During the 2022 Christmas Day episode, Amelia gets a bag of presents, including a headband she immediately puts on while exclaiming: “Oh, my gosh.”
She also receives festive video messages from celebrities including Adam Lambert, Scarlette Douglas, Jill Scott, Jason Manford, Alesha Dixon and Tom Grennan.
Amelia tells Reid and co-presenter Kate Garraway, both wearing sparkly festive outfits, she has been to America to record a song for a secret project.
Asked by Reid what she will be doing to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas, which is often marked on January 7, the girl says she will be “with the whole family, sitting and eating”.
She adds: “I can’t wait to see my whole family.”
Her mother reflects on returning to Kyiv for Christmas despite the risk of missile strikes.
She says: “We are going to Kyiv to see my dear husband, Amelia’s father, my son, my mother and father, and my brother.
“It’s very difficult. This is our favourite time of the year and when I look to prepare for Christmas, I think only about how there can’t be war or missile attacks in Ukraine at that time.”
GMB’s Christmas Day special will also include a look back at the year as well as a look forward to the King’s first Christmas Day address to the nation.
On ITV’s Lorraine, there is a festive performance from Craig David and an interview with Gary Barlow, who talks to LA-based correspondent Ross King about his decades in Take That.
He says: “I was always the worrier in the band. Everyone always has their different role and I was the worrier.
“It’s my only regret looking back, is that I wish I was in the moment more.
“I’m always thinking about tomorrow… what do we do next year? Big plans? Always planning ahead and I don’t ever really enjoy the moment.”
Joel Dommett speaks to host Lorraine Kelly to discuss The Masked Singer and his Christmas Day plans, while various presenters drop in to swap gifts.
There will also be “season greetings” from Jonathan Ross, Ant and Dec, Giovanna Fletcher, Adrian Dunbar and more.
Good Morning Britain airs on Christmas Day on ITV1 and ITVX from 7am, with Lorraine at 9am.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.