By Tasha Hall,Tianna Corbin
Copyright dailyrecord
On Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain episode, ITV viewers saw Susanna Reid pay tribute to D-Day veteran Ronald Butcher and Hollywood icon Robert Redford. During the show, presenters Richard Madeley and Susanna tackled the day’s major headlines. Following their news summary, which included Donald Trump’s visit this week, the ITV host took a moment to recognise the heartbreaking deaths of two remarkable figures. She said: “I want to pay tribute to an extraordinary man, hero, D-Day Veteran Ronald Butcher, who has passed away at the age of 98. “Earlier this year, just before VE-Day, Ronald spoke about dealing with trauma from the battlefield once the Second World War was over, fighting the memories , even in his sleep.” Clips were then shown of Ronald, a decorated Merchant Navy sailor, speaking to the Mirror , as he disclosed there was no support available at the time for him to cope with the trauma he endured after his wartime duties, which regularly caused nightmares that took him back to the battleground. He said: “My mother and father used to come and wake me up and sort me out.” Susanna told viewers that nowadays, Ronald’s symptoms would indicate he was suffering from PTSD. Shortly after covering Ronald’s death, Richard Madeley spoke about another tragic loss, Hollywood legend Robert Redford. The ITV presenter commented: “Speaking of RIPs, we bid farewell to Robert Redford, who has been woven into the very fabric of so many people’s cinema experiences for as long as I can recall.” Susanna continued: “He won an Oscar, didn’t he? For Ordinary People, for directing, and for Best Picture. Of course, he set up The Sundance Film Festival, which launched many, many films.” Later in the show, entertainment correspondent Richard Arnold announced: “We’ve lost an icon.” Robert was also an actor, as well as being a filmmaker, and was celebrated for his performance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. His passing was confirmed at the age of 89 at his home in Utah. Since news of his death emerged, touching tributes have been pouring in from personalities throughout the entertainment industry. Author Stephen King shared on Twitter: “Robert Redford has passed away. He was part of a new and exciting Hollywood in the 70s and 80s. Hard to believe he was 89.” Actress Meryl Streep, who collaborated with Robert, said in a brief statement issued through her spokesperson: “One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my lovely friend.” Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
