Captain Sir Tom Moore captured the nation’s hearts after raising over £32million for the NHS by walking in his garden. Journalist Joan Bakewell praised the WWII veteran for his “total integrity” on Tuesday night’s BBC Newsnight.
She said: “Well he is very clearly a straightforward human being with total integrity.
“We live in times when we suspect everybody in public life to have flaws, basically because they do, and we’re a society that puts people down.”
Ms Bakewell added: “He had one brilliant idea in his 99th year, that’s enough to earn praise from everyone and people were completely amazed by that.
“He had a good idea and he carried it through and he enjoyed it. So there was complete consistency in his behaviour.”
The 100-year-old veteran was admitted to Bedford hospital on Sunday and died on Tuesday with coronavirus.
His daughters said they “shared laughter and tears” with their father in the final few hours together.
Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira added how the last year of their father’s life had been “nothing short of remarkable”.
Captain Sir Tom walked 100 laps of his garden in Bedfordshire last year during the first lockdown to raise funds for NHS Charities Together.
READ MORE: Captain Tom’s heartbreaking final words to world before passing away
“We were all banging our saucepans but he walked and walked and we were amazed.”
The journalist also added how Captain Tom gave the nation a “lesson in how to grow old”.
She said: “I mean for everyone. We all want to be like Captain Tom when we grow old because he kept going.
“He was resolute at the very end. He didn’t give up.”
Ms Bakewell added: “He was out there with us and that’s a marvellous lesson for people who are growing old, all those are getting the vaccines at the moment can take a lesson from him.”
The Queen knighted Captain Tom in an open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle last summer.
He gained the accolade for his fundraising efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace tweeted: “Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Cpt Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year.
“Her thoughts, and those of the Royal Family, are with them, recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world.”
