Countryfile viewers in floods of tears as domestic violence victims share their harrowing stories
COUNTRYFILE viewers were left in floods of tears tonight after domestic violence victims shared their harrowing stories.
The BBC One show’s latest episode focused on its Ramble for Children in Need, and saw various presenters meet members of the public who have been helped by the annual fundraising event.
While Matt Baker hiked in the Lake District with a boy called Alfie who had his leg amputated last year due to cancer, Steve Brown met Violet, eight, who has had a liver transplant.
Viewers were already emotional as the children shared their stories, but they were left sobbing after Ellie Harrison met women who had witnessed domestic violence from a young age and had received much needed support from Women’s Aid.
Ellie spoke to two women, whose identities were concealed, and they recalled how their mother’s partners had brutally beaten them while they were there as children.
One lady recalled being nine and standing between her mum and her boyfriend at the top of the stairs as he lunged at her, while on another occasion, her mum hid her black eyes behind a pair of sunglasses.
Struggling with her emotions, she recalled how she would blame herself, saying: “There’s times I remember thinking, if I hadn’t have done that, she wouldn’t have got hit.
“He nearly killed my mum at the worst, at one stage.”
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Ellie was clearly emotional, as she then asked the other lady about her experiences.
She said: “My mam feared for her life, you know. Daddy was shouting at mummy and I was screaming, crying, and my mum always says my dad lunged at me [saying ‘shut her up, shut her up!’
“I was four. And that was the one time my mum stood up in front of him, because he was going for me.
“And from a young age, I always knew what Women’s Aid was, they saved her life. 100 per cent, Women’s Aid saved our life.”
“Powerful viewing”
Taking to Twitter, one Countryfile viewer wrote: “Thanks @BBCCountryfile im sobbing my eyes out tonight. Powerful viewing.”
Another added: “Wow! What an emotional episode of the quite wonderful @BBCCountryfile tonight. I’m in bits but also hugely inspired by these amazing young people!”
A third tweeted: “#countryfile that’ll be nice gentle TV for a Sunday night. Sits silently sobbing into her tea.”
Meanwhile a fourth was equally emotional, writing: “When did #Countryfile become such a tear jerker?! I thought it was just about sheep & fields n stuff.”
Countryfile airs Sundays on BBC One.
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