This Morning was back on ITV today at its usual 10am slot with an entertaining mix of interviews, current affairs discussions and expert tips and tricks. The leading daytime show is usually fronted by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield during the week but the presenters have now headed off on their Christmas break.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary usually host the ITV programme every Friday but this week they are stepping in to take the reins for the full week. The pair appeared on the show today with an X-Factor style entrance as they announced that Simon Cowell and former contestant Lucy Spraggan would be making a special appearance.
But before the X-Factor reunion, Alison and Dermot welcomed fashion stylist and TV presenter Gok Wan onto the sofa to speak about a recent tragedy that has affected his family.
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The 48-year-old fashion guru was joined by his 13-year-old niece Alyssa and her mum Kiona as they discussed Alyssa's heartbreaking cancer diagnosis.
Speaking to Alison and Dermot, Gok revealed how his family had initially 'prepared for the worst' after the young girl was diagnosed with leukaemia last year.
"I guess you just don’t expect it or think it’s going to happen. You prepare for the worst as a way of dealing with what’s going on," he admitted.
Alyssa’s mum Kiona added: “Nothing worked. Nothing would get her leukaemia down. This time last year she finished her first bone marrow transplant but then we had the news [the cancer] hadn’t gone.
"We had hope and then we heard the only option was palliative care. It was our worst nightmare.”
Alyssa underwent chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant which were both unsuccessful, but in a shocking turn of events, the trial of a new procedure reduced Alyssa's cancer.
Gok added: "You get given the most awful news about Alyssa and it just continues and gets worse and worse. Then all of a sudden then science has cured the leukaemia, it’s been so shocking and mindblowing.”
The 13-year-old has now been in remission for six months, and both Alison and Dermot were blown away by the youngster's positivity.
Alyssa told the co-hosts: "I just wanted to make a difference. It's like, what's the point of having a life if it doesn't really have any meaning."
"Oh, I'm not crying," Alison responded as she sucked up her tears.
Talking about her new treatment, Alyssa added: "If it wouldn't help me then it would help somebody else but also it was another chance for me as well. Even just doing it would make such a difference to the world, even if I didn't survive it, then my life would have had a meaning."
Alyssa then listed all the people she wanted to thank throughout her journey, including doctors, scientists and her family.
Alison then broke down in tears as she revealed that This Morning wanted to gift the teenager an experience.
"Oh god, I don't know if I can do it," Alison said as she tried to read from her cue card. "You've really brought me to tears."
"You're such a giving person I can see that, so we thought we'd give you something lovely... I can't do it," she continued, as she took a breath and went on to explain that the Alyssa would be going to the Harry Potter forbidden forest experience.
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