BBC Breakfast left the nation holding back tears on Thursday morning as Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt shared a heart-wrenching update about two fathers preparing to run the London Marathon in memory of their beloved daughters.
In July 2024, a tragedy shook the town of Southport when three young girls – Alice Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Bebe King, six – lost their lives while attending a Taylor Swift dance workshop. The devastating incident left their families and the wider community in pieces.
This weekend, two of the grieving fathers, David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar, are lacing up their running shoes to take on the 26.2-mile challenge through the capital, carrying their daughters’ memories every step of the way.
Naga and Charlie opened the show with the emotional announcement and followed it up with a powerful pre-recorded piece featuring the two dads. Viewers quickly felt the weight of the moment, many admitting the segment brought them to tears before sunrise.
“Our thanks to the parents of Bebe, Elsie, and Alice, we wish you all the best ahead of this weekend’s marathon,” Naga said softly.
Charlie added: “Yes, let’s hope they can embrace what David said there, that sentiment right there, enjoy the day. Good luck to all of those running on Sunday.”
On social media, viewers flooded X with heartfelt messages. One person wrote: “Put @BBCBreakfast on and at 6:20am reduced to tears watching the Southport families London marathon clip.” Another replied simply: “It’s just so heartbreaking.”
A fellow parent shared: “As a father – and of a daughter too – can’t imagine their continual pain, hope they raise loads in honour of those 3 beautiful girls.” Another added: “Doing something positive to help them cope with their tragic loss. Others will benefit and their daughters are remembered.”
One particularly emotional moment in the segment came when Elsie’s dad David opened up about his daughter’s dream for him to run the marathon. Holding back tears, he recalled a conversation they had while watching the London Marathon together last year.
“Elsie would be so happy to see me cross the finish line, especially for the London Marathon,” he said. “She’d just be so proud.”
He revealed that Elsie once asked him to run the marathon one day for her grandmother. “A little bit of me was like, ‘oh yeah, alright, Els,’” he said with a small smile. “I just never thought I would be running it for these reasons.”
The emotional story resonated deeply with viewers, not just for the tragedy but for the strength, love, and purpose these fathers are carrying into the race. It’s not just about finishing a marathon – it’s about honouring the lives of three little girls who will never be forgotten.
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