Carol Vorderman has gushed about Lewis Hamilton during her BBC Radio Wales show this morning. The Countdown legend opened up about how he aided her mother, following the Formula One star’s inclusion in the New Year Honours List.
The 60-year-old recalled how the British racing driver, 35, “got her mum through” a major part of her cancer treatment. Speaking to co-host Owain Wyn Evans, the small screen favourite said she was “delighted” Lewis was being made a sir.
Carol then recalled a story from six years ago when she attended his race at Silverstone, taking place a day before her now late mother had to go under the knife. The latter, who died in 2017, was suffering from her third bout of the disease at the time. The broadcaster’s trip came about thanks to a friend from her university days, Paddy Lowe, who went on to become one of the leading engineers in F1.Addressing her mum’s condition, Carol recalled how she had a “a massive melanoma” on her head, after fighting both ovarian and kidney cancer.
“She was a big F1 fan,” she stated. “She loved Lewis. She said, ‘You’ve got to go [to Silverstone], you’ve got to cheer on my Lewis’.” Despite the mother-of-two telling her she couldn’t go due to her upcoming operation, her mum “insisted”. Carol continued: “I was very fortunate – I was in hospitality – and I was sitting with Lewis’ mum and having a chat to her. Amazing woman.
“Lewis came in and I was chatting to him – I’ve met him a number of times before. I said to him about my mum.”
It was then that the Mercedes star signed his paddock pass for her sick relative. She remembered: “He signed it, ‘To Jean, with lots of love and all the best for the operation. God bless, Lewis. Kiss Kiss’. “The God bless was significant to my mum as she was very religious.” The next day, delighted Jean even put the pass around her neck to go into the operating theatre.
Carol added: “She was wheeled in, still unconscious from the anesthetic and they’d had to take it off her. “She always said, ‘He got me through that operation’. He’s very special to us. “It comes as seven-time title winner Lewis was finally given a knighthood, following pressure on the Prime Minister to approve the accolade.
Despite being one of the UK’s most successful sportsmen, the star – who matched Michael Schumacher’s record seven titles in 2020 and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year for a second time – had previously been overlooked, reportedly due to his tax affairElsewhere, continuing the trend set by the Queen’s Birthday honours list, there are a slew of gongs for those seeking solutions to the problems posed by coronavirus as the pandemic drags on. Veteran footballers Jimmy Greaves and Ron Flowers are also made MBEs after a long-running campaign to ensure every surviving member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad gets an honour.
