BBC Breakfast viewers were left distracted by Nigel Havers' 'incredible' house during a live interview on Thursday morning. The actor appeared via video link from his home, showcasing a grand living room adorned with paintings, flowers, and lamps.
Viewers react to Nigel Havers' home
As Havers discussed the case of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in the UK, viewers took to social media to comment on his surroundings. One person wrote on X: 'I was just thinking what a lovely huge room with all his artwork, etc, he collects.' Another added: 'Nigel's house is beautiful.' A third viewer joked: 'Havers on the set of Waiting for God,' while someone else shared: 'I want to move into Nigel Havers house. Not with Nigel Havers, just into his house. It's incredible.'
The Ruth Ellis pardon discussion
Hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt spoke to Havers and Ruth Ellis' granddaughter Laura Enston about the conditional posthumous pardon granted to Ellis. Ellis was executed in 1955 for shooting her lover David Blakely, with her family arguing she was a victim of domestic abuse. Havers' grandfather, Cecil Havers, presided over the trial, and Nigel later played him in the ITV drama A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story.
During the interview, Havers said: 'I was just aware of this, the case, since I was a young man. As I was very close to my grandfather, he talked about it at length. I do, first of all, want to thank the King and David Lammy for announcing this yesterday. It must have been quite something for them to do it.' He added: 'What he was upset about was that she should never have been hanged. He wrote to the Home Secretary at the time and said, "Please, do not do this. We must change this," and the Home Secretary at the time refused and disregarded his plea.'
Emotional reaction to the pardon
Havers expressed his emotional response to the pardon: 'At least she now has a pardon. And as for the family, it's wonderful news for them. When I heard it yesterday, I sort of burst into tears, it was an amazing, emotional moment.' Addressing Laura Enston, he said: 'Laura, I'm so pleased for you, you must be over the moon.' Enston replied: 'Thank you so much and thank you for your support. Understanding how far reaching the story is, it's not just the family that's been impacted, it's everyone that's touched this case. So, yeah, thank you.'
