Stacey Solomon and her Sort Your Life Out team visited a family in East Sussex to help clear the clutter from their home, leaving them in tears with a heartfelt family tribute.
Emotional Moment on Sort Your Life Out
Viewers of BBC's Sort Your Life Out witnessed an emotional moment as a family paid tribute to a beloved relative who had passed away. Host Stacey Solomon and her crew travelled to East Sussex to assist a family struggling with their overcrowded converted bungalow.
Single mother Nadine had resided in the property since her adolescence, originally living there with her own mother. After bringing up her four daughters in the home and looking after her late mum, three generations of Jamieson women had amassed mountains of DVDs, clothing and delicate China which Stacey sorted through.
Amongst the clutter, she discovered 106 animal ornaments, 87 board games and more than 1,000 pieces of Nadine's China collection, reports Kent Live.
Nadine's Emotional Journey
Discussing the belongings filling her home and the overwhelming sense of disorder, Nadine became emotional as she revealed: "I've lived in this house since 1988 and it's pretty much still in the condition it was in 1988." Her eldest daughter Merle remarked: "It was a small crowded house but it wasn't cluttered back then."
The former NHS nurse tearfully went on: "Mum was the second parent. She was our rock and she was just our rock and made it so special for the girls. She started to need care in the last four years of her life, and I became full time carer. And that's when I think it started to change. I didn't have the time or energy to focus on the house because I had to focus on so many people."
She continued: "I need to have a home again and start living again." She added poignantly: "It's a place I don't want to be in. There's no joy to come home to because you know what's surrounding you."
A Touching Tribute
Following the difficult process of parting with four decades of belongings and cherished memories, the family were moved by a touching memorial to Nadine's mum. Upon returning home after Stacey and her team, which included special guest Zoe Sugg, had completed their transformation, they discovered a heartfelt reminder of Nadine's mother.
Nadine had previously described how her mum's chair remained in pride of place in the lounge, still adorned with her old combs and hairbands. Rather than leaving these items as they were, Stacey transformed the living room into a lighter, more spacious area and chose to embroider Nadine's mum's comb, headband and radio onto a small cushion.
She said: "I know how important Nan's comb and headband and radio were to you, so instead of having them sat precariously on top of the chair, ready to fall at any minute, I thought, we could put it into the pillow, and then you could always look at her favourite things but keep her actual favourite things safe away."
"It's absolutely beautiful," Nadine's daughter Merle commented. Breaking down into tears as she saw the cushion, she added: "That is too much."
"It's making you emotional," Stacey replied, as Nadine's daughter Beth also wiped back tears.
Reaction from Stacey Solomon
After seeing the response the family had to their new home, Stacey shared: "I think that might have been one of my favourite reactions ever. Nadine has, for the last 20-something years, just been looking after everyone around her. She's been raising her kids, looking after her mum, putting all of her energy into everybody else. And now finally, she can bring some of that energy back to her, and she just deserves this so much."
Nadine emotionally added: "Dreams come true."
Sort Your Life Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
