Good Morning Britain viewers were left devastated and moved during an emotional interview on Tuesday, July 21, as presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls spoke to a man named Gary, who was diagnosed with dementia at age 51. Gary and his wife Natasha discussed a viral TikTok video showing Gary singing along to Take That at a concert, which has been viewed over two million times.
Gary's Viral Moment and Diagnosis
Gary was diagnosed with dementia five years ago at the age of 51. The TikTok clip, filmed by Natasha, captures Gary singing word-for-word to a Take That song during their concert. Natasha described the moment as magical, saying, "Whenever there's music, especially something like Take That that he loves, it's like Alzheimer's disappears. It brings back Gary."
During the interview, Susanna asked Gary how much he loves Take That, and he made a noise of delight. When asked if he enjoyed singing along, Gary responded, "Oh, Aye." Natasha added, "We've lost a lot of conversations, a lot of our Gary. He can't remember a lot of things, but when the music comes on, word for word, he remembers."
The Struggle for Diagnosis
Susanna highlighted how tough it is for the family, given Gary's young age at diagnosis. Natasha explained that before the diagnosis, they knew something was wrong, but it was initially dismissed because of his age. Gary was a self-employed joiner who could do anything, but suddenly lost confidence and struggled with simple tasks like making a sandwich or a cup of coffee.
Natasha said, "We knew there was something wrong, but because he was so young, I just kept getting told, 'It can't be Alzheimer's, it can't be dementia, it must be something else.' It took a long time and a lot of pushing at the doctors to get testing, probably about 18 months until I finally got the diagnosis, which, as devastating as it was, it was a relief to know I wasn't going crazy."
Viewer Reactions
Viewers took to social media to express their emotions. One person wrote, "God bless Gary. Dementia is a terrible disease, but I am pleased music helps him." Another commented, "I'm glad Gary's singing makes the family feel something positive from this horrible disease." A third said, "This is devastating. Gary is 56. It's so heartbreaking. Dementia diagnosed 51." Another added, "Oh, Gary. Dementia is such a cruel disease."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV from 6am.
