Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid rushed to comfort a grieving guest during Tuesday's (November 25) live broadcast. The ITV host was visibly moved as she spoke with Debbie Duncan, mother of Jay Slater, the 19-year-old who died after going missing in Tenerife last summer.
Debbie appeared on the programme to discuss her campaign for 'Jay's Law', which aims to tackle online harassment of grieving families. She revealed she had been subjected to horrific abuse and conspiracy theories on social media, including photoshopped images of her son while he was missing.
Speaking about the ordeal, Debbie said: 'The pain of losing a child... It's not been easy, especially with all the noise in the background that continues on a daily basis.' She added that the 'dark side of social media' had led to false claims that her son's disappearance was a set-up and that she was involved.
Following the interview, Susanna reached out to comfort Debbie, saying: 'Debbie, thank you for being with us. I'm sorry for what you've been through... Honestly, I'm so sorry, so, so, so sorry. And lots of love and good luck.' The emotional moment saw Debbie fighting back tears as Susanna extended her hand.
Jay Slater's remains were discovered by a mountain rescue team in a ravine after a 29-day search. An inquest determined he died from fatal head wounds after losing his balance and falling. His mother continues to campaign for a new law to protect families from online abuse.
