Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid was visibly emotional as she interviewed the parents of the Southport victims, who shared their heart-wrenching final moments with their daughters on their first TV appearance.
During Monday’s (February 10) programme, Susanna spoke with the parents of Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, whose tribute to their “beautiful” daughters moved everyone watching.
The families recounted the tragic events of July 2024, when six-year-old Bebe and seven-year-old Elsie were fatally stabbed by Axel Rudakubana during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, along with nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar.
Bebe’s parents, who remain anonymous for legal reasons, tearfully described their daughter’s last moments at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and expressed gratitude towards the hospital’s Snowdrops Bereavement Suite staff for allowing them a “profound” final week with Bebe.
“She was in her pyjamas, we read to her. The family visited her in the final day. We lay next to her and we did our final goodbye,” said Bebe’s mother, recounting the precious time they spent with their daughter, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“We had the most beautiful and profound week with Bebe. It’s not what any other parent would ever want to go through, but we saw her, and we were with her, and she was beautiful. She was at peace, she just looked like she was asleep.
“And at first, it was really quite traumatic, but since last week, we just realised what a huge gift that was for us because she was at peace and that’s how I want her to be remembered.”
Elsie’s parents, Jenni and David reminisced about their daughter’s life and the serenity they now feel.
Jenni shared her belief in Elsie’s inherent goodness: “From day one, I’ve always said, ‘Elsie didn’t know bad.’ She was fearless in a sense,” before David chimed in, praising her courage: “She was so brave.”
The couple also recounted the unforgettable experience of meeting Taylor Swift after the pop star extended an invitation to them at Wembley, saying, “If Elsie knew that Taylor knew her, it’s like all her dreams had come true.”
Jenni and David discussed their interaction with the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, expressing their support for plans to initiate a public inquiry to hold individuals accountable for certain decisions. They spoke warmly of the overwhelming support from their community: “Our town, our country has shown us nothing but support, compassion, and love. We started a charity called Elsie’s Story,” they added.
They opened up about their emotional journey, sharing, “There have been so many times when we’ve said, ‘We’ll never feel ‘true’ happiness again, ever.’ It might just be a little bit of something when we make another child smile for Elsie.”
Susanna, deeply moved during a conversation with Ed Balls, relayed her feelings upon speaking with Elsie’s parents: “I felt when I was talking to the parents, I said, ‘It feels like your daughters are here.’ And they said that they feel their presence,” as she struggled to hold back tears.
“They want to keep that spirit alive, and I feel when you listen to the interviews… you feel that, you feel the spirit and the essence of those girls through the wonderful words and courage of their parents.”
The bereaved families also voiced their opinion that the sentencing of the culprit behind their daughters’ deaths should not have been broadcasted, expressing a desire for their girls to be remembered for their “pure light” and “pure joy”, rather than the dark events that took their lives.
Axel Rudakubana was handed down a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years, marking it as one of the most substantial minimum sentences on record.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.