Reuben’s Retreat founder Nicola Graham says actress Julie Hesmondhalgh is ‘one in a million’ after she won £64,000 for the charity on a TV quiz show.
Julie, who starred as Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street and played Suzanne Sercombe, the partner of Alan Bates in the ITV drama Mr Bates v the Post Office, won the money on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Celebrity Special, which aired on Sunday night.
Julie is a patron of Reuben’s Retreat and told presenter Jeremy Clarkson the charity is ‘run by my friend Nicola after she lost her little boy Reuben to cancer aged 23 months’.
She said: “She set up this amazing charity that supports families living with child loss or families with children with medical complexities. They offer counselling and respite, and breaks away to help people rebuild and recharge.
“They have taken over an old converted hospital in Glossop near where I live and they are doing the final phase of the build now so anything that I can take away today will be so useful.”
Julie decided to take the money after being stumped on the £125,000 question (pictured below).
Nicola posted on the Reuben’s Retreat Facebook page to say: “It made me teary when I watched this. You can hear everyone rooting for Julie in their applause.
“There were so many deserving charities that Julie could’ve chosen and we are so, so pleased. Julie, you really are One In A Million.”
