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Emma Thompson fought back tears after being surprised with a letter written by her late father Eric on Tuesday’s episode of The One Show.
The actress, whose father died in 1982, was stunned when she received the letter when the program showed images of Eric in his youth, joking, “He was kind of okay!”
Written by Eric, the letter asked for an audition to join the BBC after he left the military, with the actor set to create and narrate the English adaptation of the much-loved TV series The Magic Roundabout.
Sweet: Emma Thompson fought back tears after being surprised with a letter written by her late father Eric on Tuesday’s episode of The One Show
Emma was a guest on The One Show to promote the upcoming film adaptation of Matilda: The Musical, when presenters Zoe Ball and Jermaine Jenas revealed the letter written by her father.
In it, Eric asked the BBC if he could audition for them after he left the army, with host Jermain explaining: ‘There’s a letter from your father to the BBC. So he says he just left the army and has been advised to write a letter to audition for the BBC.
“And I’ll tell you what it says, so it says, ‘I have no broadcasting experience apart from an audition in Birmingham a few years ago, but I’ve had both amateur and repertory experience’.”
Family: The actress (pictured with her father and sister Sophie in 1968) received a letter her father wrote to the BBC asking for an audition
Touching: Emma was visibly moved after receiving the letter written by her father Eric. He went on to create and narrate the English adaptation of The Magic Roundabout
The letter was accompanied by the BBC audition report and photographs of Eric taken during his childhood.
Zoe added: “And the good news is, Emma, he auditioned three years later. The producers wrote a positive report about him, you can see that now, it’s so nice, isn’t it.’
She continued, “And you can see there, they noted that he had a ‘quiet charm and a twinkle and a distinct sense of humor’.”
Here it is! Hosts Zoe Ball and Jermaine Jenas handed Emma the letter, along with a BBC audition report and photos taken of Eric during his younger days
Acclaimed: Eric, who died of a heart attack in 1982, presented several TV series for the BBC, including Play School (picture hosting Playhouse – You’ve Made Your Bed: Now Lie in It in 1969)
Emma was visibly delighted with the items and told the camera, ‘My mother, who is 90, is watching this! Mom! I mean honestly, look!’
Emma looked at her father’s old snaps and added, “Look at him! He was kinda okay, wasn’t he!’
Eric presented the children’s series Playschool in the 1960s and was also the English narrator of The Magic Roundabout. After a heart attack in 1967, he turned his attention to directing.
Blast from the past: Emma was visibly impressed with the items and told the camera, ‘My mother, who is 90, is watching this! Mom! I mean honestly, look!’
He married Scottish actress Phyllida Law in 1957 and they had daughters Emma and Sophie, who is also an actress.
Emma stars as the stubborn headmistress Miss Trunchbull in the film adaptation of Matilda: The Musical, based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name.
She is married to fellow actor Greg Wise, and they share daughter Gaia, 22, and adopted son Tindyebwa Agaba, 34.
Coming Soon: Emma stars as the stubborn headmistress Miss Trunchbull in the film adaptation of Matilda: The Musical, based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name
While Gaia followed in her parents’ footsteps and pursued an acting career, Emma recently joked that she had hinted that her kids could “run a restaurant” instead.
She told Eden Confidential of the Daily Mail: “I keep saying, “I know you love acting, but you know, maybe running a restaurant can be just as exciting.”
Emma added of the talented cook, “There’s something very theatrical about restaurants – when you do it right, you feel so lucky and lucky to be in it.”
The One Show airs on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays.
Coming soon: The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One