BBC The One Show viewers 'in bits' as hosts honour 'special' WWII veteran

The One Show viewers were left in tears after an emotional VE Day surprise aired this Thursday (May 8).

During the latest edition of the hit programme, hosts Alex Jones and Lauren Laverne discussed the latest headlines from across the UK.

As part of today's Victory in Europe commemorations, the pair introduced the One Big Thank You segment. Each week, the show praises someone who has gone the extra mile to help others in their community.

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"We have a very special One Big Thank You, because tonight, on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we're honouring 100-year-old Dorothea from Hertfordshire," Lauren began, reports .

In 1943, Dorothea Barron joined the Women's Royal Naval Service, where she worked as a signaller using semaphore and Morse code. She joined as soon as she turned 18 years old.

"To join the wrens, you had to be five foot three, but my mother's never been five foot three. What she did when she went for interview was put cardboard cut-outs in her shoes to make her a little bit taller," Dorothea's daughter, Kati, explained.

Dorothea met her husband, Andrew, after they both served during the war. Andrew was an RAF navigator and they married in 1948. After more than 70 years together, Andrew sadly passed away in 2021.

Now, Dorothea continues to campaign to keep the memory of her fellow veterans alive.

To thank her for all her hard work, winner Leanne Quigley surprised Dorothea with her own military flypast as RAF Coningsby.

Dorothea was brought to tears by the surprise, saying: "I'm absolutely overwhelmed... It's been an honour to be here."

After hearing her story, the show's viewers were also left feeling emotional, with many taking to X (formerly ) to share their reactions.

"Someone pass me a tissue. Dorothea is a wonderful lady, God Bless you sweetheart," one person wrote, while another added: "Amazing lady."

"That was bloody beautiful," a third said, with another sharing: "Oh that made me cry."

A fifth viewer echoed the sentiment, saying: "God I'm in tears - Dorothea is incredible," with another writing: "In absolute bits here."

The One Show airs weeknights on BBC One at 7pm