Cat Deeley broke down in tears as she watched a tribute video dedicated to Rob Burrow on This Morning on Tuesday.
The TV presenter and her co-host Ben Shephard were joined by Agony aunt Deidre to speak about grief following the tragic news of Rob’s passing.
Cat told This Morning viewers: ‘Just a quick word about our phone in. Yesterday, we spoke about the devestating news that former English rugby league player Rob Burrow passed away peacefully over the weekend aged 41 with a battle with motor neurone disease.’
Ben said: ‘Last night his family released a very touching message from Rob, recorded before he passed away, let’s take a look.’
After the heartbreaking video was played, Cat broke down and began to cry as she barely control her upset and tried to fight back her tears.
Cat Deeley broke down in tears as she watched emotional tribute video dedicated to rugby star Rob Burrow on This Morning on Tuesday
Offering his co star some support Ben asked: ‘Are you alright?’
Cat sadly shook her head and said: ‘No, I told you I watched it this morning.’
With her voice cracking with emotion, Cat tried to read her next lines on the autocue and carry on the show.
Filling with her tears, she said: ‘Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things we’ll ever go through, which is why Deirdre is here to help manage your grief today.’
Rob sadly passed away after a brave battle with motor neurone disease, Leeds Rhinos announced.
He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019, just two years after retiring from a 17-season rugby league career.
Rob passed away peacefully at Pinderfield’s Hospital near his home surrounded by his loving family after becoming ill earlier this week.
Her tearful display comes just hours after a pre-recorded video of Rob was released were he calls his best friend and teammate Kevin Sinfield his ‘guardian angel’ in footage released only after his death.
The pre-recorded video was released of the former rugby icon’s last message to his friends, family, and the world.
He emotionally thanks his best friend Kevin, calling him his ‘guardian angel’.
After video is shown of the pair hugging, Rob grins and says: ‘What can I say about Kev? Once in your life you come across a special human being.
‘I have a guardian angel looking after me.’
It comes after the former teammate of Rob became emotional on Monday as he paid tribute to the ‘superhuman’ MND campaigner after his death aged 41.
Kevin, 43, revealed the passing of his best friend was ‘pretty raw still’ as he vowed to continue raising awareness of motor neurone disease (MND) in his legacy.
Brave Rob Burrow’s heart-wrenching final words to his family and friends have been revealed
Burrow praised his best friend Kevin (above) and called him his ‘guardian angel’
Footage of Sinfield and Burrow hugging during a Leeds match was shown in the programme
Burrow and Sinfield cross the finish line of the 2023 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon which started and finished at Headingley Stadium, Leeds
Alongside his friend Kevin Sinfield (pictured together), Rob raised more than £15million
Speaking to BBC News today, Kevin described Rob as a ‘special person’ and hoped his name would ‘continue to live on forever’
Tributes laid down by members of the public outside Leeds stadium, near the statue of former Leeds Rhinos player John Holmes.
The rugby league star passed away ‘peacefully’ at hospital surrounded by his family on Sunday, five years after being diagnosed with the neurological condition.
The pair, who played alongside each other for 16 years, raised more than £15million for charity since Rob was diagnosed with the disease in 2019.
In the footage aired on BBC One, Kevin said solemnly: ‘You realise pretty quickly that this is everywhere.
‘There are thousands of others who have had their lives ravaged by such a terrible disease.’
Following footage of the marathon where kevin carried his friend across the finish line and kissed him on the cheek, which was seared into viewers’ minds, Rob joked: ‘How many people will be jealous of a smacker on the cheek?’
Earlier in the day Kevin attended a ground-breaking ceremony for a £6million MND centre at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds in his best friend’s honour.
Speaking to BBC News, he became overcome with emotion as he wished his best friend ‘could have seen the outpouring of love’ seen across Britain since his death.
Holding back the tears, he said: ‘He was so brave, so tough. I wish he could have seen the outpouring of love.
‘I think we all lose special people but its very very rare you see someone who is so special to so many different people. It’s pretty raw still and he will leave a massive hole and there will be a lot of people out there who are heartbroken this morning about the news yesterday.
‘But he cared about everybody and what’s really important is that Rob Burrow continues to live forever.
‘Our team and everybody in the community and everyone that has supported us previously, we will make sure that Rob’s name is at the forefront of everything we do going forward.
‘To see what he has done over the last four-and-a-half years. I was amazed at some of the things he has done on the rugby field.
‘To see some of the things he has done over the last four and a half years has been unbelievable.
‘The respect and love and admiration I’ve got for him couldn’t be any higher.
‘The inspiration he has given everyone across the UK who has been across this story. It will live in there memories forever.’
Rob won eight Super League titles with Leeds but retired from the sport after being diagnosed with the illness, dedicating himself to raising awareness and funds for the MND community.
The father-of-three had his devoted wife Lindsey, his three children, his parents Geoff and Irene, as well as his two sisters Joanne Hartshorne and Claire Burnett at his bedside at Pinderfields Hospital in Castleford when he passed.
Rob’s final wish had been for construction to begin on a new £6million specialist centre for people dealing the incurable illness days in Leeds before his death.
There were emotional scenes this morning as Geoff Burrow dug the first hole on the site, watched by the rest of his family and Kevin.
The family later visited the tributes laid down by members of the public outside Leeds stadium, near the statue of former Leeds Rhinos player John Holmes, while current players for the club also paid their respects this morning.
Rob’s father Geoff and Dr Agam Jung, consultant neurologist who was lead in his clinical care team, during a ground breaking ceremony at the new Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds today
The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease will help people living in and around Leeds who are battling the condition. Pictured left to right: Rob’s sister Claire Burnett, father Geoff, mother Irene and sister Joanne Hartshorne
It comes as Rob’s father revealed that the family is determined to keep fighting until a cure for MND has been found.
Speaking at the venue, Mr Burrow revealed that his son had accepted it was his time to go as he passed away over the weekend.
He said it was ‘obviously a very sad day but it was peaceful and we made sure he ended his journey on his conditions, we didn’t want any suffering and he didn’t suffer, it was very peaceful.
‘He was in hospital. He smiled, we got sad and he gave us the look, you know ‘pack it in smile’ and what have you and we did our best.’
Rob had expressed his wishes in advance about treatment at end-of-life. His father indicated that the brave former rugby league player had accepted his time was up and denied further resuscitation efforts.
Mr Burrow said: ‘I wanted to make sure it was what Rob wanted, if it hadn’t have been then you know we would have fought on. I think his body has had enough. It was on his terms.’
Adding as tears welled up: ‘When he took his final breath you think ‘what do we do’, but it was like he’d gone to heaven and I’m sure he is.’
His devoted wife Lindsey said that the father-of-three wished for ground to be broken today so work can officially begin on the new £6.8million purpose-built care centre which he spearheaded fundraising efforts for.
His mother Irene Burrow described how she was glued to the television on Monday morning, awestruck at her son’s legacy. She said: ‘I have never been so proud of the amount of publicity we’ve had and the love that everybody is giving us and it helps.
‘He was such a lovely, lovely person, anybody that met Rob would always say that and I hope we are doing him proud.’
Rob Burrow made his last public appearance with his wife Lindsey, daughters Macy and Maya, and best friend Kevin Sinfield at the Leeds Half Marathon on May 12
Rob Burrow’s family were emotional as they supported one another on Monday, just a day after the rugby league legend’s death
Rob Burrow’s father Geoff Burrow is seen talking to boxer Josh Warrington outside Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds
Rob’s mother Irene and sisters Claire and Joanne look at tributes from wellwishers after his death
His great friend Kevin Sinfield was at the ceremony but kept his thoughts to himself.
The family paid tribute to Mr Sinfield’s friendship and fundraising efforts as a true inspiration. ‘Kevin, what a tremendous guy. He [Rob] was so proud of Kev.’
Sinfield released a heartfelt statement on social media on Sunday evening following Burrow’s passing that read: ‘Today was the day that I hoped would never come. The world has lost a great man and a wonderful friend to so so many. You fought so bravely until the end and became a beacon of hope and inspiration, not only for the MND community but for all those who saw and heard your story.
‘My love and thoughts go out to your beautiful family, Lindsey, Macy, Maya, and Jackson, to your lovely parents Geoff and Irene, sisters Joanne and Claire and your wider family and friends.
‘You will continue to inspire me every single day. I have lost a dear friend and I will never forget the special times we shared both on and off the pitch. I would always say that you were pound for pound the toughest player I ever played alongside, however, since your diagnosis, you were the toughest and bravest man I have ever met.
‘The last 4 and a half years you showed the world what living and loving looked like and this was always done with the biggest smile on your face.
‘I will miss you my little mate. All my love, Kev.’
Former Leeds Rhinos player and teammate of Rob, Jamie Jones-Buchanan revealed that he had only needed to look at Kevin’s face on Sunday night to know Rob had died.
Prince William, Prince of Wales met Rob Burrow in January to congratulate him for raising awareness of Motor Neurone Disease
The rugby league coach said: ‘I’d gone to pick something up, he’d found out about 45 minutes before. When I saw his face, I could tell.
‘He was struggling, really struggling… He’s an emotional guy is Kev.
‘The overwhelming thought for me was how important it was for me to spend those moments when I got back home with my wife and kids so I just turned my phone off
‘If Rob had another 30 seconds left, I doubt he’d pick up his phone. He’d spend it with Maya, Macy, Jackson and Lindsay, and I thought that’s what I need to do.’
He said: ‘Every moment was spent doing the right thing, shining a light on the people that needed it the most, and he transcended not just the sport but the nation, and he’s raised millions, he created so much awareness for motor neurone disease.
‘He never said ‘Why me?’, he never complained, he never moaned, very stoic. He fought every minute, he was so brave.
The state-of-the-art, purpose-built Rob Burrow Centre has been designed to provide cohesive care for MND patients who have complex, changing needs.
The building will provide specialist areas for speech and language therapy, dietetics, neurology, respiratory and palliative care.
Once complete, it will also house a therapy space, procedure room and an area for patients to ‘bank’ their own voices if they use a digital aid to support communication.
