Amanda Holden launches petition for Captain Tom statue

Amanda Holden has started a petition calling for a statue of Captain Sir Tom Moore to be erected outside Parliament.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge and Heart Breakfast host, 49, was among those paying tribute to the fundraising veteran following his death aged 100 on Tuesday after testing positive for coronavirus.

Writing on the Change.org website, she described Sir Tom as “a national hero who brought us all together and shone so much light in such a dark time”.

Holden continued: “Let’s show generations to come what it was to be brave, courageous and spirited with a statue of Captain Sir Tom Moore outside the Houses of Parliament forever more.

“Join me and Heart Breakfast to sign this petition to get things moving.”

More than 650 people have put their name to the petition, which is addressed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and aims to reach 1,000 signatures.

Holden said on Wednesday morning that listeners to her Heart Breakfast show had been calling for a statue of Sir Tom to be erected.

There have been widespread calls for a statue commemorating Sir Tom, who raised more than £32 million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said his legacy should be celebrated with some kind of public memorial “at the right time”.

TV presenter Nick Knowles has suggested a permanent statue on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, while Carol Vorderman said Sir Tom “deserves a stone in Westminster Abbey”.

In acknowledgement of his fundraising, Sir Tom was knighted by the Queen during an open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle in summer 2020.

For more details on the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-a-statue-for-national-hero-captain-sir-tom-moore