Captain Tom Moore's family 'feeling a bit of pressure' over attention, says Nick Knowles

Amy Johnson
99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore, poses with family members, from left, grandson Benji, daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and granddaughter Georgia, at his home in Marston Moretaine, England, Thursday April 16, 2020, after he achieved his goal of 100 laps of his garden. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
99-year-old war veteran Captain Tom Moore, poses with family members, from left, grandson Benji, daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and granddaughter Georgia, at his home in Marston Moretaine, England, Thursday April 16, 2020, after he achieved his goal of 100 laps of his garden. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Captain Tom Moore has made international headlines with his efforts to raise millions of pounds for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden. But some of the attention he and his family have received has been "oppressive", according to Nick Knowles.

The 99-year-old, who completed his laps well ahead of his 100 birthday on 30 April, lives in Bedfordshire with his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, son-in-law Colin Ingram and two grandchildren.

Knowles spoke to Lorraine Kelly on Good Morning Today on Wednesday live from his home in the Cotswolds where he revealed he'd been asked to help "keep them safe".

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"He’s done an extraordinary thing," The DIY SOS presenter remarked. "I think it’s over 27 million now and when they started it was to raise a thousand pounds.

Nick Knowles appeared on GMB and spoke about helping out Captain Tom Moore and his family. (ITV)
Nick Knowles appeared on GMB and spoke about helping out Captain Tom Moore and his family. (ITV)

"But the world’s attention has been quite oppressive as well as beneficial. They’re very grateful. They want things to keep going and the money they’re raising is very important, but they’re also feeling a bit under pressure.

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"Through a friend of theirs I got asked to join in and help out and do a couple of things to keep them safe, and I’ve managed to do that. He’s an amazing man and the family are really lovely too, and I was happy to help out there."

He added: "There’s a bunch of people who are able to still work and are two metres apart and we’ll be putting some extra protection for them."

British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, poses with his walking frame doing a lap of his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine, 50 miles north of London, on April 16, 2020. - A 99-year-old British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore on April 16 completed 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising challenge for healthcare staff that has "captured the heart of the nation", raising more than £13 million ($16.2 million, 14.9 million euros). "Incredible and now words fail me," Captain Moore said, after finishing the laps of his 25-metre (82-foot) garden with his walking frame. (Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
British World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, poses with his walking frame doing a lap of his garden in the village of Marston Moretaine, 50 miles north of London, on April 16, 2020. (Photo by Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

At present, Moore has raised over £28 million to support NHS charities during the coronavirus pandemic through his JustGiving page.

He had originally hoped to raise £1,000 by walking the 100 laps of his garden.

The website has said the war hero became the platform's biggest ever fundraiser after surpassing the previous record held by Stephen Sutton MBE.

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