Derry’s fundraising nurse Diana is surprised by Ant McPartlin on ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’

A well-known Derry nurse, who has raised thousands of pounds for charity, was recognised for her generosity by none other than Ant McPartlin live on ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ at the weekend.
Diana and her son, Simon, pictured on the show.Diana and her son, Simon, pictured on the show.
Diana and her son, Simon, pictured on the show.

A well-known Derry nurse, who has raised thousands of pounds for charity, was recognised for her generosity by none other than Ant McPartlin live on ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ at the weekend.

Diana Parker was delighted when she and her son, Simon, got tickets to the hugely popular ITV show for Saturday night and was hoping she might be chosen to play the ‘Win the Ads’ agme.

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However, the show and her family already had something else up their sleeves and Diana got a ‘huge shock’ when presenter Ant McPartlin called out her name and ran up to her as she sat in the audience. He then presented her with a ‘Takeaway Breakaway’ holiday. Ant, who presents the show with Declan Donnelly, told the millions of viewers watching at home: “In between her night shifts as a nurse, Diana spends her time raising money for charity by baking cakes, going on treks and abseiling and so far she has raised over £45,000.”A shocked and delighted Diana told the Journal how she thought Simon had applied for tickets and was delighted to hear they had been successful.

Diana and Simon pictured on set.Diana and Simon pictured on set.
Diana and Simon pictured on set.

I was hoping I would be called up for the ‘Win the Ads’ game and was watching the news and reading up on stuff. I kept giving Simon bits of information but he wasn’t interested. Now I know why!”The reason was because Simon, along with Diana’s other son Philip and his fiance Amy, weren’t telling the full truth. Philip and Amy had been in touch with the show about Diana’s years of fundraising for Action Cancer, the Alzheimers’ Association and Chest, Heart and Stroke. She completed her first charity trek around 2001 following the sad passing of her sister from breast cancer and has gone on to undertake has completed numerous treks in countries like Cuba and Thailand. She even completed a trek in Cambodia after undergoing a hip replacement and later this year will take on the ‘Rockies’ in Canada. Diana also raises money by baking cakes and holding raffles for Action Cancer.

She had a ‘wonderful’time at the show and said they were treated ‘so, so well.’

“It’s fantastic to see what goes on and how it all works. It was fantastic. I didn’t expect Ant to stop with me at all. I thought he was going up past me and was so shocked when he said my name.They did a good job keeping it all secret. My husband knew and my sister knew. I thought we were just going to watch the show. We got priority tickets and I kept asking Simon why. He just said he didnt know. I got such a shock, but it was fantastic.”

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Diana, a nurse at Waterside Hospital, will now choose where she wants to go on her break away and told how she has received numerous messages since her appearance on the show on Saturday night.

Diana was delighted to be gifted a break away.Diana was delighted to be gifted a break away.
Diana was delighted to be gifted a break away.

She added how she hopes it will also spur others on to take on charity work and fundraising.

“It’s just lovely to be recognised and if it gives anyone else an idea to do charity work and fundraising then all the better.”

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