This Morning hosts Eamonn Holmes, 60, and Ruth Langsford, 60, welcomed Tommy, 82, to the show to share some of his greatest memories of the late Bobby Ball. The comedian passed away on Wednesday after testing positive for coronavirus, with his family breaking the news to the nation in a heartfelt announcement. Watching at home, ITV viewers were left emotional as they felt the guest’s pain over losing his best friend.
Taking to Twitter, one viewer wrote: “Tommy Cannon on This Morning, this is hard to watch. Making me cry within seconds.”
Another added: “Oh Tommy Cannon is breaking my heart talking about Bobby Ball. There’s friendship and then there’s what they had. A lifetime. #thismorning.”
Whilst a third commented: “Ahh Tommy Cannon speaking about Bobby Ball is so heartbreaking, bless him #ThisMorning @thismorning.”
“Ah God – crying at Tommy talking about Bobby. So sad. #ThisMorning,” a fourth remarked with a fifth sharing: “This is heartbreaking you can see how much Tommy is hurting #ThisMorning.”
A sixth paid their respect by posting: “While I wish I could give Tommy Cannon an actual hug, I’ll just do this instead #ThisMorning #RIPBobbyBall.”
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The interview on This Morning was one of the first times Tommy has publicly spoken about his friend’s passing since the news broke on Thursday.
Asked how he was dealing with the loss of Bobby, the comedian said: “I don’t know where I am. I can’t believe he’s passed away.
“I can’t quite make sense of it,” the guest said as his voice began to break, adding he “loved [his comedic partner] to bits.
“We had a great career and I have some great memories to look back on,” the tearful stage performer told the presenters.
“Suddenly he passed away. It was so quick,” Tommy added, before telling the presenters his lifelong friend was “now at rest”.
“He’ll be up there will all his pals and he’ll be singing a light,” the stage performer explained whilst speaking from his home in York.
“A big chunk of me has gone. I don’t think I will ever get over it,” the emotional guest told his interviewers.
Bobby’s sons Rob Harper and Darren Harper appeared on Good Morning Britain on Friday and also paid tribute to their late father.
The brothers explained how they had shared the stage with Bobby and Tommy only three weeks before their father’s passing as they are a comedy duo as well.
Speaking about the comedian’s admission to hospital, Darren said: “I was FaceTiming him three times a day, he was joking and chatting with the nurses.
“Then he declined and was going in the wrong direction,” he said before adding he was honoured to have shared the stage with such an icon.
“To work with them both absolute legends we can never fill his shoes, he’s our dad – a legend.”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
