Terror is a reminder of what’s important
JASON Manford has revealed the Manchester Arena terror attack made him appreciate his family more.
Ten of the 22 victims killed in the terror bombing were aged under 20.
It made Salford-born comic Jason, 40, feel lucky to still have his six kids.
He told the Daily Star Sunday: “A horrendous thing happened in my city. It was an awful episode in human history.
“It certainly makes you think. I’ve always been very protective of my children.
“We never go to sleep on an argument.
“They never go to school without a hug, even if you’ve got to run down the driveway to do it.”
Comedian Jason, inset, was among the thousands of fans who attended the touching One Love tribute concert, held 13 days after the attack at an Ariana Grande gig on May 22, 2017.
While filming his new show Starstruck, a Stars In Their Eyes-style talent series, he was reminded of the sombre mood in the city at that time.
Jason told us: “Music can take you back to the place where you first heard it. “The performers during filming for Starstruck reminded me of being sat at Old Trafford watching that concert.
“There are a lot of emotions when you hear certain songs. That’s the power of music. It was a moment. “I’ve been booked on this show to say funny things, but for this moment I took my comedy hat off to say, ‘This is how that song makes me feel and you guys performed it in such a way.’”
Jason is still haunted by what happened almost five years on from the atrocity.
But the funnyman has always refused to let it stop him and his family living a normal life.
He added: “We still go out. It hasn’t stopped us doing anything. We went to see Gary Barlow in Liverpool a while back.”
Bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi, 22, died in the blast.
His brother Hashem was jailed for a minimum of 55 years for helping to set up the attack.
Starstruck continues next Saturday on ITV.