EMMA WILLIS
All the fun of the fair as she makes a dream come true for brave youngsters
Spinning around on a carousel, as Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man and a variety of Disney princesses run riot around her, Emma Willis is having the time of her life.
While the TV presenter has enjoyed fun trips to Disney’s resorts with her own three children in the past, today she’s especially proud to be sharing the experience with dozens of seriously ill youngsters.
Emma, 45, joined families as they were treated to a mini-break, after their holiday dreams were put on hold because of the pandemic.
Deciding that if the children couldn’t go to Disney, then Disney would come t o them, the entertainment conglomerate teamed up with charities Make-A-Wish UK and The Kentown Wizard Foundation to create the first Disney Wish Experience, transforming a Hampshire hotel into a magical wonderland.
“Disney is the perfect escapism and these kids and families definitely deserve that,” Emma tells
hello!. “They are all remarkable. They are struggling and fighting constantly, and yet when you look at the smiles on their faces, they are just so immersed in this little world that’s been created for them.”
Over three weeks, 150 families will enjoy a three- day immersive holiday at the Elvetham Hotel, where activities include breakfast with Mickey and friends, a Toy Story carnival and a visit from Frozen characters Elsa, Anna and Olaf.
HEART-WARMING
Emma, who has Isabelle, 12, Ace, nine, and five-year-old Trixie with musician husband Matt, adds: “It’s your worst nightmare that something might happen to the people that are most precious to you, but today is about these children being joyful and putting aside the reality of what happens day to day.”
Presenter Stephen Mulhern, who joined Emma at the event, adds: “It’s heartbreaking but it’s also incredibly heart-warming.”
Having spent their own summer holiday in Cornwall, Emma and Matt are likely to return to Florida’s
Disney World in the future if their kids have their way.
“They want to go five times a year, so I try and take them once every five years,” she says with a laugh. “I never went to Disney as a kid – we couldn’t afford it – so I see it as a treat.”
But Stephen, 44, and his parents Christopher, 76, and Maureen, 71, are regulars at the resort.
“I take them every year; they love it,” he says. “They even have the seven dwarves on their mantelpiece.”
Emma and Matt are preparing to spend the coming months apart as the Busted bassist and actor goes on tour in musical Waitress. Meanwhile, the couple recently completed training to administer the Covid-19 vaccine and Emma is looking forward to doing her first shift as a volunteer.
Having trained as a maternity care assistant on the show Delivering Babies, the star seems to have a ready-made back-up career. “I love it,” she says.
“I love the environment of hospitals and I’m fascinated with bodies – that was my career choice before I got into the world of telly and modelling. It’s always good to have a plan B.”
‘ Disney is the perfect escapism and these kids deserve that’