Ed Balls and Susanna Reid appeared emotional as they welcomed one of their latest guests onto Good Morning Britain. The duo were back on screens on Wednesday morning (September 28) as they continued their partnership fronting the ITV daytime programme.
During the latest edition of the show, Ed and Susanna were joined live in the studio by former Educating Yorkshire star Musharaf Asghar. Almost ten years ago, in 2013, the then schoolboy captured the nation's hearts after he appeared in the Channel 4 show which aimed to show what it's like to grow up or work in a secondary school in the heart of a diverse northern community.
And viewers watched as Musharaf, a then secondary school student, battle with a severe speech impediment. And in a poignant moment reminiscent of King George VI, the subject of the Oscar-winning film The King's Speech, Mushy used music to help get control over his stammer.
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As he worked on his speech, at the end of the series Musharaf gave an incredible speech in front of his fellow pupils and teachers, many of who were reduced to tears. And viewers have seen been interested in his journey which has seen him go on to graduate from university with a degree in broadcast journalism and become a public speaker.
After re-ariing the clip of Musharaf giving his speech, Ed and Susanna appeared emotional. A teary-eyed Ed said: "Oh my gosh, it gets you every time." Before Susanna, who admitted to welling up, said: "Congratulations Mushy. Honestly, I feel like a proud mum. What was it like for you to watch that back?"
He replied: "It’s an amazing thing watching it back." But he jokingly added: “I always wish, ‘If only I had a haircut at the time’. That’s something I never really took into account. I thought it would be okay, but it really wasn’t at the time." The hosts soon asked Mushy about the impact his teacher Mr Burton had on him, to which the 26-year-old said he would not be there without the support he received at school.
"I can't sit here and say, ‘I did this and achieved this’, without expressing how important it was having Mr Burton – it’s weird I still call him that – but having the support I did was huge," he said. "It was just about embracing who I truly was. As a kid, I used to hide away from all these speaking opportunities.
"I hated that I had this problem that made me seem like I couldn't really achieve anything at all. He made me own it and say, ‘It’s okay, we don’t need to find this magical cure, it’s just about accepting who you are’. It gradually changed how I saw who I was as a person."
They then surprised Mushy by getting Mr Burton on the show via video link. "When you get into teaching you want to genuinely make a positive difference every day," he said as he appeared live from his classroom. "I’m sitting here listening to him and I’m incredibly proud of the young man he has become.
"We were fortunate that moment was captured on some cameras and then went out on Channel 4, but that happens every single day, every single moment, every single lesson."
And GMB viewers were quick to heap praise on Mushy and Mr Burton following their appearance on the show. @IckieBickie tweeted: "Musharaf is incredibly inspirational. What a great guy #gmb." @g_r_d_williams commented: "#gmb how can you not feel emotional watching Musharaf Asghar and his stammer journey to where he is now."
@annemarie6377 shared: "Brilliant to see Musharaf Asghar on #gmb just now 10 years on from #EducatingYorkshire Such a lovely story and great to see Mushy doing so well." @SnowAndBeach added: "Great to see @GMB highlighting Musharaf Asghar this morning & his struggles with a #Stammer. #EducatingYorkshire was an incredible insight into the classroom. It just shows that having a disability won’t hold you back. If you believe, you will achieve! #GMB."
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