Rob Rinder has opened up about the situation on the Ukraine-Poland border after returning to the UK from his search for Strictly Come Dancing partner Oksana Platero’s grandparents.
The criminal barrister, 43, has been reporting from the front line and told last week how he was heading to the war-torn country in search of his former dance partner's family members.
The TV star has been documenting his trip to the Poland border to Ukraine, where he had emotional meeting with Oksana's 85-year-old grandfather and 95-year-old grandmother.
During an appearance on Friday’s instalment of Lorraine, Rob appeared in the studio to describe his stint on the border of the war torn country and the “spirit of Dunkirk” he saw there.
He told host Lorraine Kelly about his relationship with Oksana: “People watch Strictly and think it’s a load of hoo-ha when we say we’ll be friends forever.
“It’s TV, but actually, we did become close and as soon as I saw what was happening in Ukraine, we got in touch.”
Rob shared snaps earlier this week hugging Oksana’s aunt and grandma, as the two women looked visibly emotional, and told Lorraine that Oksana’s grandma Zoya wasn’t able to get out of bed before fleeing Ukraine.
Rob said: “They really went through a trauma of being able to cross. Disabled people escaped with whatever they could - so no wheelchair or any of the medical stuff they needed.
“They had absolutely nothing when we arrived except each other. We gave them what we could - a wheelchair, this and that. They gave us tea and when you see her auntie giving me a hug, they said despite having nothing, they were grateful for absolutely everything.
“She rested her head on my shoulder and just said thank you. What this crisis also brings home is: Hold your family close. Hold democracy close.”
Rob said that Oksana's grandparents and aunt are currently staying in a small room in a “chalet bungalow” in Tuchow, Poland.
Robert and Oksana reached the quarter-final stage of Strictly, when they competed together in 2016.
Earlier this week, Robert said it was unclear where he could meet Oksana's grandparents, but he was hoping to meet them somewhere on Ukraine's border with Poland.
In the meantime, Rob stationed himself at the Ukraine-Poland border, where he said he saw “the greatest of humanity”.
He said: “There was a great big table giving out food, there were British ex-serviceman who had driven 30 hours with equipment, ambulance drivers on their days off, policemen giving out whatever people needed as they arrived.
“There was so much human decency there, giving out whatever aid they could. Every other reporter, despite all the horror we’re seeing, will tell you the same thing.
“Of course we need to be doing more - governments need to get the administrative stuff in place - but they come away with this overwhelming sense that confronted by horror, humankind will step up and, especially the British, do their very best.”
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV
