Judge Robert Rinder has finally reunited with his Strictly Come Dancing partner's grandparents in war-torn Ukraine, but says they are in desperate need of a wheelchair and medication.
The country has been defending itself against Russian invasion since February and Robert, 43, told fans last week he was doing his best to reach the elderly couple.
The criminal barrister has now reunited with the pair and shared a picture of Oksana Platero's 95-year-old grandma in Poland.
But during an appearance on Tuesday’s This Morning, the TV presenter spoke with hosts Phillip Schofield and Josie Gibson about the difficulty the elderly couple are still facing after crossing the Polish border.
Speaking to the ITV daytime programme from the border to Ukraine, Rob said: "It's been such a gift to be able to give something back to Oksana - as silly as it is against this background - there was such joy in Strictly and I loved every bit of it.
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"Then I discovered that her family were trying to flee Ukraine, avoiding shelling and managed to cross the border a couple of days ago."
He continued: "This is a story that illustrates the situation people find themselves in. The 95-year-old grandma doesn't have a wheelchair, so we have to source that. They don't have their medication.
"Hopefully, we're going to get hold of as much as we can and finally go and reunite them with he stuff they need tomorrow morning."
Rob Rinder has urged the UK government to “cut the red tape” for Ukrainian refugees at the Polish border during an earlier appearance on Good Morning Britain.
Speaking to ITV hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley live from Przemsyl station in Poland, Rob detailed that while thousands of British people want to house refugees and help in any way they can, the UK government needs to make the processes easier.
“All it needs is administrative help on the ground,” he explained. “There’s so much charity but it’s not enough.”
“People should know what happened in the past or we’re doomed to repeat it. It is repeating itself. It’s hard to believe this is 2022. The trains arrive infrequently, when they do, it is women, it is children, it is babies in mothers’ arms. They arrive cheek to jowl, a sea of humanity, often with just one suitcase or the clothes on their back.”
His former Strictly partner Oksana Platero also dialed into the programme from Florida to share her relief that her grandparents escaped from their war torn home country.
This comes after Robert shared with fans: “Oksana’s grandma is 95. She spent a week fleeing Russian shelling & FINALLY crossed the Polish border with no wheelchair, food or medical supplies but she is resolute & strong.
“She remembers the last war & knows that ultimately they will return home and Tyranny will fail.”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV Hub.
