Fiona Bruce reveals 'incredible' Antiques Roadshow item in D-Day special

The journalist told how she hopes her own career will never include anything similar to the D-Day item included on the Antiques Roadshow.

Katie Archer
·Entertainment Reporter
·3-min read
Fiona Bruce at the British Normandy Memorial
Fiona Bruce hosted an Antiques Roadshow D-Day special. (BBC)

Fiona Bruce has shared the Antiques Roadshow D-Day item she found most moving, but admitted she hoped that she would never need to create something similar in her own career.

The BBC newsreader and TV presenter fronted a special D-Day episode of the Antiques Roadshow on Sunday, which featured a Reuters newswire confirming the invasion on the Normandy beaches.

Bruce told The One Show how she had felt seeing the historic item, and was joined on the show's sofa by Max Bowden who talked about his new role in a stage adaptation of Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong.

The presenter has seen countless incredible historic items during her time presenting Antiques Roadshow, but a recent D-Day special episode featured something that left even the seasoned broadcaster amazed.

Journalist and presenter Bruce told The One Show about the "incredible" experience of looking at a newswire announcing the D-Day invasion – and said she hoped she would never need to announce anything similar in her own career as a BBC News anchor.

Fiona Bruce at the British Normandy Memorial
Journalist Fiona Bruce said it had been emotional to see a newswire from D-Day. (BBC)

Bruce said that it had been an emotional day of filming in Normandy for the special episode, adding: "Just being there at the cemetery where so many people died, we heard and saw amazing things."

She said: "For me as a journalist the most amazing thing was a Reuters wire which announced to Britain 'the long-awaited invasion has finally begun'.

"For me to read that, I just thought, well I'm never going to write something as important as that and I seriously hope I never have to, actually. It was just incredible to have that in my hand."

Wednesday's One Show was an extended hour-long special themed on D-Day and viewers were fascinated by the stories featured from World War II veterans and their families.

One viewer commented on X: "Absolutely brilliant show tonight. Throughly enjoying it. So much bravery and sacrifice. It’s humbling."

EastEnders star Max Bowden joined Bruce on The One Show sofa to talk about his latest role in a stage adaptation of Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong, which Bruce said was "one of my favourite novels of all time".

Bowden told how he was the perfect fit to star in the First World War story because of his lifelong passion for military history.

He said: "Me and my granddad used to watch The History Channel every day growing up, so probably not quite a normal childhood, but I had such an interest in it - I always have, and military history in particular. It's important to tell the stories, a lot of them we don't hear."

Joining the show from the Normandy beaches were comedian Al Murray and presenter Vernon Kay, who said it was "probably one of the most emotional days I've ever had in broadcasting."

The One Show airs on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays.

Latest stories