Yahoo News This Morning viewers in tears as The Piano star opens up about dementia
A talented contestant on Channel 4's The Piano and his wife have opened up on what music means to their love story and his battle with dementia.
Watch: The Piano star Fran reveals how music helps Duncan's dementia
What did you miss?
A contestant on The Piano who has opened up on how music helps his dementia has brought This Morning viewers to tears as he and his wife shared their love story.
Duncan appeared on the Channel 4 search for talented musicians at UK train stations, where he played a piece of music that he wrote for his wife called Theme for Fran.
His story of music helping him after a dementia diagnosis moved the show's stars and now Duncan and Fran have shared more of their story about what music means to them.
What, how, and why?
Duncan and Fran won viewers' hearts in the return of Channel 4's The Piano as 80-year-old Duncan, who has played piano for his whole life, performed Theme for Fran which he had written for his wife and opened up on his dementia diagnosis.
The couple were guests on Tuesday's This Morning, where they called in from their home and Duncan played the piano for viewers after sharing more about music's effects on their lives.
Asked about Theme for Fran, which Duncan had composed for her early in their relationship, Fran said: "It was amazing when he first played it for me, I just thought it was so beautiful and the first time I'd ever had a piece of music played for me. It was so romantic and as the years have gone by it has become even more relevant in our love."
Duncan added: "We're just a pair of softies, we can't do anything about that."
He also shared that despite having followed a career as a solicitor, he had always wished he had been a pianist.
Fran said of music and Duncan's Alzheimer's disease diagnosis: "It's a real healing tool. When Duncan is playing the piano, the piano for him is an integral part of who he is. Music has this incredible ability to bridge over fragmented thoughts and memories and connects with so much more, deeper. It's absolutely remarkable, it's magical."
She added that he had been diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's and said: "We hung on to that word 'mild' and we stay as positive as we can and take each precious day as it comes. It is his happy place, he has great joy playing the piano."
Viewers were moved by Duncan and Fran's story as one person commented on X: "Love and life are so precious. But bloody hell #ThisMorning you have made me cry yet again on a Tuesday. Bless Duncan and Fran x"
Someone else added: "Duncan & Fran are such a lovely couple." Another viewer wrote: "We need more Duncan and Fran on this show."
What else has been happening on The Piano?
When Duncan appeared on Sunday's episode of The Piano, host Claudia Winkleman put up a strong argument for keeping him in the show. She told judges Mika and Lang Lang: "He is going to the concert, it is not a debate."
Lang Lang said of Theme for Fran: "It's beautiful... very romantic." Duncan said: "It just gives me such total feeling about the girl I found and the girl I married, the girl I love and always will."
Winkleman told the judges: "He is going to the concert, it is not a debate. It is important to have somebody like that and the fact he can speak through the piano."
This Morning airs on ITV1 at 10am on weekdays.
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