David Beckham, Lewis Hamilton and Geri Horner led the celebrity tributes to WWII hero Captain Moore on Thursday, as the veteran completed his charity walk, raising more than £14million for the NHS.
Captain Tom, 99, completed his target of 100 around his garden at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, on Thursday- a fornight before his 100th birthday on April 30 – in a fundraiser which has united the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sharing a photo of the inspirational veteran before the total hit £14million, former footballer David wrote: ‘Truly inspiring. So amazing to see that @captaintommoore reached his goal of 100 laps around his garden whilst raising over £13million for the NHS.’
You did it! David Beckham led the celebrity tributes to WWII hero Captain Moore on Thursday, as the veteran completed his charity walk, raising more than £13million for the NHS
Inspirattion: Captain Tom, 99, completed his target of 100 around his garden at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, on Thursday- a fornight before his 100th birthday on April 30 – in a fundraiser which has united the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic
The ex England captain was among a wave of famous faces praising Captain Tom’s selfless action and fundraiser.
Singer Peter Andre, 47, wrote: ‘Captain Tom Moore deserves a knighthood. Raising £12 million for the NHS. What a great man he is.’
Body Coach star Joe Wicks, 33, who himself has been trending worldwide for his online P.E classes, wrote: ‘Huge congratulations to @captaintommoore today for completing his challenge and raising just over £13million for @NHS.
‘With the aid of a walking frame, he completed 100 laps of the 25-metre (82ft) loop in his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, in 10-lap chunks before his 100th birthday on 30 April. Let’s hit like and congratulate him for this amazing achievement in the comments below.’
Praise you: Geri Horner and Lewis Hamilton also praised the WWII veteran for his charitable act
Praise: Sharing a photo of the inspirational veteran, former footballer David wrote: ‘Truly inspiring
Legend: Spice Girl Geri Halliwell offered her congratulations on social media
Wow: F1 driver Lewis Hamilton said he was ‘blown away’ by Captain Tom’s achievement
F1 driver Lewis Hamilton wrote: ‘What a legend! Captain Tom Moore is a total inspiration, raising over £13million for the NHS.’
‘I am blown away by his amazing achievement. Congratulations Captain Tom, we could all learn something from you!’
Comedian Paddy McGuinness wrote: ‘What about this gent and the generosity of everyone here in the UK and around the world! Generosity, bravery, will power, human spirit. Captain Tom Moore, not just a national treasure but an international one as well!!!’
His model wife Christine, 31, added: ‘Captain Tom Moore, who served during WW2, has completed the hundredth length of his garden raising over £12 million for the NHS before his 100th birthday #WellDoneTom #Legend.’
Chef Jamie Oliver, 44, shared a photo of Captain Tom with the caption ‘well done’ as he showed his support.
Presenter and former SAS serviceman Bear Grylls added: ‘Powerful moment, worthy of all of our respect.’
Support: Singer Peter Andre, 47, wrote: ‘Captain Tom Moore deserves a knighthood. Raising £12 million for the NHS. What a great man he is’
Wopw: Presenter and former SAS serviceman Bear Grylls added: ‘Powerful moment, worthy of all of our respect’
Success story: Body Coach star Joe Wicks, 33, who himself has been trending worldwide for his online P.E classes, wrote: ‘Huge congratulations to @captaintommoore today for completing his challenge and raising just over £13million for @NHS
Landmark: Chef Jamie Oliver, 44, shared a photo of Captain Tom with the caption ‘well done’ as he showed his support
Presenter Helen Skelton, 36, wrote: ‘Buzzing. Wonderful. Just b****y emotional.’
Former Olympian Sally Gunnell, 53, wrote: ‘Captain Tom Moore, you are such an inspiration!’.
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, 47, wrote: ‘Inspirational! Congratulations!’
People from 53 different countries have now donated more than £13million to Captain Tom Moore’s fundraiser for the NHS as he achieved his goal of 100 laps of his garden.
Captain Moore’s incredible achievement on his JustGiving page, began with an initial target of £1,000 when he began fundraising just over a week ago.
The fundraising campaign was launched last Thursday, and soon hit its initial target within the first 24 hours. By Saturday, he reached a second target of £100,000.
Landmark: Comedian Paddy McGuinness wrote: ‘What about this gent and the generosity of everyone here in the UK and around the world!’
Support: His wife Christine also wrote a supportive message praising ‘legend’ Tom
Inspiration: Former Olympian Sally Gunnell branded Tom an ‘inspiration’
Emotional: Helen Skelton couldn’t contain her emotion as Tom completed his task
But the campaign then really gained momentum after he appeared on BBC Radio 2 and spoke to the singer Michael Ball, getting the funds to £250,000 by Sunday.
Tuesday saw the £1million level hit, before Captain Moore got to £5
illion yesterday morning. By late afternoon it was at £8million – and the figure got to £10million at 11pm last night.
Asked about the rapid rise in donations, Captain Moore told the Daily Mail: ‘Suddenly we were on £50,000. Then £100,000. Now the figures are just unbelievable.
‘Three, four, five million. I turn my back for a few minutes, and it’s shot up again. It’s astonishing money. The sort of money you just can’t visualise.
‘The response has been miraculous. It’s been a bit of a surprise and I am so grateful that everyone seems to want to support it.’
Among those praising his efforts from abroad in a compilation video shown on BBC Breakfast today was former New York judge Judy Sheindlin, better known as TV personality Judge Judy.
She said: ‘Captain Moore, we are truly impressed on this side of the pond. I think you are remarkable, I think what you have done is an inspiration, so congratulations.’
Captain Moore completed the final four of the laps at his home this morning, with a special guard of honour by the 1st battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment.
Wow: Tom’s campaign was nearing the £14m mark on Thursday afternoon
Speaking at the finish line, he said he felt ‘fine’ and that he was ‘surrounded by the right sort of people’.
Of the coronavirus pandemic, he told BBC Breakfast: ‘We will get through it in the end but it might take time, but at the end of the day we shall all be okay again.’
He said plans for his party have been affected by the virus, and he joked everyone would have to keep six metres away from him ‘because I must be something horrid’.
He added that the national outpouring of love and support for him was ‘a party enough for me’.
Captain Moore was given a special mention in a press briefing yesterday by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who described him as an ‘inspiration’.
After being told he had become the largest single fundraiser for the JustGiving donation site, Captain Moore said he would continue with his fundraising.
There have been multiple calls for him to receive a knighthood for his charitable actions, and there is an online campaign for children to make him birthday cards.
His daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, told the BBC that the amount raised was ‘beyond our wildest expectations’.
Incredible: Captain Moore completes the 100th length of his back garden in Bedfordshire on Thursday