Radio host tears up after pensioner tells her he'll buy late wife headstone after winning £105k

People are flooding to social media in pieces after a prize winner revealed to a radio host what's first on his list to buy.

On Wednesday (17 May), a winner was revealed for Hits Radio's Cash Register competition - a pensioner named John.

After winning the impressive figure of £105,000, John came on the show to be interviewed by presenter Hattie Pearson about how it feels to have won and what he's going to spend his prize money on.

Prepare to whip your tissues out:

John can buy his late wife the gravestone she deserves after winning £105,000 on the #CashRegister today 🥰💐 @hattiepearson pic.twitter.com/Fmyj4ntRFI

— Hits Radio (@hitsradiouk) May 17, 2023

On the show, John revealed he's never won anything before, but then added: "Well, I say I've never won anything - I've won the love of a lovely lady."

The lady in question? John's wife, Anita, who sadly passed away six years ago.

The comment caused Hattie to look extremely moved, the presenter admitting to John he'd 'made [her] a bit emotional'.

And the tugging of the heartstrings didn't stop there either.

When asked what the first purchase he's going to make will be, John responded: "I would buy a gravestone for my late wife's grave."

"When you're a pensioner, it takes a long time to save up, with the cost of stuff nowadays," he explained.

The pensioner noted that while his late wife doesn't have a headstone, he visits her every week and is going tomorrow (Saturday, 20 May) to 'put some fresh flowers on'.

"When you go and see your late wife, Anita, on Saturday at the graveyard, you've got some good news to share with her," Hattie reminded John. "You've just won £105,000 and you'll be able to get her a gravestone that she deserves."

John said: "I need five minutes before I can go anywhere. My legs are shaking, I'm shaking everywhere.

"[...] It's made me emotional. Absolutely fantastic. Thank you so, so much. You don't know what it means."

Social media users have flocked to Twitter in bits over the clip of the interview shared by Hits Radio.

One user commented: "Sobbed in the car listening to John live... Sobbed again re-listening. So glad John won."

"Chopping those onions for last nights dinner has had a delayed reaction! Blimey!!" another wrote.

A third said: "This was lovely. I was sitting listening in the car and I was over the moon John won the money x."

"I was sobbing like a baby listening to that when working this afternoon," a fourth added.

And a final resolved: "Well deserved John so cute what a fella x."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677