Damian Lewis Pays Tribute To Helen McCrory On GMB

Damian Lewis has paid tribute to his late wife Helen McCrory today on Good Morning Britain.

Chatting to Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway about Soccer Aid, Damian, 51, spoke about his wife, who sadly passed away in April 2021 at the age of 52, following a secret battle with cancer.

You can watch the clip below:

Speaking about Helen, Damian said: "She's with us, she's with us again this year.

"... She was a fabulous human being, people from all walks of life had been in touch to say what an impact she had on their lives."

Helen sadly passed away last April. The actor and mother-of-two was also known for her roles in Skyfall and the Harry Potter movies.

Damian confirmed the tragic news in a statement at the time, saying: "I'm heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully as home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family."

Shutterstock

Helen had not publicly shared the news of her illness, and appeared on Good Morning Britain just weeks before her death to discuss her charity work for The Prince's Trust.

Helen, who played Birmingham matriarch Polly Gray in hit series Peaky Blinders, was expected to appear in season 6.

When it aired in February, it featured a tribute to the much-loved actress.

You can watch it below:

The tribute in the end credits came after Helen's character Aunt Polly was killed off screen in the intense opening episode.

Speaking to Tyla, Sophie Rundle (who plays Ada Thorne) said that Helen’s absence on set left a chasm among the cast and crew.

“Helen was really loved by people as well as her character. It’s heartbreaking, really, what happened. But she stays a fundamental part of the show and she helped make the show what it was," she said.

Meanwhile, creator Steven Knight also spoke about how the death of Helen McCrory influenced the plot of the sixth season.

At the time, Steven explained how Helen’s death was one of the reasons the team decided to end the show.

"The reason is boringly practical which is that we lost a year due to the pandemic," he said, explaining the delay of the sixth series. "The way these things are scheduled – it’s like turning an oil tanker around.

"We just felt, also with the loss of Helen [McCrory], that it all seemed to be pointing towards doing what I'm calling ‘the end of the beginning’.

"Let’s end the beginning, then let's do the film. And then let's see where we go in terms of spin offs."