A kind-hearted volunteer who has spent nearly 40 years helping struggling families is set to appear on a royal Christmas show.
Bradford PHAB Club’s Akbar Khan was invited to meet the Princess of Wales Catherine as part of ITV’s ‘Royal Carols Together At Christmas’.
The programme, airing on Christmas eve, will show the royal’s special Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey.
It will also see the Princess of Wales unveil photos, gifted by the late Queen Elizabeth II, and share festive conversations with three exceptional volunteers.
Akbar, who delivers 40-50 food parcels to families each week, was among those invited down for the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Akbar told the Telegraph & Argus: “I got a call about four or five weeks ago from the BBC and they’d seen us on The One Show when we did our Covid work. There was three of us that had been chosen from across the country, people who had gone over and beyond in the last few years in terms of supporting their communities.
“They wanted to talk to me about my experiences and helping people at Christmas.
“We met her [Princess of Wales], lovely lady as you can imagine, and she made us feel really welcome. We sat and had a cup of tea and had a chat with her.
“We all had to take a photo that meant something special for us at Christmas and talk to her about why that photo was so special.
“She’d done her homework on all three of us. She was so welcoming, so heart-warming, so down to earth. She doesn’t come across as one of the royals. She was like your auntie sat there talking away with you. She was so friendly and happy.”
Describing what he could about the photos shared by HRH Catherine, he said: “They were the royal family as you’ve never seen them before.”
After filming took place, Akbar and his family were invited to be amongst the star-studded crowd at the royal carol service.
Princess Beatrice complimented his daughter Tilly’s sparkly dress.
“It was absolutely amazing to be part of a privileged few that had been invited as part of that audience, to be that close to the royal family,” he said.
“My daughter Tilly got to speak to Princess Beatrice, she was amazing. She was really nice, she said she liked her dress. It was a girly chat.”
Speaking on his work, he said: “I’ve done it for nearly 40 years and it’s nice to be recognised and held in such high esteem. I always say we don’t do it for our own self acclaim. We do it for the people we’re supporting.
“It’s very scary. The amount of food parcels we deliver, I could do 10 times that if I had the capacity. The desperation just to put food on the table is just heart-breaking. It’s just horrendous.”
Anyone who wishes to join Bradford PHAB Club’s food parcel delivery efforts should get in touch via the charity’ website or social media pages.
ITV’s Royal Carols Together At Christmas
The Christmas carol service, recorded on December 15, hopes to recognise the selfless efforts of individuals, families and communities across the UK.
This year’s service is dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the values Her Majesty demonstrated throughout her life, including duty, empathy, faith, service, kindness, compassion and support for others.
It will also highlight the impact that coming together to support others can have.
The Princess of Wales will be joined by their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and other Members of the Royal Family.
Combining traditional and modern elements to encompass people of all faiths and none, the world-renowned Westminster Abbey choir is set to perform some of the nation’s most beloved carols, including ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’.
The carols will sit alongside musical performances by guests including Craig David, Alexis French and Samantha Barks, and a special duet from Alfie Boe and Melanie C.
Poignant readings will be delivered by speakers including The Prince of Wales, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Hugh Bonneville and Kadeena Cox.
The event will be broadcast as part of Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, a special programme narrated by Catherine Zeta Jones, airing on ITV1 from 7pm on December 24.
The show was produced by BBC Studios for ITV1 and ITVX.
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