Hiding in the wings at the Alhambra, watching Bradford soldier Andy Fenton spring a surprise marriage proposal on his girlfriend Tracey at a panto matinee, I felt privileged to share such a special moment.

I was covering the event with our photographer, Lucy, and we waited with bated breath while Andy secretly changed into his uniform backstage then joined the cast during the finale.

As Tracey was led on to the stage, Andy went on bended knee and popped the question. To the delight of everyone on and off stage, she said yes. It was a lovely moment, and particularly poignant since Andy recently returned from Helmand Province.

With Andy serving in Afghanistan, the couple have spent most of the year apart. It’s something that people in the forces and their families have to get used to, but at this time of year it must be especially difficult.

During the two world wars of the 20th century, families were separated for years, and many fathers were like strangers to the young children they’d left behind. My mum was born during the Second World War and her dad, who served in the Far East and Africa, didn’t set eyes on her until she was three.

Ordinary people were made of stern stuff back then – as our military families are today.

But generally, we’ve become a nation of softies. If we’d been like this 70 years ago, most civilians wouldn’t have made it to the air raid shelters without collapsing like drama queens.

Over the past decade or so – probably since the bizarre public weeping and wailing when Princess Diana died – we have embraced a Transatlantic cry-baby culture. Celebrities and reality TV contestants seem to be particularly affected.

It baffles me when people on shows like Big Brother start blubbing as soon as they’re away from their families for 24 hours. When the schmaltzy letters from home arrive halfway through the series, everyone breaks down in tears, from middle-aged blokes to hardcore young rappers.

I wouldn’t care, but the ones on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here are only in the jungle for a couple of weeks – the length of an average summer holiday. You don’t sob uncontrollably because you’re missing your nan when you’re sprawled across a sun-lounger on the Costa, so why do it on a TV show? For as long as TV producers think crying makes good telly, there’ll be a career move in it.

Footballers, award-winners, X Factor wannabes – they all love a good self-indulgent cry. Maybe there should be a reality show that rewards contestants for dignity and self-control. Most contestants would struggle to get through the auditions.