Denise Robertson

This Morning broadcasts live from home city funeral of Denise Robertson

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• published: 14 Apr 2016
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Phillip Schofield and Willoughby led ITV broadcast outside Sunderland Minster ahead of this afternoon's service Thousands of fans and a host of celebrities gathered in her home city after she died from cancer at 83 last month Willoughby recalls her as ‘the matriarch’ of This Morning while Eamonn Holmes says her death has been 'difficult' Robertson began work as agony aunt after receiving responses from readers to articles she wrote about struggles Britain bid a fond farewell to TV agony aunt Denise Robertson today as thousands of fans and a host of celebrities gathered in her home city. Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby led a This Morning broadcast before the funeral at Sunderland Minster to give a ‘fitting send off' to Robertson. The ITV presenters anchored the show before her life was remembered this afternoon following her death last month at 83 from pancreatic cancer. The hosts recalled fond memories of Robertson, with Schofield left in tears, while Rylan Clark-Neal and Lorraine Kelly stood in for them back in London. Fans lined the streets of Sunderland as close friends and family of the agony aunt – including her widower Bryan Thubron - entered the minster. A pub called Establishment was bearing a large bright pink banner adorned with a picture of her which read: ‘RIP Sunderland Rose #DeniseRobertson’ The bells of the minister rang out as the hoarse arrived followed by four black limousines. The coffin was covered in white and yellow floral tributes. Members of her grieving family followed the coffin up the minister steps as it was carried by six pall bearers. The service, which began at 1pm, was followed by a private family burial a couple of miles away at Sunderland Cemetery in Grangetown. Her son Mark said at the funeral: ‘Imagine having no idea how many people you had helped in the world, even if you rounded it up to the nearest million. ‘When mum took on her role at ITV it was on strict understanding that they would help every correspondent, not just those who made it to air.' He added: ‘She was a mother not to just my brothers, our extended families and myself, but to everyone she ever came into contact with. ‘She managed to give love to half the nation whilst still managing to make me feel more adored than I thought humanly possible.’ Also during the service, Holmes spoke movingly of the colleague he had known since they worked together at the BBC in the 1980s. He said: ‘You think when you leave school or university or college that's you finished with passing tests - until you met Denise Robertson, the matriarch of studio eight. ‘Never was there a more shrewd judge of character. ‘She could spot a fake at a hundred paces but once you were in as a graduate of the Robertson Academy of Life then you had a mum, an aunt, a best friend, a shoulder to cry on and a friend for life.’ Holmes told mourners his friend had saved many desperate people's lives with her support which lasted well past any broadcast when people rang in with problems.