I was a very proud son today. My 93 year old father Bob Skinner appeared on prime time national TV to praise the care home staff who are making his life comfortable and happy despite being ‘locked down’ for a couple of weeks as the country struggles to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Dad was interviewed live on ITV’s Good Morning Britain breakfast show. He explained how the carers at Sunrise of Cardiff have provided exceptional care, despite the challenges they themselves have faced during the pandemic. Bob described how he couldn’t have been luckier to be at his Sunrise home, thanks to the exceptional care from staff who, he said, have become friends. “I couldn’t praise them high enough,” he said. “I’ve even learned to play bingo!”

Bob added that he couldn’t have managed had he still been living in his own home. (He moved to Sunrise last year, not long after Mum died.)

Dad said that not being able to see family and friends was tough, mentioning his youngest great-grandchildren, Rosa, 5, and Claudia, 2. But those days will come back.

Presenter Ranvir Singh told Dad: “I can’t imagine that the carers have a moment’s hesitation coming in to look after you, you’re an absolute pleasure to have around!” And so say all of us.

Dad told me afterwards that he made a note of the key things he wanted to get across. That’s the kind of preparation I’d expect from someone who spent sixty years in journalism and PR. What he said came from the heart.

Dad’s interview came after he started keeping a diary of these strange coronavirus days. (You can read it on his Bob the Blogger blog.) He shared it with one of his carers, and Sunrise head office in Beaconsfield heard all about. He was the obvious candidate for prime time TV when Good Morning Britain got in touch.