RICHARD Madeley comforted a devastated mum on today’s Good Morning Britain after she broke down in tears over her son’s tragic death.
Jill and Stuart Atkinson appeared on the show after son James died from a severe allergic reaction.
The 23-year-old, who had a peanut allergy, called 999 himself and told operators he was going to die after eating a pizza from Dadyal Restaurant in Newcastle.
Stuart and Jill fought back tears as they recalled attending the hospital and being told James’s heart had stopped.
Jill asked medics if she could help try and resuscitate her son, but it was already too late.
At the end of the emotional interview Richard got up from his chair and consoled her with a hug as the cameras cut to an ad break.
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The parents believe the restaurant that made James’s pizza had used peanut powder and not included it on its list of allergens. Dadyal denied that was the case.
In a recent interview with The Times, Jill said: “What everybody needs is a clear, full list of ingredients on every item on a takeaway menu and a sticker on the takeaway box saying the allergens it contains.
“We’ll never know if that would have saved James, but it might have done… we just don’t want this to happen to another family.”
The 23-year-old studied at Newcastle University, and after graduating he stayed in the city and lived with friends.
Following his tragic death, the restaurant was immediately suspended from Deliveroo in July 2020.
Environmental health officials and police then confirmed it could trade again later that month.
The app has now urged customers to contact restaurants directly to ask about ingredients and cooking methods, which are displayed in the “restaurant info” section at the top of its menus.
A Deliveroo spokesperson said: “This is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the young man who so sadly passed away.
“Deliveroo has been in contact with the police, who confirmed that the company has acted properly at all times, and continues to comply fully with this investigation.
“The company will co-operate in full with the coroner’s inquest and will share all information requested by the coroner.
“We are committed to doing all we possibly can to assist this investigation and our hearts go out to all those involved.”
