Overview

• Sophie Raworth led the BBC’s VE Day 80th anniversary coverage on May 5, 2025, just days after her father, Richard Raworth, passed away.
• Richard Raworth, 83, died peacefully following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, as confirmed by the family in a public statement.
• The VE Day events featured Timothy Spall reading Churchill’s victory speech, military marches, and an aerial display by the Red Arrows and a Lancaster Bomber.
• Raworth’s professionalism during the broadcast was praised by colleagues, despite her private grief over her father’s death.
• In 2021, Raworth ran the London Marathon to raise funds for Parkinson’s research, dedicating the effort to her father’s battle with the disease.