Harry Gration: Christine Talbot leaves emotional tribute following funeral of BBC Look North star

Harry was “a Yorkshire legend” and the service at York Minster “totally” reflected that, she said.

“It has been a very emotional day but it’s been wonderful,” said Christine who attended the funeral “fittingly” held at York Minster on Yorkshire Day.

“A dear friend not just to me but a friend to all of us who have watched him on our screens for over 40 years,” said Christine, a former ITV Calendar Presenter who has hosted events with the BBC Look North star.

She said it was a special day, remembering all aspects of his life with colleagues Amy Garcia and Keeley Donovan leading tributes and his wife Helen and sons Harrison and Harvey who all spoke at the service.

Christine said his son Harrison, who is a“talented” singer, sang at the funeral and she knows how “proud” that would have made Harry.

“I know Harry would have been completely overwhelmed and wouldn't have believed it was all for him,” added Christine.

“He was a very modest man and never quite accepted how much he was loved and how much a part he was of the fabric of all our lives.”

The biggest and “most overwhelming” moment, according to Christine, was leaving the funeral seeing all the hundreds of people who had gathered outside to pay their respects.

As she raises a glass of Harry’s favourite white wine in the video, she added: “Goodbye and we love you to a man that was so special to all of us. Going to miss you Harry and we love you.”

Harry joined the BBC in 1978 after working as a history teacher, and joined Look North in 1982, although he left for a spell working on BBC South Today in the 1990s.

Harry, alongside his Look North counterpart Christa who also grew up in Bradford, was given an honorary degree at Bradford University.

In a tribute Christa said: “We both smiled at each other. Two Bradford kids from ordinary backgrounds being given honorary degrees. He was so proud to represent Yorkshire. What a man he was.

“He wasn’t a professional Yorkshireman, he was a proud Yorkshireman.”