Rita Ora reveals ‘heroic’ mum inspired her to become an NHS volunteer

Rita Ora has praised her ‘heroic’ mum Vera for inspiring her to become an NHS volunteer during the coronavirus pandemic.

The singer, 29, gushed about her proud mum, 56, during an interview on ITV’s This Morning, after Vera revealed she’s returned to work as a psychiatrist and GP during the outbreak.

Rita also told Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford she is glad to see her single How To Be Lonely has become a help to fans in their homes during the lockdown, after they created dance routines from the song on TikTok.

Rita openly shared her pride for her mum as it was revealed she had returned to the NHS frontline to help during the pandemic, and as been supporting her from afar as they isolate in separate homes.

The British hitmaker also confessed she does worry about her mum being so close to the epicentre of the virus, but has been inspired to try and help the nationwide effort as a volunteer.

She said: ‘I think my mum is truly… she thrives off doing her duty, and what made me want to volunteer is that I just found seeing it first hand this is so real that I felt like what could I possibly do? 

‘I just think it’s truly heroic, seeing all the doctors on the front line. It goes to show we as a humanity can still come together and be unified, it’s truly truly an amazing time to come out the other end and think we can do this together.’

Rita is just one over 750,000 UK residents who answered the government’s call to sign up as an NHS volunteer, to complete tasks such as the delivery of essential medicine or providing transport for those in need of medical treatment. 

Vera also joined her daughter by chatting to Eamonn and Ruth on video link, and explained that she has been specifically working with patients suffering from mental health problems.

She said: ‘I’m working as doctor psychiatrist and I have been working in the NHS for the past 15 years now, so the difference now is due to massive changes and restructure of the services, I agreed to continue working with mental health service.

‘I was looking after women, pregnant women with mental health problems but now I’m looking after people with mental health problems and COVID-19.’

Vera added that it’s been difficult keeping a distance from her daughter, saying: ‘Obviously there’s a reason for that, just because Im working full time I’m in and out of the hospital, so the safest thing for me was the stay at home and work and don’t put at risk Rita and her sister.’

Rita also chatted to Eamonn and Ruth following the release of her single How To Be Lonely, which has been spoofed and performed by fans in hilarious social media videos during the lockdown.

Speaking about the track she said: ‘I just really can’t believe how this is all happening, especially now so not seeing everybody doing it physically.

‘How much time people must have to make up these dance routines, anything that can help is amazing.’

‘If you can find an irony in this it definitely was a breakup song, but the song has taken its own meaning, maybe this was its true calling! I’ve already seen it online helping a lot of people.’

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.