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Collette Whitby, 51, has been working for the Ellesmere Port Royal Mail depot for 21 years.
Over the years, she has been committed to helping others with her random acts of kindness from being a singing telegram for a 105-year-old to making pensioners Sunday dinners during the pandemic.
Appearing on Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
On Saturday, April 1, Collette was live on an episode of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway when she found out she had won a place on the plane for her kind gestures in the community.
Speaking about the lead-up to appearing on the show, she said: “I had a Zoom meeting about six weeks before and it was talking about any ITV show, well that’s what I thought.
“On the Thursday before, my friend, Lynne Rudd, rang me and said we’re going to London because we had tickets to watch Saturday Night Takeaway. I told her what day it was on Saturday, April Fool’s Day.
“That night my partner was looking through the drawers and then was on the phone with who he said was his son in South Wales. I just had no suspicions.”
Collette and Lynne, who have been best friends for 47 years, travelled down to London to watch the show and Collette described the feeling of winning the ticket to Orlando.
“It was an amazing night and we were so looked after. Ant came over to me to give me the ticket and I was still just clapping away, I had no idea”, Collette said.
“Lynne then dropped the bomb that my daughter couldn’t come because her passport had run out. I was devastated and Lynne said she would understand.”
Collette said she was “overwhelmed” by the messages and support from the Ellesmere Port community on social media.
Trip to Orlando
On Monday, April 3, Collette, her partner Jamie Mackenzie, her son, Jack Rider, 21, and Lynne, flew to Orlando.
Collette said: “We were just treated like royalty. The hotel was absolutely amazing.
“We had an aftershow party with Ant and Dec at Volcano Bay on the Wednesday which was brilliant.”
“I’ll never forget the experience.”
Collette explained how more people should help others in the community because of the feeling it gives you.
She said: “Everyone was saying to me it was well deserved but I just don’t do anything to be given anything back. I just love doing it.
“It gives you such joy in your heart when you’re doing something for somebody.
“If you’re a good person, and want to do something nice for people, just do it and you’ll make someone smile.”
