'Superfan' care home resident 'left speechless' after finally meeting Michael Ball

Resourceful staff at a care home in Chislehurst, London, arranged for one of its residents to meet her musical idol, Michael Ball. The happy resident received a rose and a kiss from the star, who chatted and posed for photographs, leaving the 86-year old fan ‘beaming from ear to ear’.

Talking of the surprise, Pat Moores, who lives at Bupa's Elmstead Care Home, said: “I didn’t think I’d ever get to meet Michael. I’ve always loved his voice and his music, and it was actually quite overwhelming to finally meet him.

"He’s kind, charming and has a lovely smile. It’s something I’ll never forget, and I’m so grateful for everyone at Bupa for setting it up - it still makes me smile just thinking about it.”

Ms Moores became a fan of the West End singer after first seeing him in Les Misérables in 1985, and has now seen him ten times, but she had given up on her dream of ever meeting him.

However, Sally-Anne Taylor, the receptionist at the home, was on a mission to make the superfan cross paths with her idol. She spent weeks trying to contact Mr Ball, and finally heard back after writing into his show on BBC Radio 2.

Ms Taylor explained: “We run a wish-granting programme for residents – if a there’s something they’ve always wanted to do, we do everything we can to make it happen. It was no surprise when we heard Pat wished to meet Michael Ball. Everyone here knows that she’s a super-fan – just mention his name and she’ll start grinning!”

Unfortunately, the singer’s heavy schedule, starring in the West End show, Chess, meant that he wasn’t able to make the trip to visit Ms Moores, but the care home resident was sent a personal video message and a signed copy of his album.

Seeing how delighted her mother was by the response, Ms Moores' daughter, Allison, booked tickets for herself and her mother so that she could see him on the stage once more, and it wasn’t long before Ms Taylor was back on the case. She contacted Michael Ball’s team, managing to arrange a ‘meet and greet’ after the show.

To Ms Moores’ evident delight, the star appeared at the stage door and surprised her with a red rose and a kiss. Being a consummate professional, Mr Ball then spent a considerable amount of time chatting and having his photo taken with the care home resident. She also met with Alexandra Burke and other performers from the show.

Emma Staples, home manager at Bupa Elmstead care home said: “I’m so proud of my team. A lot of work went into setting this up, but Pat’s still beaming from ear to ear, which makes it all worth it. It goes to show that being in a care home shouldn’t stop you from living your dreams.”

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