Martin Lewis 'interrupts' Soccer Aid with 'important information' for ITV viewers
Martin Lewis interrupted ITV's Soccer Aid on Sunday night, 9 June, with an "important" message for viewers. The Money Saving Expert took over the coverage of the star-studded event, hosted by Dermot O'Leary and Alex Scott, on Sunday evening. He began: "Hello to everyone watching Soccer Aid. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have some important information."
But, unlike at other times when his urgent warnings can help savvy consumers make money by switching banks, or to get the financial help they are entitled to, his interruption was to make sure that people made the most of their donations during the event, which raised money for UNICEF.
The 52 year old revealed that charities across the UK miss out on hundreds of millions pounds in unclaimed Gift Aid every year. Urging the public to donate to UNICEF, Martin pleaded with them to "say yes to Gift Aid''
He explained: "When most people are paid, 20 per cent of tax is usually taken off. But Gift Aid means donate to charity and the charity gets your money and that tax back. Say yes to Gift Aid tonight and donate £20 to UNICEF and it becomes £25 - an extra fiver at no cost at all to you."
He continued: "And there's more, If you're a higher 40 per cent rate taxpayer, UNICEF still gets the 25 per cent boost, but you can claim some further tax back which you could then donate too."
The Good Morning Britain star ended his segment by once again urging viewers to say yes to Gift Aid. The charity football match was held at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge. Former Chelsea star and manager Frank Lampard joined forces with Harry Redknapp and Robbie Williams as England's manager in a thrilling match against Mauricio Pochettino, who returned as the Soccer Aid World XI manager.
The star-studded line-up included cricket legend Stuart Broad, I'm A Celebrity's Sam Thompson, Strictly Come Dancing's Bobby Brazier and former EastEnders actor Danny Dyer. World XI team saw the likes of Roman Kemp, Usain Bolt, Martin Compston and Lee Mack strapping on their boots. Meanwhile, ITV and TalkSport commentator Sam Matterface returned to the commentary box alongside Love Island's narrator Iain Stirling.
But, for the first time since 2018, it was a successful night for the England team who ended up hoisting the trophy after a stunning 5-3 victory, which saw Usain Bolt stretchered off the pitch in the final minutes of the game.
Since its inception in 2006, the event has raised an impressive £90 million for charity, providing aid to countries like Cambodia. Despite only having five victories in the last 18 years, England's most recent triumph was in 2018. This year alone, it managed to raise a further £15 million, taking the total raised to £105 million.
