A 10-YEAR-OLD fundraiser from Lechlade was blown away after she discovered that ITV producers had arranged an exciting surprise.
St Lawrence Primary School pupil Ella Bacon - who has raised more than £1,000 for Lechlade Library on her JustGiving page. - gasped in shock when she realised she was live on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
The youngster was happily watching the show with her family when Declan Donnelly announced that they were about to film a family in Gloucestershire and surprise Ella Bacon, who had organised a Readathon to raise money for her local library.
Dec said: “Ella has saved their bacon!”
Hidden cameras caught Ella with her hands clasped to her mouth in surprise live on telly and also captured her dad, John, jumping for joy.
Amidst all the excitement, Ella won her family a holiday in the show’s Takeaway Getaway! segment.
The family can now pick a holiday from more than 130 options across 40 different countries.
Reflecting on her surprise TV appearance afterwards, Ella said: “I didn’t realise it was me. I thought it was someone else with the same name!”
The avid bookworm had initially set out to raise just £100, but has raised more than £1,060 so far.
She said: “I never thought I would be able to raise £100, let alone over a thousand! It is totally amazing.”
So far, more than £50,000 has been raised towards the community library's target of £78,000, which will be used for much needed renovations to the community-run building.
The show’s producers found out about Ella's fundraising efforts from a social media post written by Chris Roberts MBE and then contacted her.
Chris said: “I was sworn to secrecy.
“But I was allowed to tell Anna-Marie, Ella’s mum so she could be in the secret as well!”
Anna-Marie said: “This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do – keep this secret from my wonderful daughter.
"I am so proud of Ella.
"Everything she has done for Lechlade Library has been her own idea.”
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