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Radio stations across Europe including the BBC have joined forces to simultaneously play Gerry & The Pacemakers’ ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ in a show of solidarity against coronavirus.
The stirring 1963 song was played at 7.45am GMT this morning on Greg James’ BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 show, and Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show.
The song also ran out at the same time on hundreds of radio stations in countries across Europe – including Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, Romania and Spain.
After playing the track on BBC Radio 2, Ball admitted that the show of unity had left her feeling emotional – and shared a selection of messages from listeners who praised the move.
Dutch radio presenter Sander Hoogendoorn of 3FM came up with the idea, and explained: “We all have to do what we can to beat this crisis. Things like this just go beyond the boundaries of radio channels. [The song] could speak to those doing an incredible job working in healthcare right now, those who are ill or those who can’t leave their house for a while.”
The show of solidarity comes as Europe continues to try and curb the spread of coronavirus. In the UK, people have been urged to stay in their homes and avoid large gatherings to prevent the spread of the disease.
Schools in the UK will also close from today until further notice, while a severely limited service is running on the London Underground.
The disease has also resulted in the official cancellation of Glastonbury Festival this year.
In a statement, the festival said cancellation was the only “viable option”, but confirmed that ticket-holders will have the chance to guarantee their place for next year’s event.
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