Joining presenters Fleur East and James Barr, Tom thought he was on the radio to talk about his new Christmas single, It Can’t Be Christmas, but things quickly took an emotional turn when the trio started discussing the very special person who put Tom on the path to fame.
Tom shared: ‘My drama teacher, Coops, she definitely pushed me and believed in me when a lot of teachers at that time didn’t. She saw something in me that at the time I didn’t see.’
It was then that Coops – Mrs Cooper as she was then! – joined the team in the studio and was reunited with the singer.
‘I almost didn’t do this,’ she told him. ‘Our journey has been very private and the fact that you’re able to now articulate that dark space that you went through in such a public forum I thought I need to come here to tell you how proud I am.
No one knows the journey you’ve been on and how hard it has been to become the person you are today. I love you to pieces.’
A clearly emotional Tom then told her: ‘You did it not just for me but so many of us and I’m speaking for a lot of people so thank you – you’re going to make me cry. I struggled a lot with communication, behaviour and Miss Cooper was the only person who really did listen. And she made me dream and being from where we’re from it’s tough.’
But if Tom thought the emotional rollercoaster was going to end there, he was doubly shocked when his Mum joined them. She shared a bit more about the issues Tom had faced as a child including the death of his cousin and best friend, Alan and the mugging at 18 that left Tom with metal plates in his jaw.
Tom said, ‘What a lovely surprise I love this! Two women who have just been rocks in my life and two women who I look up to. My first song was a confession to my Mum of what I was going through [when he was a child] – it wasn’t very good as a song, but it let my steam out and that’s my healing process.
Having this surprise this morning I needed it right now – I’ve never done this for the money or the fame none of that interests me I remember singing my first songs and seeing people’s reactions change. A fella would be in the pub on his own and his head would turn and there’s a connection straight away… that’s what I live for I love that.’
