Cathy Newman weeps throughout her final evening at Channel 4 as she interviews mother and father of lady who took her personal life by way of suicide discussion board
Cathy Newman appeared visibly upset during her final night on Channel 4 as she interviewed the parents of a woman who took her own life after visiting a suicide forum online.
Having spent 20 years reporting for the broadcaster, Newman said goodbye to Channel 4 on Thursday evening with her final news bulletin.
During the show the 51-year-old spoke to the parents of Grace Pritchard, who took her own life at the age of 23 in August 2025.
She died after taking a substance which her family believe she purchased through an online pro-suicide forum.
Grace’s parents, Mary and Bob, are calling for Ofcom to crackdown on the websites which are supposed to be blocked, but are routinely accessed through VPNs.
In her first interview since Grace’s death, Mary described her daughter as ‘bright, witty and just perfect’.
Bob told the presenter: ‘It’s like you live your lives up until the day Grace died and now our lives are just so much different.’
The parents revealed that after struggling with anxiety as a teenager, Grace turned to online forums for support.
Cathy Newman appeared visibly upset during her final night on Channel 4 as she interviewed the parents of a woman who took her own life after visiting a suicide forum online
Newman spoke to Bob and Mary Pritchard, who lost their daughter Grace to suicide in August 2025
Grace passed away after taking a substance which her parents believe she purchased from an online suicide forum
‘We got a knock on the door from the police last April,’ the girl’s mother said. ‘They said that they had seized a package that was addressed to Grace – and it contained a regulated poison.
‘Grace said that she ordered it because she felt low, but said that she didn’t feel that way anymore.’
It was just four months later that Grace’s mother found her dead in the family home.
Recalling the tragedy, she continued: ‘We thought she had turned a corner, she seemed to be enjoying her time at home.
‘It’s just ingrained in our heads. One of Grace’s dogs was just looking down from the top of the stairs, which was not like her.
‘So I went up to check for Grace, and that’s when I found her. I just screamed for Bob. There was nothing we could do.’
The forum through which Grace allegedly purchased the substance that killed her is responsible for around 135 deaths in the UK, according to Channel 4.
As Bob paid tribute to the 23-year-old, Cathy appeared on the verge of tears before closing out the interview.
Holding back tears himself, Bob said: ‘She was a great pal. She was really witty and really good fun. I’ll miss her forever.’
The show marked Newman’s last at Channel 4 before departing to join Sky News, where she will present the broadcaster’s news coverage from 7pm.
Newman spent two decades reporting for Channel 4 and after her final show, the presenter’s colleagues thanked her for her efforts.
‘Cathy, thank you and good luck. Love from all of us at Channel 4,’ a tribute read.
