Amy Nuttall on recording emotional song in memory of her mum

Amy Nuttall’s mum, Elaine, died last October, four months after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Sitting in a recording booth recently was a difficult experience for Amy Nuttall, yet the actor and singer didn’t feel alone as she sang the familiar and heartfelt lyrics of a very personal song.

“I spotted a white feather on the floor of this pristine booth and held it through the whole recording. It felt like mum was there with me and I still keep it in my bedside table,” said Amy.

Last month, Amy released her version of the song, Thank You Mother, just before Mother’s Day, to raise money and awareness for The Brain Tumour Charity, and as a beautiful tribute to Elaine Nuttall, who died last year following a short battle with a highly invasive brain tumour.

“I made a promise to my mum before she died that I would use my platform to raise awareness,” said Amy, best known for playing Chloe Atkinson in Emmerdale from 2000 until 2005 and as housemaid Ethel Parks in the hit ITV drama Downton Abbey from 2011-2012.

“The words to this song are poignant because mum was my rock, my best friend, and was always there for me. I wanted to create something meaningful out of something so horrible and devastating.”

Thank You Mother

Elaine passed away on October 30, aged 68, just months after she was diagnosed with a grade four glioblastoma.

Amy first sang Thank You Mother – written by Irish songwriter John Hurley – in her 20s in front of Gloria Hunniford and would later play it for her mum in her final days, and at her funeral.

“I first performed this song 20 years ago and never forgot how beautiful, moving and emotive it was,” said Amy, from Blackburn, who started acting at 16 with the National Youth Music Theatre and later starred in musicals including My Fair Lady, Cabaret and Guys and Dolls.

“Fast forward to July 2023 and my mum was diagnosed out of nowhere with glioblastoma grade four and given no more than a couple of months to live.

“My sister, my father and I became her full-time carers. Towards the end, I remembered this song, managed to find a copy and played it for her the week before she died.

“I was sat with my mum, who was in a hospital bed in the living room. We were all weeping and mum, who could barely speak, kept asking us to play it again.

“My sister said it should be me singing the song and that I needed to record it. I’m normally a very private person and have kept myself out of the spotlight but I wanted to do this because that moment with mum was so moving and emotional.”

After her mum passed away, Amy tracked down the song’s writer and explained why she wanted to cover it. “He very generously gave me his blessing to play it at mum’s funeral and to record the song with all proceeds going to The Brain Tumour Charity,” she said.

“I wanted to release the song around Mother’s Day. March is also Brain Tumour Awareness Month, and it would have been my mum’s birthday in March, so it felt meant to be.”

‘Mum would’ve loved it’

Amy, a gifted singer who released her own classical album, Best Days, in 2005, teamed up with producer Nick Patrick, who has worked with Michael Ball and Alfie Boe and offered to waive all recording fees.

The pain Amy feels at her mum’s passing is still acutely raw, yet pouring her grief into this project was cathartic.

“I’m still pinching myself that we made this happen,” admits Amy, 41. “Practising and singing the song in the recording studio has been therapeutic. It’s kept mum alive for me that bit longer, and raising awareness of brain tumours is what she wanted.

“My dad keeps telling me mum would’ve loved it. Singing it in front of my family live will be very special.”

Amy, who recently starred in the ITV series Mr Bates vs the Post Office as Lisa alongside Toby Jones and Will Mellor, performed the song live on March 20 at The Smiley Charity Film Awards in London’s Odeon Theatre.

She hopes to raise awareness of brain tumours and the essential work of The Brain Tumour Charity. In March, the UK charity launched its #Itsanobrainer campaign to call for a National Brain Tumour Strategy that would help to address the challenges at every stage of the brain tumour pathway including diagnosis, care, treatment and research.

Around 34 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every day and only 12% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis.

Amy first realised something was wrong with her mum when Elaine started feeling fatigued and dizzy.

“The placement of my mum’s glioblastoma affected her balance and mobility and her early symptoms were extreme fatigue and dizziness,” Amy explained. “She kept feeling dizzy and tired. She was falling over and falling asleep during the day.

“I thought she had vertigo but when she finally saw the doctor they thought she might have had a mini stroke and sent her to hospital for tests. She was in for three weeks and, after a biopsy, they confirmed it was a glioblastoma.

“They said there was nothing they could do because that tumour grows fast, like a weed, and couldn’t have been in a worse position, buried in the centre of her brain near the brainstem. They said there was no cure and nothing they could do.

“Mum did manage through three weeks of radiotherapy because she was determined to make it to Christmas. It was emotional when she rang that bell but in truth, it didn’t help.

“She never complained. She was always thankful for another day and that she could be cared for at home with her family around her.”

Charity support

Amy is proud to support The Brain Tumour Charity, which she learned of after her mum passed away.

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 yet it gets less than 3% of all cancer funding and treatment hasn’t moved on in decades,” said the mum of two.

“When my mum was diagnosed, we’d never heard of glioblastoma. I had no idea there are 130 brain tumours.

“When we started caring for mum at home it was traumatic and devastating to see her lose her independence and her dignity. I wish we’d known about The Brain Tumour Charity Trust. It’s important for people to know there is support out there.

“We had amazing carers from Red Rose Care in Lancashire come helping mum and the staff at St Catherine’s Hospice were incredible.”

Fighting back tears, Amy says of her mum: “She was my No 1 fan and even though we lived far apart we had such a close relationship, we’d FaceTime three to five times a day.

“I remember when I called her to say I was going to be in Downton Abbey she ran around the dining room three times screaming, she was that delighted, thrilled and excited.

“Mum was always warm, open, friendly, generous and fun. She loved singing and performing in her local amateur dramatics society. We were blown away when about 250 people attended her funeral.

Amy added: “Losing her, it feels like there is a massive hole in my life. I hope anyone who is going through or has been through something similar finds comfort in the beautiful words of this song, as I have.”

Thank You Mother by Amy Nuttall is now available on all streaming platforms.

Brain tumour charity funds vital research

The Brain Tumour Charity is the UK’s largest dedicated brain tumour charity and funds pioneering research to increase survival and improve treatment options.

It also aims to raise awareness of the symptoms and effects of brain tumours to bring about earlier diagnosis.

The charity provides support for anyone affected by a diagnosis so they can live as full a life as possible.

A spokesperson said: “We are honoured as a charity to have Amy Nuttall’s support.

“We hope the music will help families connect and bring joy.

“We are the UK’s largest dedicated brain tumour charity and we are committed to fighting brain tumours on all fronts, and are delighted to support Amy.”

Find out more at www.thebraintumourcharity.org

The facts about brain tumours:

Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every year, including 500 children and young people
Over 5,300 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year
Brain tumours reduce life expectancy by an average 27 years – the highest of any cancer
Just 12% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis
Brain tumours are the largest cause of preventable or treatable blindness in children