Age UK has released its 2016 Christmas advert, and it's the charity's most emotional one yet.
Based on a true story, the advert begins with the sound of Janet's voice as she describes her fun and independent travels around the world. But once the camera moves around the corner of her home, we see that the elderly woman, who is played by Miriam Margoyles, is sitting by herself.
She says, "I tried to stay up to date, read all the latest magazines and stuff like that, but I do feel it happening. That I'm not managing to keep up. I tell myself that it's no big loss; I enjoy my solitude. I've never really needed that much to get by."
Janet then describes past Christmases before adding, "It's a bit strange when you realise you haven't spoken to anybody for days – or weeks. It's like I've forgotten how to speak. So I go to the shops and chat to the checkout girl or something like that, just to hear the sound of my own voice.
"The thing is, you've never been an old person before. You have no idea how it's going to be. Suddenly I'm scared of becoming a non-person, of life just going on around me."
Janet finishes, "This is going to sound absolutely terrible, but I don't plan anything for Christmas anymore, because nothing ever happens."
Watch it in full here:
A second advert from the charity focuses on a man named Roy, played by actor James Bolam.
Also based on a true story, the advert opens with Roy talking to himself in the kitchen and describes the moment he met his wife. He says, "She could do anything. She was my right hand man.
"And then you retire. Your loved one dies and suddenly you think to yourself: where is she? I've got no one to talk to. So you start talking to yourself. I talk to myself like the clappers.
"The good thing with me is that I get on well with myself. Some people don't, you know. They're always arguing with themselves. But I don't. I say, "now, come on – we don't argue. Come on kid, we can do this". So that's how I do. But it's not easy. Loneliness isn't easy at all."
Watch it in full here:
The adverts have been created to raise awareness that over one million older people are chronically lonely in the UK.
To combat this, the charity is promoting its scheme Call In Time, which matches like-minded volunteers with elderly people for regular 'good day' phone calls and face-to-face meetings.
Real-life Roy, who the advert was based on, says, "My beautiful wife passed away one year ago and not a day goes by when I don't miss her dearly.
"It takes some getting used to, going from spending every single day for the past 55 years with the woman I love, to facing each day without her."
Roy added, "Joining Age UK's befriending service has been a great help. My local Age UK helped to set this up and I will be forever grateful. I'm feeling much more confident and positive now."
Read more about Age UK's befriending service here.
