this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines — the prime minister says it's very likely the uk will have to start trading with the eu on world trade organization terms from january the 1st. it's looking, you know, very, very likely that we'll have to go for a solution that i think will be, you know, wonderfulfor the uk. we'd be able to do exactly what we want from january the 1st. the self—isolation period is being reduced from m days to ten for anyone who's come into contact with a positive case of covid—19 and also people returning from high—risk countries. wales‘s first minister says he can't rule out a post—christmas lockdown with the number of coronavirus cases on the rise. nonessential shops have opened for the first time in three weeks across much of western scotland

after a covid lockdown. two serial rapists have had their prison sentences increased to a0 years, the longest terms given for any crimes not involving murder. laughter. tributes pour in for dame barbara windsor, carry on star and landlady of the queen vic. we'll be taking a look back at her extraordinary life. # every single day... and meet the singing icu staff, releasing a single in a bid to secure christmas number one. and coming up before 6pm, the latest from the world of cinema and home viewing in the film review with mark kermode.

the european commission president, ursula von der leyen, has told eu leaders that a trade deal with the uk before sunday's deadline is unlikely, describing the talks as "difficult". her comments come after the prime minister urged businesses to prepare for a no—deal brexit when the transition period ends at the end of the month. speaking earlier today, borisjohnson said it was very likely that from january the 1st, the uk would have to trade with the eu on world trade organization terms. here's our political correspondent iain watson. eu leaders met in brussels today, while negotiations with the uk went on behind closed doors. no deal remains a possibility, but the government says this wouldn't be so bad. life could look like this, although without so much sunshine. ministers say we could trade

with the eu on australian terms. after all, they don't have a free—trade deal with the eu and are doing ok. it's looking very, very likely that we'll have to go for a solution that i think would be, you know, wonderfulfor the uk. we'd be able to do exactly what we want from the 1st of january, though obviously it would be different from what we set out to achieve, but i've no doubt that this country can get ready. government ministers haven't totally given up on getting what they call a canada—plus deal. translated, that's one that cuts out the need for taxes on most goods to and from the continent. but now, the uk could end up with something that is described as australia—minus. because while australia has no free—trade deal with the eu, it does have a series of mini—deals or arrangements, on nuclear energy, for example, and on wine imports. and even then, a former australian prime minister says this arrangement isn't exactly bonzer. there are very big barriers to australian exports of agricultural products in particular.

there's a lot of friction. be careful what you wish for. i mean, australia's relationship with the eu is not one, from a trade point of view, that britain, i think, would want frankly. call it an australian—type relationship, or call it no deal, there is a very real prospect that the talks between the eu and the uk end without agreement this weekend. that's because borisjohnson says no british prime minister could sign up to brussels' demands which would keep the uk in step with eu rules for years to come. the president of the european commission made it clear today that the uk could diverge from eu rules in the future, but there would be consequences, including less access to european markets. this is not to say that we would require the uk to follow us every time we decide to raise our level of ambition, for example,

in the environmental field. they would remain free, sovereign if you wish, to decide what they want to do. we would simply adapt the conditions for access to our market accordingly. eu leaders insist they are united. face—to—face negotiations with the uk continue in brussels this weekend. but the two sides still don't see eye to eye. iain watson, bbc news. in the past hour, the irish prime minister, micheal martin, has been speaking to reporters in brussels. let's listen to what he had to say. fundamentally we want to deal, we want an agreement. we believe that's in the best interests of all concerned. and i made that point at the meeting this morning that the irish economy would be damaged in the context of a no—deal brexit, the uk economy would be as well, and the european union. so i hope that common sense will prevail. and ijust wish the negotiators

the very best, and i'm sure they'll give it everything they can to bring this over the line. the irish prime minister there. so, what is an australian—style deal? our reality check correspondent chris morris has been giving me more details. it is essentially no deal, because australia doesn't have a free—trade agreement with the european union, so that's your baseline. it means you trade on world trade organization terms. that is a bigger issue for the uk dealing with the eu then for australia. if we look at the terms of trade at the moment, 51% of uk imports come from the eu. these are 2019 figures, last year, and 43% of all our exports go to the eu, so it's a massive amount of our trade,

roughly half our trade. and if you trade on world trade organization terms, that means there will be tariffs on goods moving in both directions. some of them won't be necessarily that high, for example on industrial goods, so non—agricultural goods, those tariffs are just under 3%. but other tariffs can be higher, so, there we go, 2.8% for non—agricultural produce, but things like cars, for example, the tariff on cars is 10%. that's something paid by the companies that take those cars across the border. some of those cost then is probably going to be passed to the consumer. on dairy products, you can have tariffs as high as 35%, so a large chunk of our trade potentially with these tariffs put on them very suddenly, very abruptly, if there's no deal at the end of the year. so if that is the case, and essentially this is what a no—deal looks like, should we be calling it an afg hanistan—style deal?

what's the relationship with australia? australia actually looks like they have a closer a deal than the uk could potentially have with the eu in a few days' time. although they have the baseline world trade organization rules, they do have little agreements between the eu and australia on things like agricultural tariffs, on wine and on product standards. it means there's an agreement which basically means you have to do less checks on the standard of products when they cross borders, so there are fewer delays. so all of these things mean that australia has a little bit above world trade organization basic rules. the uk would be trading on the most basic rules there are. so your question implied that,

the use of the word australia rather than afghanistan, it sounds familiar. they play cricket, they speak english, but make no mistake, this would not be a cuddly koala bear brexit. it would be a very abrupt change in the way we govern our economy and have done for 40 years. of course, brexiteers say that's exactly what they want, they want the abrupt change, they want the clean break, they want the chance to go their own way. but we've heard from businesses throughout the day today and in a crescendo over the last few weeks, most of the businesses who export and import from europe say for them it would be an extremely challenging and difficult time. from monday, the time that people must self—isolate after coming into contact with someone who's tested postive for covid—19 will be reduced from 1a to ten days. it also applies to anyone who's returned from a country which isn't on the government's safe travel list. it comes as mass testing of secondary school pupils and staff in parts of kent,

london and essex is rolled out. our health correspondent katharine da costa has more. pupils at this school in dagenham are being encouraged to get tested for coronavirus this weekend. cases have been rising sharply among 11 to 18—year—olds in parts of north east london, kent and essex. these people think it's a good idea. i feel like it will be useful, and efficient, ensuring that the rates remains low and not every day increasing. i know some people in my school, they may not be ambitious for the whole testing thing, with the fake rumours, but at the end of the day, it's about helping the community. following a trial in liverpool last month, pupils, staff and parents will be offered rapid swab tests providing results in 30 minutes. one in three don't have any

symptoms, which is why mass testing is seen as a priority to help schools and communities get on top of the virus. what we've lost in the past is the ability to control and plan for the future. this possibly will give us in the short—term the opportunity to know what we are dealing with. the programme as it rolls out into schools with our older students i think is a positive way forward. extra mobile testing units will be sent out to secondary schools in the worst—affected areas, but teaching unions think, like in wales, they should close next week instead. we might not get the results until tuesday, schools will close on friday, is that a better decision than the one in wales where essentially you are stopping the community transmission? in the week to the 5th of december, covid cases were falling in most areas of england. the latest figures show one in 115 had the virus, but cases were rising in london and the east of england. one in 120 had the virus in scotland and wales. but while scotland's remain stable, cases were rising in wales. but they were falling in northern ireland,

where half as many people had the virus. while mass testing's being rolled out to more hotspots in england, self—isolation rules are being simplified. from monday, england, scotland and northern ireland will follow wales in reducing the period to ten days. the tail end of infectiousness, if you like, is the one where you're least likely to transmit infection. so allowing somebody out of self—isolation a short time earlier than that is a reasonable balance between managing the risk to the public, but allowing us not to intrude on their lives. there's still a question mark over whether london and essex will be moved into tier 3 when measures are reviewed next week. some hospitals are already under significant pressure, and another surge may mean tougher restrictions are needed. health leaders say a third wave isn't inevitable, but what we do now will shape how the pandemic plays out. katharine da costa, bbc news. dame barbara windsor, whose acting career spanned more than 60 years,

has died at the age of 83. she found fame in the carry on films of the 1960s and ‘70s, and went on to spend more than 20 years behind the bar of the queen vic in eastenders, playing the formidable landlady peggy mitchell. in 2014, barbara windsor was diagnosed with alzheimer's disease, and she spent the last few years of life campaigning for better understanding of the condition. our entertainment correspondent david sillito looks back at her life. barbara giggles. that'll do, that'll do. all right, girls, get in the coach, and you get on with the loading. barbara windsor — funny, cheeky and much loved. so we were told to bring the minimum of clothing. now, really let's see those chests come out! the tributes today a testament to a career that goes back. ooh, matron, take them away! among them, her eastenders co—stars.

patsy palmer — "i can hear that laugh now." danniella westbrook — "my heart is broken." you know, she was actually a mentor to me and a good friend to me throughout everything in my life, and she wasjust great fun. great, great fun. born barbara ann deeks, she began acting as a teenager. her big break wasjoan littlewood's theatre workshop. oh, what a lovely war, things ain't what they used to be, sparrows can't sing. an inspiration for those who followed her path through the stratford east theatre. to grow up carry on, and to be at the theatre royal and see her in pictures and the legend that she was, and to be able to know her and work with her for the short time that i did is super special, man, and i'm thankful for that. but her early fame in cabaret and stage also attracted some shady company. she briefly dated reggie kray. but it was the carry on films that made her a star. hi. her entrance always an excuse for something slightly saucy.

sorry. have you got a large one? i've had no complaints so far. he cackles. # up to the west end! but after those nine carry on films, there were some lean years. until she found peggy. grant! mum. i heard you were back, i was going to give you a call. then why didn't you, you useless great lump? peggy micthell in eastenders, the new landlady of the queen vic, was a role made for her. you're unfit to be a father! don't you dare turn your back on me! get off me! 22 years on albert square... get out of my pub! ..which ended with barbara becoming dame barbara. dame babs sounds nice, doesn't it? but my mum would have liked it to be dame barbara. she was a bit of a cockney snob, my mum. so she would be, "dame barbara." god, what would she be thinking now? what would she be thinking? however, her farewell to walford was also her farewell to acting.

she'd been diagnosed with alzheimer's. oh, my dearfriend. you'll never leave me, will you? dame barbara windsor, talent, warmth... no, sweetheart. thank you. ..and a lifetime of cheeky fun. with me isjulie wassmer. she was a script writer on eastenders for more than a decade. lovely to have you with us for what must be a sad day. what are your main memories of barbara? amazingly, in 1963 when i was only ten years old, my father took me to see the screen version of sparrows cannot screen version of sparrows cannot sing, which she starred in. and i was ten years old at the time and i was ten years old at the time and i was blown away because of course joan littlewood, her talent and

ambition was to bring the stories of real east and people like us to the screen, to a wider audience. and i think it's a little known or remembered that barbara gave such a fantastic performance. she was actually nominated for a bath to for that performance for best leading actress. she was on incredibly talented comedian. but i think sometimes comedians are underestimated for their talent, for being great actresses, because she was brilliant. her comic timing and her passion for her craft, too. she inhabited the role of peggy mitchell in eastenders when she first came onto the show. we were all thrilled to be able to be writing for such a fantastic part of a showbiz royalty. but she was actually styled in quite

a plain way. she came on wearing a kind of a blonde ponytail, just talk to the nape of the neck. she was not really properly peggy mitchell until barbara windsor got hold of that pa rt barbara windsor got hold of that part and made it her own, and she really did. she brought pecos to that role, comedy, drama, she brought the show alive with her battles, with her nemesis pat butcher. and she was just thoughtless, but a really talented actress, but also popular. many actors in actresses are talented but not many are popular and she was both. i want you to tell us a little bit more about what it was like to write for her character and how much of your words did she change? laughter . whatever you wrote for barbara on the page could be quite proud of what you would done and obviously

eastenders is a collaborative exercise. it's full of lots of talented people who bring everything alive, not just the talented people who bring everything alive, notjust the script. but barbara really made things come alive. nobody could say get out of my pub like barbara winsor could. and she... i mean for me to my being and east india kid myself, in the profile barbara was born in at shortage and i grew up near there and for me especially to know that there was an east end performer who had made it, that is what she was art leading actress for us in the east end. for me to then go on and actually put words in barbara winsor‘s mouth as peggy mitchell was a privilege. i used to pinch myself sometimes that i was actually doing it, that she brought everything alive because she was such a vibrant character, so full of life. and she

also loved performing. you can see that she loves people so if you performing to an audience. and if he had not been for barbara as peggy mitchell, eastenders certainly would not have had the audiences that it gains with her in that role.|j not have had the audiences that it gains with her in that role. i have to ask you did you write the line get out of my pub or was that courtesy of barbara? get out of my pub or was that courtesy of barbara ?|j get out of my pub or was that courtesy of barbara? i think we all got a chance of writing at one point or another, especially at christmas. there was often the case of say we are going to have the best christmas we've ever had just before everything went wrong. but she really inhabited that role in the way that she brought her own style to it. and i don't think... i cannot imagine anyone else in that role now. when you get a really great actor in a particular role, it's like vincent van gogh or something, you only see a chair in the way he

painted a chair once you have seen it. once you saw peggy mitchell, played by barbara winsor, there could only be one barbara winsor in that role. i met her. she was tough i think it fair to say but she also had it seemed to meet this incredible warmth about her and that isa incredible warmth about her and that is a very potent and actually quite unusual combination. you are right. i think that is why she was so popular. people really took her to their hearts. and i think part of that warmth and her appeal might also be that although she could really play anything, she could play the most dramatic angry scene, especially with pat butcher on eastenders, there was always a kind of vulnerability about barbara windsor. something may be the child she had been when she first began as

a child performer on stage. she was cute. i know that when sparrows cannot sing actually went to the us as the film and it was actually the very first uk film that had to be subtitled for the us because of course everybody was talking in cockney accents and it could not be understood. but i think the thing about barbara in that film is it something that life magazine said, they referred to her as a bonbon and probably the best dumb blonde to go onto the screen sincejudy holliday. but barbara was more than that. she had a vulnerability about her. it was not just had a vulnerability about her. it was notjust the comic dumb blonde, she wanted to protect her and that was part of her livability i think. i have a surprise for you because we are alsojoined now.

barbara emile, she cast barbara windsor as peggy mitchell in 1994. i know the two of you were to get have you with us. i know you castor but did you audition her equipment i'm going to be honest when he decided to bring peggy into eastenders and find the right actress to play the part, myself, ross camp and steve mcfadden sat down and said in our wildest dreams, who would that be? who is top of your wish list? and they both said barbara windsor. so i went away because barbara was an absolute icon in my opinion so i thought how do i do this? she was so generous, so open, we had a meeting and a complete lockdown in the studio. so

there was no press and nobody else shared it. and we both literally talked about the park. and barbara saidi talked about the park. and barbara said i will do it. and that is how she was cast. what she knew or never knew was how nervous i was in the audition. i was literally shaking because i grew up watching her, she was an absolute icon. as a working—class young girl from an immigrant family, barbara was always an icon that i looked up to. so actually sitting in the room with her, discussing the show, getting her, discussing the show, getting her feedback and her agreement to play the parts was one of my proudest moments being serious producer on eastenders. that is wonderful that you have shared that story with us. can you also give us a sense of how she developed the role and made it her own? when we started working together it was extremely collaborative. we had

amazing writers on board. and we discussed every storyline with barbara and made sure that it was authentic, that she brought her take on the part, the dramatic trajectory of the character. and so it was very much a collaborative venture with her. at no time did we ever run a storyline which she was not happy with, and we always welcomed her input and feedback. be honest, was there ever a storyline she vetoed was much did you ever say to you, no, i don't want to do that? know because we can hold of her very early on. she would occasionally comment on other people's story lines, other characters, and said that would never happen and i would say ok, we will change it! she was formidable. i spoke tojulie about her, i met herand formidable. i spoke tojulie about her, i met her and she had this warmth about her but she was tough.

and she knew she was a star, did she not? she did and she was a survivor. she survived a lot and that is why she was so iconic. so see absolutely knew what was right for her, what was wrong for her and she would absolutely was all about authenticity, promoting working—class women. so in that respect, being somebody who has spent my entire career fighting for diversity, inclusivity, it was amazing to get her input. she was very, very strong. you would not argue with barbara. you would lose that argument. very unfortunately we have to leave it there butjulie, barbara, so great to hear your memories of barbara windsor. thank you both. it was a pleasure. thank you. and you can see a special programme paying tribute to barbara windsor this evening.

babs is on bbc1 tonight at 7:35pm. let's get more now on coronavirus. there have been a number of developments today. the government have announced that from monday the self—isolation period for people with confirmed coronavirus will be shortened from 1a to ten days across the uk. we've also heard that the r number, or reproduction number, of the virus is now between 0.9 and 1.0 for the uk, slightly up from 0.8—1.0 last week. but in some regions in the south and east it could be above 1, indicating infections are likely to be growing there. we can speak now to dr gabriel scally, visiting professor of public health at the university of bristol and a member of alternative sage. welcome to bbc news. good to have you with us. what is your take on the latest statistics, first of all

on the number of infections that across the country there does seem to bea across the country there does seem to be a sense that they are dipping but not in london and the southeast? it is very variable. i think as you indicated, ina it is very variable. i think as you indicated, in a lot of places, the numbers are still going up and in some places they are coming down. not enormously fast but coming down. and that is good to know, but it is not a great position for the country asa not a great position for the country as a whole at the moment because the numbers are high irrespective of what direction they are going, they are still far too high. so therefore what does that suggest to you about whether the tiered system is the correct approach going forward?” think there is some evidence that in tier 3 certainly the numbers are down. it has in effect, but it does not give us much hope for getting out of the tiered system are moving

substantially down them to grill it with christmas coming up and it sets us with christmas coming up and it sets us up very badly for christmas. when you say is is is up very badly at christmas, is it because you are concerned about the relaxation of the rules for that brief period of time that could lead to a rise in infections? absolutely. it inevitably will do. and i think one of my major worries is the nature of christmas, the family celebration to families coming together, a relaxation demo that is what christmas is all about, spending time with friends and family. in my worry is you might have a good time with friends and family over christmas, but you may well be burying some of those friends and family injanuary and february the way things are going at the present time. sombre warning. how likely in your view are more lock downs across england after christmas then?” think that's pretty much inevitable.

but having said that, and that will not be a pleasant thing at all, but iam more not be a pleasant thing at all, but i am more worried about the people who are getting the virus now and getting the virus in the next couple of weeks. eight lockdown injanuary or february is not much use of them, they've already got the viruses and will be getting ill by them as some of them unfortunately will be dying. and we do know that the virus is growing in terms of the 80 plus age group. ijust wanted growing in terms of the 80 plus age group. i just wanted to growing in terms of the 80 plus age group. ijust wanted to have one final question with you about the reduction in the time that people must self—isolate coming down from 14 must self—isolate coming down from 1a days down to ten days? is that sensible, do you think? i'm not sure it will make much difference really because we know the self isolation is not really observed by the majority of people. so reducing from 14 to ten, i'm not for the purpose of the apple but does increase the

risk of transmission a bit but much more important is the fact that it is more or less a voluntary isolation. and for some time, independent say to become a member had been advocating a managed isolation, particularly important at this time because i wonder what our airports are going to be like just around christmas and whether all those people will be observing self isolation of any duration over that period and that worries me enormously. unfortunately we have run out of time and we have to leave it there but really good to talk to you. thank you very much. sport, and for a full round up from the bbc sport center, here's sarah. istanbul basaksehir assistant coach pierre webo says the eighth december, 2020 will be a significant date in football's fight against racism. he's been speaking to bbc sport after the champions league

match between istanbul and paris saint—germain was abandoned this week when the players walked off because of the way the fourth official had referred to webo. uefa have opened an investigation into the incident, with the romanian officials stood down from domestic matches until disciplinary proceedings have been concluded. we showed if you don't respect the players, it was the first time. it means if they come to watch the football, they wa nt to come to watch the football, they want to stop the game. it's not the referee who stops it, it's the guy next to you. it's like submission, and the stadium, the whole stadium.

the day before, eight december, people wanted to watch football. i saw in england, when people were going to the stadium, they enjoyed it, like, while, after this global pandemic that's happened. football is football. it's part of life for many people in the world. so for me, something like this to happen, this kind of thing, also for people in the stadium will be like, i want to keep my head in football. if they asked me to play tomorrow, i need to prepare. it's not easy. well, one of the biggest names in world football, zlatan ibrahimovic, has also been speaking to the bbc about racism in football. the 39—year—old has played in eight

leagues around the world. he's back in italy at ac milan now, and says there's no room for racsim in the game. football is one religion, and everybody is welcome. and when those things happen, when we talk about racism, it's badly educated people who don't know what they're talking about. we live in 2020 now. england and manchester city defender lucy bronze is one of three nominees for the fifa best women's player of the year award. chelsea's emma hayes has been nominated for the best women's coach. meanwhile, jurgen klopp has made the shortlist for the coach of the year award having guided liverpool to their first league title in 30 years, while alisson is up for the goalkeeper award. anthonyjoshua and kubrat pulev have weighed in and exchanged heated words ahead of the saturday's world title fight, with joshua warning his heavyweight opponent that he will face "the real one". the bulgarian boxer goaded the briton at this afternoon's weigh

in, with his team booing joshua's arrival. it drew the animated and heated exchange between the boxers, withjoshua saying afterwards he wouldn't repeat what he had said to pulev. security had to intervene at one stage. the head of the rfu, bill sweeney, says the sport isn't facing an existential crisis, despite england's 2003 world cup winner steve thompson and a number of other ex—players claiming the sport has left them with permanent brain damage. sweeney says the game can emerge from this. we've got to make sure that families feel comfortable taking their kids to minis and juniors to keep playing the game. and that's what we are focused on. and i think at times like this, the worse we can do is hide and go silent. and in a situation like this, we have to be even more transparent and open. we'll have more for you in sportsday at 6.30pm.

sarah, lovely to see you. have a great evening. a five—day relaxation of rules begins on 23 december across the uk, but with than 1000 900 covid—19 patients in hospital, there's a tougher pressure for rules on 28 december. are nhs staff are doing an incredible job december. are nhs staff are doing an incrediblejob under december. are nhs staff are doing an incredible job under very difficult circumstances. and i thank them all for everything they have done throughout the pandemic and continue to do so but there is only so much we can ask of them. there is only so much we can ask of our national health service will stop put quite simply — the nhs will not be able to

cope as it is today if we continue to see this level of coronavirus related admissions in the coming weeks, on top of normal winter pressures . weeks, on top of normal winter pressures. now i must be clear with everybody this afternoon. if the strengthened measures of last week in the extra actions of this week, together with the efforts of each and every one of us need to make, if those measures do not succeed in turning the tide of the virus, then it is inevitable that we will have to consider a move to alert level for immediately after christmas. some restrictions are also easing in parts of scotland today, where more than two million people have been under the country's toughest lockdown rules for three weeks. non—essential shops and gyms will reopen across much of the west of the country, including glasgow.

pubs and restaurants will remain closed until tomorrow. in northern ireland, shops, gyms, and some hospitality businesses have reopened after a two—week lockdown. restaurants, cafes, and other venues serving food can resume trading, but pubs that don't serve food must remain shut. hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons can reopen, but visits to them are by appointment only. a 100—strong zoom choir made up of icu staff is releasing a re—make of classic police track "every breath you take" in a bid to secure the christmas number one spot and raise funds to support nhs staff recovery from the trials of 2020. known as the icu liberty singers, the choir began life as an attempt to bring some fun and respite to icu workers after the toughest year in history.

with me are two members of the choir — chris gough, a consultant in intensive care at university hospitals wales, and also, i'm joined byjulia trinder—oxley, lead pharmacist for the intensive therapy unit at university hospitals leicester. welcome to you both, great to have you with us. before we come onto the song, don't worry, we will, chris, i must talk to you first of all about what it's like on the front line at the moment in intensive care. well, thank you for having us both, rebecca, it's lovely to speak to you. look, there's no hiding the fa ct you. look, there's no hiding the fact that this year has been pretty awfulfor fact that this year has been pretty awful for everyone, both fact that this year has been pretty awfulfor everyone, both inside and outside the nhs. certainly within the nhs and intensive care, things have been like we've never seen before. this is the heaviest and worst year we've had in intensive

ca re worst year we've had in intensive care probably since the nhs has begun, fighting a new disease we've never seen, begun, fighting a new disease we've never seen, working out how we can really treat it, and at times we have been absolutely swamped with our services. we've had a brief rest bite over the summer as things got a bite over the summer as things got a bit better, than during the second wave, things are building again. and that, combined with the usual winter pressures — things are difficult, staff are exhausted, and a lot of us are staff are exhausted, and a lot of us a re pretty staff are exhausted, and a lot of us are pretty stressed and worn out. people are really struggling. julia, would you echo that? you in england, chris is in wales, but what's been happening where you are? yes, i would completely echo that. ever since march, the teams have had to work under exceptionally difficult circumstances, being in full ppe, isolating themselves and their

families, and it's been exceptionally challenging. chris, let's talk about the choir and the song. how did it come about? let's talk about the choir and the song. how did it come abounm let's talk about the choir and the song. how did it come about? it came about by this lovely woman who is the conductor, and last winter, u nfortu nately the conductor, and last winter, unfortunately her mother was quite u nwell unfortunately her mother was quite unwell and in intensive care, so she's seen the work that we really do and how stressful it can be. then she's seen how we've worked through this summer with covid—19, and she wa nted this summer with covid—19, and she wanted to do something to help our stress and well—being. she knows the power of singing and how it can help people, so she approached the head of the faculty of intensive care medicine to set up a small choir for four live sessions, to just get us singing together as a group. and from there, it and, within 24—48 hours, had 100 people interested in singing along. and it's really gone from there. the idea was to have

this song with lyrics that would change a little bit from the original song, and they've changed the words to reflect what we do in intensive care. and it was a nice idea if i could be played around the country in intensive care units on christmas day, so even the staff that can be with their families are together can know that the intensive ca re together can know that the intensive care family are with them and supporting them on that day. chris, i'll interrupt you because we haven't got a tremendous amount of time, and! haven't got a tremendous amount of time, and i do want to give everybody a chance to just have this very special preview of the song, so let's have a listen. # every single day # when you're in real pain # when you feel afraid every night you stay # we watch over you... julia, you're singing along. i shall have to get you to sing before we end. but how was the actual

recording made? the recording was done remotely. obviously in these times, we can't be together, but what we did was the youtube videos of all the harmony parts, which you could listen to, and conduct us through it. and so on one device, you would watch the orchestrator, and on the other device, you would re cord and on the other device, you would record into it. all those force recordings, there 223, carrie had to layer together and mix to produce the final track you just heard —— those of voice recordings. chris, tell us about where the money raised will go? well, as chris said, it's been such a traumatic staff for nhs staff, and the i see you have treated the sickest of the sickest —— i see you max. so the money

raised will have an positive impact on their mental well— being raised will have an positive impact on their mental well—being going forward. chris, you only got permission to record this song on 26 november. how did you get everything in place to release a single by 18 december? it's extraordinary, isn't it? it is extraordinary. but like so many things in the nhs, when teamwork comes together and everybody works hard at it, you can achieve amazing things. so that's how we've managed to do this in such a short space of time, the team behind this will put this together and given their time very generously have managed to bring together and just a couple of weeks. and briefly a final word from you both, if i may, i might start with you, chris, what difference has participating in this made to you? it's made a huge difference. i've had a stressful month in particular, i'vejust moved house and started a newjob, and the first choir session, ijust house and started a newjob, and the first choir session, i just felt this cute relief of stress from me.

it's such a take away to do it, and with people who have had the same sort of experience. obviously we've all experienced it differently, but with a group who have all seen the ill at roughly the same things, it's a quick relief. julia, will you sing us a quick relief. julia, will you sing us out? 0k. do i get a backing track? # every breath you take. # every breath you take. # every breath you take. # every move you make. # every move you make. # every move you make. # every sound you make, every pain you feel. #we you feel. # we watch over you... i want to applaud you, good luck to you both with it all, and great to talk to you. thanks for talking to us on bbc news. thank you for having us, rebecca. thank you for having us. now on bbc news, it's time for the film review with mark kermode.