Tipperary's Adi Roche accepts Best New Drama award at UK National Television Awards

One of Ireland’s leading humanitarian aid activists Adi Roche accepted the award for Best New Drama, which was won by the acclaimed mini series Chernobyl, produced by Sister, The Mighty Mint and World Games for HBO and Sky, at the UK National Television awards ceremony in London last night, Tuesday. 

The series producers invited her to accept the award on behalf of Sister Pictures, the series cast and crew, and both broadcast partners.  

They asked Adi Roche to accept the award on their behalf in recognition of the inspiring work she has been doing with the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear accident over the past 30 years. Traditionally, the producers and cast of a film accept such awards.

In accepting the award Adi, founder and volunteer CEO of Chernobyl Children International, said “this award-winning series revealed to a global TV audience the true heroes of Chernobyl. 

“It has shone a light on the brave men and women who suffered and sacrificed, saving millions of lives…often at the cost of their own. So tonight I would also like to accept this award on behalf of all of them. Because, be in no doubt, by giving their very lives they prevented an even greater catastrophe… one that would have lasted thousands of years.”

Adi Roche has been honoured by these “liquidators” in the past for acknowledging their plight. 

Long-time friend and supporter Valeriy Zaytsyev passed his Liquidator medal on to Adi, a medal which was received for his service in clean-up efforts following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, on April 6, 2016 in Gomel, Belarus. 

Zaytsyev was an officer in the Soviet Army and on May 30, 1986, one month after the accident, received orders to head to the 30km Chernobyl exclusion zone, where he participated in decontamination operations. 

Adi Roche was one of the first responders to the Chernobyl Disaster and has worked to protect countless vulnerable people since the immediate aftermath of the disaster in 1986 by providing support to children living in the affected areas.

She formally founded Chernobyl Children International (CCI), a UN non-profit organisation in 1991 to develop programmes that restore hope, alleviate suffering and protect current and future generations in the Chernobyl regions.

To date 26,500 children have visited Ireland on Rest and Recuperation breaks and €107 million has been given in aid.

“The impact of that shocking nuclear accident can never be undone: so many people across Europe and beyond continue to feel the impact of its deadly legacy to this day”, says Adi Roche.

“My charity, Chernobyl Children International, works with those children, families and communities still affected, and we applaud this new telling of a story that had all but faded from people's memories”.

For more Tipperary news read €300 stolen from parked car in rural area near Clonoulty