The purpose of
this site is for information and a record of Gerry McCann's Blog
Archives. As most people will appreciate GM deleted all past blogs
from the official website. Hopefully this Archive will be helpful to
anyone who is interested in Justice for Madeleine Beth McCann. Many
Thanks, Pamalam
Note: This site does not belong to the McCanns. It belongs to Pamalam. If
you wish to contact the McCanns directly, please use
the contact/email details
campaign@findmadeleine.com
The McCanns' appearance on The Oprah Show was recorded on Friday 24 April 2009 and broadcast in the
US on 04 May 2009.
The show was broadcast in the UK on Diva TV, Tuesday 05 May 2009,
at 8:00pm. Sky channel 269 & Virgin channel 164.
A new computer generated image of Maddie
was produced for the show and was revealed in the UK press, for the first time, on 01 May 2009.
Further reports, pictures and videos can be
viewed here
The new picture of Madeleine revealed on The Oprah Show
Kate had to wipe away tears when she was shown a computer-generated image of how Madeleine may now look at six years
old. Staring at the screen, she did not recognise the face looking back at her. "I don't know who that little girl is," she
admitted.
- News of the World, 26 April 2009
The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry have seen the pictures and they are extremely pleased
with them.
"They would not be doing this if they didn't think these pictures genuinely showed how their missing daughter would look
today."
- Daily Record, 15 April 2009
McCanns to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show in May, 08 April 2009
SOMEONE
SOMEWHERE
MUST KNOW WHERE MADELEINE McCANN IS
THE
McCANNS
The little girl who disappeared from their family vacation...
IN THEIR FIRST INTERVIEW IN AMERICA,
HER PARENTS TALK TO OPRAH
THE NEW SEARCH FOR MADELEINE...
COMING THIS WAY
McCanns to appear on Oprah Winfrey show on 04 May 2009, 13 April
2009
Winfrey's people announced the exclusive for May with two others: On May 4, Kate and Gerry McCann,
the parents of missing Madeleine McCann, talk to Winfrey.
(...)
McCanns to reveal 'aged' pictures of missing Maddie on Oprah Winfrey show, 15 April 2009
McCanns to reveal 'aged' pictures of missing Maddie on Oprah Winfrey
show Daily Record
By Rod Chaytor
Apr 15 2009
PICTURES of what Madeleine McCann looks like now are
to be revealed on Oprah Winfrey's talk show.
Her parents Kate and Gerry will appear on the US programme,
which will be broadcast on the weekend of the second anniversary of her disappearance on May 3.
They will fly to Chicago next week to record the show.
Some recording for the one hour special has already taken
place and more will follow next week at the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington.
The US charity, have produced the images of how Madeleine
would look two years on from her 2007 disappearance at an Algarve holiday apartment.
The "age progression" pictures show her as they believe she
looks now, aged five.
The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry
have seen the pictures and they are extremely pleased with them.
"They would not be doing this if they didn't think these pictures
genuinely showed how their missing daughter would look today.
"The Oprah show is seen by millions in the United States and
worldwide and they hope these age progressed pictures will lead to the crucial sighting which will bring their daughter home."
Oprah has been asking Kate and Gerry to appear since Madeleine
vanished.
Platform
They felt it inappropriate while they continued to be suspects
in her disappearance.
But, Mitchell added: "There are a number of messages they
now want to get out there.
"It was felt Oprah provided an appropriate platform." A separate
reconstruction will be shown on Channel 4 on May 7.
Kate and Gerry McCann will appear on Oprah Winfrey's chatshow
as they bid to keep alive the search for missing Madeleine.
The couple will unveil new computergenerated images of the
youngster showing what she would look like now.
The one-hour special with the American TV queen will be broadcast
early next month to mark the second anniversary of her disappearance.
Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said last night: "Kate and
Gerry see the show as a very important opportunity to reach a global audience and it's a significant step in the hunt for
Madeleine.
"It's seen by millions in the US and worldwide and they hope
these pictures will lead to the crucial sighting that will bring their daughter home." Doctors Kate and Gerry, both, 40, of
Rothley, Leics, have already shot a segment of the show in the UK. They fly to Chicago next week for further filming.
Some footage will be shot at the National Centre for Missing
and Exploited Children in Washington DC.
The Government-backed charity has produced the new pictures
of Madeleine, who would have turned six next month.
Mr Mitchell added: "Kate and Gerry have seen the pictures
and they are extremely pleased with them."
He said Oprah had previously tried to quiz the couple but
he explained: "It was felt, in the immediate aftermath of Madeleine's disappearance, that a celebrity-based show was not the
image they wished to put forward. But life has moved on and it is now felt it will benefit the search."
On May 7, Channel 4 will also screen a reconstruction of the
youngster's disappearance in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007.
McCanns To Appear On The Oprah Winfrey Show, 15 April 2009
McCanns To Appear On The Oprah Winfrey Show Sky News
Tessa Chapman, Sky News reporter
1:49pm UK, Wednesday April 15, 2009
Madeleine McCann's parents are to be interviewed by Oprah
Winfrey to mark the second anniversary of their daughter's disappearance.
Kate and Gerry McCann will fly to Chicago next week to film
a one-hour special with the American chat show queen.
It will be broadcast on May 3, two years after Madeleine vanished
from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
The show will also feature footage from the National Centre
for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington.
The US charity has produced age-progressed images for the
programme to show what Madeleine would look like now, aged five.
The McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell told Sky News
Online: "These new photos will be revealed for the first time on Oprah.
"They have been done with the latest technology and Kate and
Gerry believe they are the best possible visualisation of what Madeleine looks like now."
Mr Mitchell played down speculation of a multi-million pound
deal for the interview.
"Oprah Winfrey does not pay for interviews," he said.
"Kate and Gerry will not be receiving a single dollar for
this and neither will the fund for Madeleine.
"The importance is the global platform it gives them to look
for that breakthrough in the search for Madeleine."
Last year he denied the couple were at the centre of a bidding
war worth £1m between Winfrey and ABC star Barbara Walters.
Oprah has been asking Mr and Mrs McCann to appear on the show
since Madeleine went missing.
But it is understood they thought it was inappropriate while
they were still suspects in her disappearance.
Oprah is well-known for featuring high-profile guests and
has previously dedicated entire shows to missing children.
In 2007 she interviewed 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck who was
found alive after a four-year kidnap ordeal.
The programme is viewed by millions of people in America and
is shown in 144 countries across the world.
Madeleine's parents are said to be hoping it will keep the
search for their daughter alive.
Kate McCann's agony at leaving twins for Oprah, 19 April 2009
Kate McCann's agony at leaving twins for Oprah The People
Tracey Kandohla
19 April 2009
Kate McCann is in torment as she prepares to fly to America for a TV show - without her twins.
Kate and husband Gerry jet out next week to talk about their missing daughter Maddie with chat show queen Oprah Winfrey.
But Kate is said to be so upset at having to leave four-year-olds Sean and Amelie she has been on the brink of pulling
out. A close friend revealed: "Kate was in turmoil. She's been with the twins almost constantly. They have a very special
relationship.
"She thought about taking them with her but the children would have faced a long flight and a six-hour time difference.
It would be too tiring for them and too disruptive to their normal routine." Instead, the twins will stay at home in Rothley,
Leics, in the care of relatives until the parents' expected return on Sunday.
The pal added: "Kate definitely needed a lot of persuading to make this trip. But this is a global platform to remind
the world their daughter is still out there somewhere."
The one-hour special with Oprah in Chicago will be screened to mark the second anniversary of Maddie's disappearance
from the family's holiday apartment in Portugal in May 2007.
Doctors Kate and Gerry, both 40, who will also visit a missing people's charity in Washington, plan to unveil computergenerated
images of how Maddie might look now, aged almost six.
The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell confirmed: "They do not want to be away from the twins for too long."
McCanns Appear on Oprah Winfrey to Show Aged Pictures, 21 April 2009
McCanns Appear on Oprah Winfrey to Show Aged Pictures mns.co.uk
Richard Shepherd
April 21, 2009
The plans of Kate and Gerry McCann to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show, after keeping the arrangement quiet for weeks,
were officially announced last week. The appearance on this show, which is one of the best known shows in the world, will
mark the second year since Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3rd while holidaying in Praia da Luz. The McCanns are going
to fly to Chicago this week in order to record an interview with Oprah.
It is expected that CBS will broadcast the interview at the beginning of the month. Sources in the US have said that
no money will be exchanged for the appearance, because it is not a policy to pay for interviews. Viewers of the show will
see hi-tech photos of what Madeleine, who will turn 6 years old in May, should look like now.
A Portuguese television channel reconstructed the night of the disappearance based on a former police detective's views
after an interview from Gerry McCann was published in The Portugal News two weeks ago, where he admitted that funds were running
low in the Find Madeleine Fund. The police detective was taken off of the case only 5 months into it and has since quit the
force. Interest from the media about this broadcast has been below their expectations.
Apparently, the former detective, Gonçalo Amaral, has written a book, 'Truth of the Lie', from which opinions were broadcast
during that show. Sources associated with the McCann family are ignoring the allegations that the former detective made of
the parents of Madeleine and some of their acquaintances.
Oprah Interviews Madeleine McCann's Parents, 21 April 2009
On Monday, May 4, Oprah will talk to Kate and Gerry McCann in their first interview in America since the disappearance
of their daughter Madeleine.
Since May 3, 2007, when then-4-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the family's vacation apartment in Portugal, there
have been alleged sightings of the missing child, but none have been confirmed. For the first time, Oprah Show viewers
will see a remarkable age progression that reveals what Madeleine might look like today.
Plus, go inside the McCanns' London home and spend a day with them and their 4-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie.
Amaral is determined to speak about what happened to Maddie
two years ago. He regrets not having been invited and doesn't believe there will be a reply to his email
Gonçalo Amaral, the former Polícia
Judiciária (PJ) inspector, wants to go to Oprah's show – which will be broadcast on the 3rd of May – to tell his
version of what happened to Maddie, who was 3 years old when she disappeared from Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. Amaral has
even sent an email to the programme, which is broadcast into 144 countries, but he doesn't believe he'll receive a reply.
"I sent an email in English to Oprah yesterday. This is a very well planned and negotiated show. Oprah won't call me.
I received no reply whatsoever and I have no doubts that there is no interest in calling me", Gonçalo Amaral told 24horas.
But if there was a reply, and a positive one, the former inspector wouldn't hesitate. "I'd go there at my own expense.
But they won't invite anyone", said Amaral, who has always been under great criticism from Maddie's parents, Kate and Gerry
McCann, during the entire process.
About other similar actions, Gonçalo Amaral immediately replied: "The action is worldwide. There's lots of people calling
there".
Emails from Sintra, too
Even Fátima Campos, the president of Monte Abraão local city centre, in Sintra, and Vasco Sousa Dias, a board member
of the same centre, had the same idea.
"The letter was written by Vasco, but I agree with its contents. The little girl's parents are going to be on Oprah,
which has a large audience, and what we ask is for the former inspector to be interviewed in the programme", Fátima Campos
explained to our newspaper.
The head of the local city centre defends that "it's Portugal's image that is at stake" and that at least, this way,
they make "some noise". But contrary to Gonçalo Amaral, Fátima Campos believes that she will at least receive a reply from
the famous North American host's show.
A reply that Vasco Sousa Dias has already received to a first email, in Portuguese, that he sent to Oprah's official
site. "I think that the situation involves a lot of politics and other interests. I've sent an email manifesting my interest
in the case being clarified with the inspector present", he said.
Journalist Hernâni Carvalho denies claims in 24horas that Gonçalo Amaral
wanted to appear on the Oprah Show, 22 April 2009
Journalist Hernâni Carvalho denies claims in 24horas that Gonçalo Amaral wanted to appear on the Oprah Show TVI
Crime He Said – Hernâni Carvalho's rubric on 'Você na TV'
Luis Goucha - LG Cristina Ferreira -
CF Hernâni Carvalho – HC
CF – Good morning, welcome. First and foremost, thank you, a lady is sitting next to you who will be our guest
in a bit, for us to look at the story…
HC - Yes...
CF – But would you like to start with Maddie, first, and with the issue...
HC – No. We can discuss this case right away and leave the issue that you are proposing for the end, but remember
that a show that is seen in 144 countries, hosted by a lady whose name is Oprah Winfrey...
LG – She's going to interview the couple, isn't she?… On the 3rd of May, I think?
HC – The show will be broadcast on the 3rd of May.
LG – But that is live, so on the 3rd of May, it's live?
HC – [twists his nose, as if saying no] mmmmm...
LG – No, Oprah's show is live, then it's edited and broadcast in the other countries...
HC – Exactly, exactly.
LG – But in America it's live.
HC – Yes, yes. Erm, and the McCann couple will be there.
CF – But they didn't want to go at the time. Oprah had already invited the McCann couple, right at the time of
the disappearance. Then, given the fact that it's seen by so many people, that would have been a good opportunity to divulge
the disappearance, but at the time they didn't accept?
HC – No. It was more the Sky News type... [ironic smile, winks]
LG – Actually, Gonçalo Amaral also wanted to go...
HC – That's not true.
LG – No?!
HC – No. I – we’ll try...
LG – We're only talking about this because today a page...
HC – Precisely, precisely...
LG – ….a page from a newspaper, 24horas, says that 'Gonçalo Amaral demanded' – which seems very strange
to me, that he would do so, to go to Oprah, right?
HC – No.
LG – Here's the cover.
HC – Exactly. [24horas' cover is shown] But it's not true. I've spoken to inspector Gonçalo Amaral, at 9 a.m.,
precisely about this. And may be we manage, he's attending a trial...
LG – Actually, nobody can demand...
HC - ...in a bit ...we'll manage to speak with him.
CF – We haven't managed to establish contact yet, but... in a bit we'll manage to talk to him.
[clip is cut at 1'38"]
McCanns fly out for Oprah interview, 22 April 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann have flown to the United States for an interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show to mark two years since
their daughter Madeleine's disappearance.
The couple will use their high-profile appearance on the TV programme to release new images of how their missing girl
may look now.
They will visit the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia, whose experts have created
the computer-aged pictures of Madeleine.
The McCanns flew out of Heathrow Airport with their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, and Emma Loach, director of a Channel
4 documentary to be shown after the May 3 anniversary.
They will record the interview with Winfrey in Chicago on Friday before returning to the UK early on Sunday.
Mr Mitchell said the couple had agreed to appear on the famous US talk show because of its massive global reach - it
is broadcast in 144 countries around the world.
He said: "Oprah had been pressing for an interview from very early on. Initially Kate and Gerry were focused entirely
on the search for Madeleine on the ground. They were reluctant to do a programme perceived by some as celebrity-based - they
certainly didn't feel they were celebrities and were loath to do anything that had that feel about it."
It was then "inappropriate" for the McCanns to speak out after Portuguese police made them "arguidos", or formal suspects,
in the case in September 2007, he said.
But their arguido status was lifted last July and the couple now believe that the Winfrey interview will help the ongoing
search for their daughter.
Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 2007
while her parents dined with friends nearby. Despite a massive police investigation and huge publicity worldwide, she has
not been found.
Disgraced Portuguese cop Goncala Amaral is desperate to appear with Madeleine McCann's parents
on Oprah.
Gerry and Kate McCann flew out to America yesterday.
They will appear on the TV show, hosted by Oprah Winfrey, 55, to mark the second anniversary of Maddie's disappearance.
And the couple will use the high-profile slot to release images of how Madeleine, who would be nearly six years old, may look
now.
Amaral, kicked off the investigation after wrongly branding Gerry, 40, and Kate, 41, suspects, has emailed the show makers
asking to appear.
He has offered to pay his travel costs and has yet to receive a response from the show. The McCanns agreed to appear
on Oprah because it is shown in 144 countries.
They hope it will aid the hunt for Maddie, who vanished from Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007.
Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leics, wrote on the official Find Madeleine website: "As the second anniversary of Madeleine's
abduction approaches, there is much still to be done.
"We continue to remain focused on our aim – to find Madeleine and bring her back home safely.
"As Madeleine's parents we cannot and will not ever stop doing all we can to find her."
The couple have also been working with a C4 documentary crew.
Oprah doesn't want to interview Gonçalo Amaral for now, 23 April 2009
Oprah doesn't want to interview Gonçalo Amaral for now 24horas
Despite the requests, the
North American presenter only wants to dedicate the show to the McCanns. She even spent a day with Maddie's parents and siblings
in London
Gonçalo
Amaral, a former Polícia Judiciária (PJ) inspector, has asked to be on the same Oprah show that will feature the parents of
little Maddie, who disappeared from Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. But he won't be there. Confirmation came from the programme's
production.
"Until now, we haven't invited Mr Amaral to be present in the show where the McCanns will be", a spokesperson for the
production stated by email. A firm decision, despite the requests. "We didn't receive any email directly from Gonçalo Amaral,
but rather several requests from his editor".
In statements to our newspaper the day before yesterday, Gonçalo Amaral said he doesn't believe he will be invited. "Oprah
won't call me. I haven't received any reply [to the email] and I have no doubts that there is no interest in inviting me",
the former PJ inspector stated.
Show for the McCanns only
But this doesn't mean he is giving up. Despite the reply from the production of the show, which is broadcast in 144 countries,
being short, it doesn't mention that it is impossible. Among the questions that had been sent, the possibility of Gonçalo
Amaral being invited on another show was asked. But there was no reply.
"The present plans for this show are centred on the conversation between Oprah and the McCanns", the production clarified.
Next week, Oprah promises to reveal images of Maddie's visual evolution – it's been two years since the disappearance
– as well as the environment in the McCanns' home. The presenter spent a day in London, where she met Kate, Gerry and
the twins Sean and Amelie.
Meanwhile, the "Oprah Show's" official site is receiving several messages from Portuguese people, asking for the presence
of Gonçalo Amaral.
McCanns fly out to America to appear on Oprah... to show the world new pictures of what Madeleine
would look like today, 23 April 2009
McCanns fly out to America to appear on Oprah... to show the world new pictures of what Madeleine would look
like today Daily Mail
By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE
Last updated at 10:58 AM on 23rd April 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann have flown to the United States for an interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show to mark two years since
their daughter Madeleine's disappearance.
The couple will use their high-profile appearance on the TV programme to release new images of how their missing girl
may look now.
They will visit the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia, whose experts have created
the computer-aged pictures of Madeleine.
Grief is still etched on Kate McCann's face as she prepares to fly out of Heathrow
Airport to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on the two-year anniversary of her daughter Madeleine's disappearance
The show will also go inside the couple's London home to spend a day with their four-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.
Madeleine's brother and sister are now older than she was when she disappeared.
The McCanns flew out of Heathrow Airport with their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, and Emma Loach, director of a Channel
4 documentary to be shown after the May 3 anniversary.
They will record the interview with Winfrey in Chicago tomorrow before returning to the UK early on Sunday.
Mr Mitchell said the couple had agreed to appear on the famous U.S. talk show because of its massive global reach - it
is broadcast in 144 countries around the world.
He said: 'Oprah had been pressing for an interview from very early on.
'Initially Kate and Gerry were focused entirely on the search for Madeleine on the ground.
'They were reluctant to do a programme perceived by some as celebrity-based - they certainly didn't feel they were celebrities
and were loath to do anything that had that feel about it.'
It was then 'inappropriate' for the McCanns to speak out after Portuguese police made them 'arguidos', or formal suspects,
in the case in September 2007, he said.
But their arguido status was lifted last July and the couple now believe that the Winfrey interview will help the ongoing
search for their daughter.
Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 2007
while her parents dined with friends nearby.
Despite a massive police investigation and huge publicity worldwide, she has not been found.
KATE McCann wept last night as she told TV's Oprah Winfrey she did not recognise photos of
how missing daughter Maddie would look now.
But Kate insisted she WOULD know Maddie — who will be six next month —
if she saw her in the street.
Kate, 41, and husband Gerry, 40, appeared on the US chat queen's show to mark two years since Maddie vanished on holiday
in Portugal — just days before her fourth birthday.
Computer-generated images of Maddie aged six in a blue dress flashed on to a giant screen as the show was recorded in
front of a studio audience in Chicago.
The pictures were created by experts at Virginia's National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
Audience member Chris Myers, 43, said: "Kate told Oprah she felt Madeleine was still alive.
"Oprah and Kate were very emotional. Kate broke down on two occasions.
"Oprah had to wipe tears away from her eyes at least three times. The atmosphere inside the studio was very sad."
Fellow audience member Amy Mundwiler, 33, added: "Everyone watching them felt their pain."
Oprah will also spend a day in Britain with Gerry and Kate, from Rothley, Leics, and their twins Sean and Amelie, four.
The show — to be screened in 144 countries — goes out in the US on May 4, a day after the anniversary of
Maddie's disappearance.
Later (bizarrely) retitled to: Kate McCann: "I only see Maddy as she used to me"
(see screenshot, right)
25/04/2009
Kate McCann failed to recognise an updated picture of her missing daughter Madeleine when confronted with it on telly.
She told US chat show queen Oprah Winfrey yesterday: "The only image I have of her is before she was taken." The new
picture showed Madeleine as she is believed to look now, two years after she went missing on a family holiday in Portugal
at the age of three.
In the likeness, her face is longer, she has shed her baby fat and wears a blue dress. Alongside it, was a picture of
the smiling, round eyed girl taken before she vanished from the British couple's holiday flat.
The pain of those two years showed as Kate and her heart-doctor husband Gerry were quizzed by Oprah in Chicago.
"Kate's anguish was there for all to see," said mum Marsha Meadows. "The look in her eyes was endless suffering." At
one point Kate wept as she repeated that neither she nor Gerry had given up hope of finding Madeleine. The show is to be broadcast
on May 4..
With their Maddie fund running out of cash and Kate and Gerry McCann's vow never to rest until
they find their daughter, it's difficult to blame them for agreeing to their first chat show appearance, on the Oprah Winfrey
show.
Two years since their little girl disappeared, the interview will be shown in 144 countries and will accompany a picture
of how Maddie would look now.
I pray it produces results. I also pray that, having been the star attractions in a media circus, the couple are not
going to join the great 'celebrity guest' carousel.
A TEARFUL Kate McCann was comforted by chatshow host Oprah Winfrey after admitting she did not
recognise her missing daughter from new pictures of how she would look today.
Spearheading a new search for Madeleine, the TV chat queen has promised the little girl's parents that she will do anything
in her power to help find the missing child, with the new appeal expected to net a worldwide audience of 1.2billion in 144
countries.
Oprah hugged Kate after an emotional hour-long interview in Chicago which will form part of a one-hour special on missing
Madeleine who vanished during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, just days before her fourth birthday.
Sources close to the TV host said she was impressed by the "dignity and courage" of Kate and husband Gerry. Many in the
audience were in tears as they listened to Kate describe the anguish of discovering Madeleine had been snatched from her bed
at their holiday villa.
Oprah's gentle probing about their ordeal led up to the most emotional moment of the interview when a computer-generated
photo, created by artists at the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia, of how Madeleine
would look aged six was screened. Kate froze, her eyes filling with tears as she admitted she did not recognise her own daughter.
Many in the American audience admitted they did not know about the McCanns as there was little coverage of the disappearance
in the United States.
Gerry was insistent that Madeleine was still alive and both parents made an appeal for their daughter to be returned.
Oprah asked anyone who might know of her whereabouts to contact the McCanns through their website, findmadeleine.com
Kate McCann talks to Oprah Winfrey 2 years after Maddie vanished,
26 April 2009
Kate McCann talks to Oprah Winfrey 2 years after Maddie vanished News of the World
I go to Maddie's room and talk to her twice a day
What Kate told Oprah 2 years after she vanished
By Sara Nuwar
26/04/2009
HAUNTED Kate McCann has confessed she visits missing daughter Madeleine's
bedroom twice a day to chat to her.
Kate's moving admission came during an extraordinary interview with TV host Oprah Winfrey, filmed just days before the
second anniversary of Madeleine's mysterious disappearance.
When asked how often she thought of Madeleine, mum-of-three Kate replied: "Not a day goes by when I don't think about
her. I feel Madeleine is still close to me and alive."
She then described how her daughter's bedroom at their Leicestershire home is kept ready for her return and touchingly
told how she goes in there at least twice a day "just to say hello to Madeleine".
Frail
In the compelling hour-long show taped in Chicago, Kate, 41, and husband Gerry told how:
TWINS Sean and Amelie still talk about their older sister "coming home".
DAUGHTER Amelie now wears Madeleine's clothes.
ANGUISH left Kate wishing she could slip into a coma and not wake until the drama ends and Madeleine is back.
The McCanns are desperate to shine the spotlight back on the case as the two-year anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance
comes next Sunday, May 3.
The toll of the long search- supported by a £1.5 million reward offer from the News of the World-was clearly etched on
frail Kate's face and she broke down a number of times. She was comforted by Gerry and Oprah herself. Many of the audience,
who were left boxes of tissues under their seats, sobbed as Kate talked.
Gerry clutched her hand while she struggled to describe the devastation Madeleine's disappearance from their Portuguese
holiday apartment caused.
Kate had to wipe away tears when she was shown a computer-generated image of how Madeleine may now look at six years
old. Staring at the screen, she did not recognise the face looking back at her. "I don't know who that little girl is," she
admitted.
The incredible picture shows Madeleine with slightly darker hair than the blonde locks seen in her last holiday snaps.
Her face is also thinner, but her piercing blue eyes shine through.
When Kate was asked by Oprah if that was how she imagined her daughter would now look, she began to well up.
"I only remember Madeleine when she was four," said Kate. "She remains four years old in my mind."
The photograph will be used in a reconstruction the McCanns are planning next month. Kate also shed a tear when she talked
about how her other children miss their "big sister".
"I can't believe that the twins are now older than Madeleine was when she disappeared," said Kate. "They're four and
Madeleine was a few days from her fourth birthday when she went missing."
Kate said the twins talk of their big sister all the time and say: "Madeleine will like this when she comes home."
And Kate told how Amelie has taken to borrowing some of Madeleine's clothes-although the oufits last worn by her in Portugal
are kept tucked away and untouched.
Sighs
As well as film of the Praia da Luz holiday flat there was footage of the McCanns at their Leicestershire home.
In one scene Kate is moved to tears as she points to Madeleine's painting of a train on the kitchen wall. She told Oprah
it was completed just before they left for Portugal.
A home video of Madeleine singing "If you're happy and you know it" drew audible sighs from the audience.
Kate confessed there are times "when I wish I was in a coma and I wake up and Madeleine is back home with us."
Oprah asked if they would ever stop looking and the couple shook their heads.
"There are too many unanswered questions," said Kate.
I visit Madeleine's bedroom to talk to her twice a day, reveals Kate McCann as she breaks
down on Oprah, 26 April 2009
I visit Madeleine's bedroom to talk to her twice a day, reveals Kate McCann as she breaks down on Oprah Daily Mail
By SAM GREENHILL
Last updated at 2:33 PM on 26th April 2009
Kate McCann visits missing Madeleine's bedroom twice a day to talk to her, she has revealed.
Her moving confession came during a tearful interview with American TV host Oprah Winfrey ahead of the second anniversary
of her daughter's disappearance.
She said the little girl's bedroom in their Leicestershire home had been kept ready for her return, adding that she goes
in there at least twice a day, 'just to say hello to Madeleine'.
Mrs McCann also admitted she did not recognise a new photograph of Madeleine generated to show how she would look aged
six.
The picture, which will be released publicly next week, has been produced by graphics experts to depict the youngster
two years after she went missing on a family holiday in Portugal shortly before her fourth birthday.
Kate and Gerry McCann have spent weeks helping create the picture, which was made by the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children in the United States.
Mrs McCann admitted to Winfrey that when she first saw the finished image, she failed to recognise her own daughter.
She told the chat show host: 'I did not know who that little girl is.'
The picture shows Madeleine with slightly darker hair than the blonde locks seen in her last holiday snaps, and her face
is also thinner.
But her piercing blue eyes continue to shine through.
The photograph will spearhead a fresh appeal for help in finding Madeleine which the McCanns are planning for next month.
Although struggling to recognise their daughter, the couple say they believe the picture goes give an accurate impression
of how she might look now.
The hour-long interview with Oprah Winfrey will be broadcast on May 4, one day after the anniversary. Insiders said the
show, recorded in Chicago a few days ago, was highly charged with emotion.
Mrs McCann wept several times and was hugged by her husband and also Winfrey herself.
Boxes of tissues were left under the seats of the audience, several of whom also sobbed.
Kate and Gerry told how their four-year-old twins Sean and Amelie still talk about their older sister 'coming home' and
how Amelie now wears Madeleine's clothes, although the outfits last worn by her in Praia da Luz remain tucked away and untouched.
Mrs McCann said: 'I can't believe that the twins are now older than Madeleine was when she disappeared.' She said her
younger children say things like, 'Madeleine will like this when she comes home.'
A home video of Madeleine singing, 'If you're happy and you know it' drew audible sighs from the audience and Mrs McCann
confessed there were times 'when I wish I was in a coma and I wake up and Madeleine is back home with us'.
The McCanns have vowed never to stop looking for their missing daughter. Mr McCann said: 'In spite of all the investigative
work done, there is still absolutely nothing to suggest harm to Madeleine and therefore, a very real likelihood that Madeleine
is alive and well.'
TV insiders said Winfrey was impressed by the 'dignity and courage' of the McCanns.
Many in the American audience admitted they did not know the story of Madeleine, snatched from her bed at the holiday
villa, as there was little coverage in the United States of her disappearance.
'Oprah and Kate were very emotional. Kate broke down on two occasions.
A COMPUTER-generated image of how Madeleine McCann would look today
was created from photos of her parents when they were the same age she went missing.
Experts used black and white pics of Kate and Gerry McCann — taken when they were aged around four — to come
up with the new image.
It shows Maddie aged six with a thinner face and darker hair. Kate, 41, wept as she saw it on Oprah Winfrey’s US
show.
The image will be revealed when the show is broadcast on May 4, the day after the second anniversary of Maddie's disappearance.
Kate told Oprah how she visits her daughter's bedroom twice a day.
Oprah did everything to make the public cry. The tears were
counted and now the television show is expected to bring in a new wave of Maddie sightings. Meanwhile, the FBI confirms that
it only cooperated with the Portuguese and British authorities and that the "McCanns should have been suspects from first
moment on". Finally, the alarm wave in the Algarve because of the 'McCann Case' paedophiles is useless.
During the recording of the show with the largest audience on North American television, the "Oprah Winfrey Show", last
Friday, a tearful Kate McCann stated once more that she believes her daughter is alive and somewhere in the world, after having
been abducted from the room where she slept in the tourist resort in Praia da Luz, in Portugal.
After a long moment of preparation in the backstage, Kate McCann even cried in front of Oprah, the star host, again,
lamenting that she didn't recognise her daughter in the images that were presented on a giant screen, and where Maddie was
shown very different from what has become normal to see in the media since the child disappeared on the 3rd of May 2007: the
child now appears dressed in blue, looking more tender and sad, as if she had endured long captivity.
The child's new images, with the look that she would have at the age of six, were created by experts at the National
Centre for Missing children and were presented to Kate and Gerry McCann before the show's recording, during the visit that
they made to that institution as soon as they arrived in the United States.
The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, which Gerry McCann had already visited in July 2007, is a private
non-profit organisation that does not depend from the North American authorities, as an FBI spokesman told 24horas.
Sitting next to the North American television's star host, and in front of a mainly feminine audience, which had been
previously prepared for a show "with lots of emotion", as Oprah described it, Kate McCann explained what the family's life
has been like since Maddie disappeared, emphasising the twins' suffering over their sister's absence.
Despite Gerry's presence, Oprah directed the show's spotlights on Kate, following the line that had been previously traced
backstage, where the production team tirelessly underlined the "emotional environment" that had been created in the room,
and where the public, which had been previously selected, were already converted to the British couple.
The real star of the show, that will be broadcast in 144 countries at the beginning of May, Kate, told Oprah that she
felt Maddie was still alive and that although she didn't recognise her in the new images, she would be able to recognise her
on the street if she crossed her, which didn't fail to produce some emotional sighs from the public.
The "Oprah Show", which will also be broadcast in our country, has still kept part of its mystery, as not even journalists
were allowed to watch the entire recording. The final programme will also include images that were recorded in the Rothley
house, where Maddie's room can be seen, tided as if the child could return tomorrow, and Kate playing with twins Sean and
Amelie.
Very special relevance is equally given to the documentary that Channel 4 will broadcast on the seventh of May, in which
the McCanns will once more launch the idea that an abductor took Maddie from the bed where she slept in apartment 5A, that
was occupied by the couple during the vacation that they spent in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. The new "suspect", who has
nevertheless been identified in the investigation files, is allegedly a Mediterranean looking male, someone who looks Portuguese,
and he was seen staring at the apartment where Maddie disappeared from.
The public surrendered to Kate and even counted how often Maddie's mother cried
As the production stressed, the programme had all the ingredients to please the public that is normally targeted by the
"Oprah Show", and the audience that was at Harpo Studios on West Washington, near central Chicago, ended up becoming emotional
over the two women's tears. "Oprah and Kate were very emotional. The girl's mother cried at least twice, and even I cried",
24horas was told by a 47-year-old American, a mother and an unconditional fan of the show: "It's very hard to get
tickets for the show but when I heard it was the McCanns, I spent several hours on the phone to get them."
Harpo Studios, the only in the world owned by an Afro-American woman, are almost exclusively used to record the Oprah
Show, where the public, after requesting their tickets a month earlier, is chosen, searched and checked by a security team
at the entrance.
Oprah will prompt new Maddie sightings wave
The publication of images of how Maddie might look today, as well as the presence of her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann,
on the Oprah show on North American television, may prompt a new wave of sightings all over the world. The alert was given
in England today, by an officer with the British police, citing the example of what happens every time someone close to the
family or the couple's spokesman himself, Clarence Mitchell, make the media publish news about a possible abduction and the
child's exit to a foreign country.
"With the publication of the recent images, sightings in the country and abroad have started again", the officer says,
pointing at the news that an English couple saw the child in Malta, as an example: Brian and Glenice White, a retired couple,
stated to English police that they saw Madeleine on the 14th of March on a square in La Valletta, the capital of Malta. The
couple described a blonde child that played in the company of a "very dark" couple who left when they felt they were being
watched.
In Portugal, despite the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann remaining in a drawer, the PJ is also
worried about the impact that the presence of Kate and Gerry McCann on the Oprah Winfrey show will have, as several inspectors
from the CID in Portimão confirmed to 24horas.
"The McCanns should have been suspects from the first moment on"
24horas asked Richard Kolko and Ross Rice, from the FBI in Washington and Chicago respectively, as well as other
experts at that North American organisation, to comment on several aspects of the Maddie case and the presence of Kate and
Gerry McCann on the Oprah Show.
"Kate and Gerry McCann, as well as their seven English friends, should have been treated as suspects from the first moment
on, and only seen as victims when all doubts about them were cleared." This was the conclusion from an FBI abduction expert,
who was contacted by 24horas.
While Kate and Gerry McCann were still in England, boarding their plane to the United States, FBI members, at the
request of 24horas, analysed the inquiry's documents from the process, and stressed, among other elements, what they
called the "obvious lack of cooperation" from the couple.
For that expert, who is used to dealing with abduction cases, it is difficult to understand that the head investigator
was removed and the case remains archived, because "the more time goes by, the harder it will be to find the truth."
The fact that the "crime scene" could have been contaminated in an innocent manner intrigued the expert, who further
stressed that "one of the clues that should be reviewed is precisely that one, to determine how, and by whom, the apartment
was contaminated", adding as an example that "from the moment that there is blood, and presuming there are no other victims",
it's important to determine what product contaminated the samples.
When questioned about a possible abduction for paedophile purposes, the expert confirmed what the PJ had already said:
"Madeleine doesn't match the profile of a victim that a paedophile would target."
FBI only cooperated with Portuguese and British authorities
When asked to comment on the recent images of the child that were divulged in England and in Portugal, the North American
experts underlined that until today, there has been no cooperation with the couple whatsoever. The FBI only cooperated normally
with the Portuguese and British authorities, recalling, for example, the comparison analyses that were made between Madeleine's
DNA and a child's cadaver in Texas.
Both agents further confirmed that until now no FBI expert took part in the creation of the images of Madeleine that
the couple publicised in England.
Paedophilia: Alarm in the Algarve is useless
According to a source at the Public Ministry, in the "Maddie" case, and contrary to what has been publicised, the list
that arrived in our country, concerning foreign citizens who were identified as paedophiles - or as allegedly matching the
typical profile of a paedophile - remains in the hands of the Portuguese authorities but was not handed over to the journalists
in the DVD that the Court of Portimão delivered after the process was archived.
The DVD that was delivered to journalists by the Court of Portimão does equally not divulge the identity or details of
any Portuguese sex offender, the data having been removed from the process to preserve their anonymity, although they all
are part of the PJ's archives, without exception.
The list includes the names of British citizens that live in Portugal, or might have passed through the Algarve, and
are referenced as having committed or having been accused of crimes of a sexual or paedophile nature. Another list, which
is considered to be more "delicate", includes individuals that have never committed any crime but who, according to the English
authorities, match the typical profile of a possible paedophile.
It was actually the risk of this last list being divulged that prompted the English authorities to hire law firm "Advogados
Morais Leitão, Galvão Telles, Soares da Silva & Associados", which requested the Court of Portimão to maintain the judicial
secrecy over the contents of the English documents, alleging that the major concern of the British authorities was "the physical
integrity of condemned sexual offenders or alleged sexual offenders".
The president of the "Association of Chief Police Officers" (ACPO) himself, Ken Jones, recognised to joint prosecutor
Melchior Gomes that "a major part of this material is made of information that has not been proved, concerning named and identifiable
individuals", Ken Jones writes, adding that its publication would impact "their physical safety".
The British officer was equally worried about possible lawsuits against the authors of said list, as the criteria that
are used for "selection" are not very clear and often based on anonymous complaints that are never investigated or proved.
AS the second anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance approaches one of America's biggest stars has offered her
support to the heartbroken family.
And Irish people in the McCann's native Donegal are also praying for a miracle.
Parents Kate and Gerry McCann have never stopped in their search to find their missing daughter. And in an emotionally-charged
interview with chat show host Oprah, which will air next week, Kate McCann speaks of how she misses Madeleine and visits her
bedroom every day.
She said: "Not a day goes by when I don't think about her. I feel Madeleine is still close to me and alive."
Maddie's grandmother Eileen McCann, who lives in Glasgow but whose family hail from Dungloe and St. Johnson in Co. Donegal,
looked after Maddie's twin siblings while their parents went to America. She said: "I've just got back home after spending
the past few days down in Leicestershire minding the twins. We're all exhausted but it was a worthwhile trip."
The McCanns left Donegal in 1967. Maddie's father Gerry was born later in England, but the family still have relatives
and friends in the county. Locals have always stood firm behind the family. St. Johnson publican Joe Peoples said that the
whole community is still hoping and praying that Madeleine will turn up one day. Mr Peoples leases The Fisherman's pub from
grandmother Eileen McCann but says that the family have not been back to Donegal — a place where the McCanns spent many
family holidays since Madeleine disappeared.
He said: "Of course we're all praying that the little girl will be found safe and sound one of these days. The McCanns
are well-known in the area and we're all thinking of them at this sad time."
Kate and Gerry McCann are convinced that Madeleine is alive as they continue to explore all avenues into her disappearance.
In a renewed bid to highlight the case, the couple flew to Chicago to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show — which
attracts a worldwide audience of 1.2billion in 144 countries.
Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell says the McCanns agreed to speak with Winfrey because of the global reach of her show.
The episode will be broadcast on May 3 — two years to the day after Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment
in Praia da Luz, Portugal, just days before her fourth birthday. A message from the couple posted on the official Find Madeleine
website confirms that they will never give up in the search for their beloved daughter.
It reads: "It is impossible for us to ignore the day-to-day heartache of missing Madeleine but there is however, a very
important and positive fact that remains… in spite of all the investigative work done, there is still absolutely nothing
to suggest harm to Madeleine and therefore, a very real likelihood that Madeleine is alive and well. We will never, ever give
up."
Diva TV to broadcast the McCann's first US interview on Tuesday 5th May
at 8pm, 30 April 2009
Diva TV Will Broadcast a One-Hour Special Episode on Tuesday 5th May 2009prnewswire
30 April 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann's interview on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is to be screened in the UK, a day after airing in America,
NBC Universal Global Networks announced today.
Diva TV, which transmits "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in the UK, will broadcast the McCann's first US interview on Tuesday
5th May at 8pm. Viewers will see a digitally created photo that shows how Madeleine might look today, aged five.
The McCanns will talk to Oprah about the two-year hunt for their missing daughter, whilst the show's cameras go inside
their home, spending the day with them and their 4-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie.
"The more people able to see Madeleine's image as she would look now the better," said Jon Farrar, Programming Director
for NBC Universal Global Networks (UK), which owns Diva TV.
"By appearing on 'Oprah' the family can reach millions of people in America and, given the show is broadcast in 143 countries
including here in the UK, target new audiences around the world. We hope it will lead to new and useful information."
NBC Universal hopes that airing the Oprah interview will prompt new information from the public. The company is working
with the UK charity Missing People to facilitate sightings confidentially immediately following the transmission.
Jo Youle, Director of Services at the charity Missing People said, "We very much hope that, by airing Gerry and Kate
McCann's interview with Oprah, anyone with that vital sighting will come forward in confidence on Freefone 0500-700-700."
The Oprah Winfrey Show: "Exclusive - The McCanns and the New Search for Madeleine" will be broadcast on Tuesday 5th May
at 8pm. Diva TV is available on Sky channel 269 & Virgin channel 164.
