Tom Cruise surprises British charity fundraiser Lloyd Kembrey on BBC show after twin cousins died of rare disease

From the Newshound archive · first published 3 October 2026 · last updated 4 October 2026.

Lloyd Kembrey, a facilities manager at the University of Bristol, was tricked into travelling to London believing he was filming a documentary about extreme endurance feats — only for Tom Cruise to walk in and personally thank him. Kembrey spent a year completing gruelling challenges to raise money for Jessie May, a children's hospice charity, in memory of his twin cousins Francesca and Josephine, who died in their teens after being diagnosed with Sanfilippo disease type A at age three and a half. The surprise was arranged by Kembrey's family alongside BBC One's 'The One Show' and its 'One Big Thank You' segment. Cruise then invited Kembrey to the royal film performance and world premiere of his new film 'Digger'.

Kembrey's extreme challenges included a 31-mile ice-skating ultramarathon in Finland and a 94-mile trek along the Jurassic Coast.

Cruise told Kembrey: 'I've done a lot of wild things and stunts, but when I heard about Lloyd's adventure, I just thought, I've got to meet this guy.'

Sanfilippo disease type A is a rare, fatal genetic disorder that causes severe and progressive brain damage in children.