Ariana Grande on stage for the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert
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Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing: Ariana Grande’s ‘gesture’ to victims’ families after attack

The devastating attack happened in 2017

Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing airs on ITV tonight to reflect on the horrific 2017 attack.

The documentary marks the fifth anniversary of the attack, which left the nation shocked to its core.

On May 22, 2017, a terrorist detonated a homemade bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and wounding hundreds more.

The people were leaving a concert by American singer Ariana Grande.

Ariana Grande singing during the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert
Ariana Grande held the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert in June 2017 (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing

Following the attack, Ariana expressed her heartbreak and devastation.

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She reportedly made a gesture to the victims’ families shortly after the attack happened.

According to reports at the time, Ariana offered to pay for the funerals of the victims.

Lucy Jarvis outside the Manchester Arena in Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing
Lucy Jarvis, who features in the doc, became seriously injured in the attack (Credit: ITV)

Following the horrific attack, Ariana’s agent Scooter Braun revealed she had “cried for days”.

In 2018, Scooter told the Big Questions with Cal Fussman podcast: “When she found out that fans of hers had died she was so sad. She cried for days.

“She felt everything – every face they announced, every name, she wore on her sleeve.

“Every bit of emotion because that’s who she is.”

Ariana Grande in purple dress at Billboard 13th Annual Women in Music Awards
Ariana reportedly offered to pay for the victims’ funerals (Credit: SplashNews.com)

What will feature in Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing?

The two-part documentary will use new revelations to piece together the timeline of the day, ITV said.

It will look at how multiple opportunities to stop the bomber in his tracks were tragically missed.

The episodes will provide “wider context” to the attack, and delve into the role of MI5 and the emergency services.

Meanwhile, family and friends of the victims will recall their stories of the heartbreaking night.

Father of Manchester Bombing victim in ITV's Worlds Collide Manchester Bombing
Bereaved father Paul Hett, whose son Martyn was killed in the attack, speaks in the documentary (Credit: ITV)

The father of victim Martyn Hett speaks out in the documentary, saying his world “fell apart” when he discovered his son was missing after the attack.

Paul Hett says in the doc: “The next morning I got up, jumped in the car, put the radio on and they were saying there had been a bomb at the Manchester Arena.

Read more: Emmerdale’s Tony Audenshaw on ‘unfair’ death of his wife at the age of just 43

“I remember thinking how absolutely awful for those families, that must be absolutely terrible.

“So, I got my mobile phone to see if there were any messages and the text basically said, ‘We don’t want to worry you but Martyn was at the concert with us and he is missing’. My world fell apart.”

Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing airs on ITV, tonight, at 9pm.

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Rebecca Carter
Associate Editor (News)