Sir Nicholas Winton didn’t know the audience was full of children he saved from Nazis — until this moment

Sir Nicholas Winton rescued hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi concentration camps. Although he was just a young stockbroker in London at the time, he put his privilege to good use. Winton traveled to Prague and made a plan to save these children before World War II. Despite the incredible feat he achieved, he kept it all a secret for 50 years until it was revealed on a TV show. In a video shared on Reddit by u/Idksonameiguess, he can be seen surrounded by an adult audience, unaware that they were the children he helped rescue decades ago. As the world celebrated 'Holocaust Memorial Day' January 27, 2026, the heroic actions of Sir Nicholas Winton ring louder than ever. 

In the iconic video from BBC that went viral again, he can be seen breaking down in tears when the rescued people started to thank him for what he did. The video is captioned, "Nicholas Winton helped 669 Jewish children escape the Nazis. His efforts went unrecognized for 50 years. Then in 1988, while sitting as a member of a TV audience, he suddenly found himself surrounded by the kids he'd rescued, now adults."

In the video, a woman announced, "I should tell you, you are actually sitting next to Nicholas Winton." The woman sitting next to him was overjoyed. She held his hand and then hugged him. They both were in tears. As everyone began to clap, the woman again looked at him and said, "Thank you." The camera then turns to another woman, who says: "I wore this around my neck and this is the actual purse that we were given to come to England. I'm another of the children that you saved." She turned to Winton and kissed him on his cheek. By now, he is visibly emotional at reuniting with all the lives he helped save.

Meanwhile, the presenter can be heard saying, "Is there anyone in our audience tonight who owes their life to Nicholas Winton? If so could you stand up, please?" Almost everyone in the audience stands up. Winton also stands up, looks around, and then nods his head with a smile. He then sits down and wipes his tears.

The heartwarming video has gained more than 24k upvotes. Many on Reddit were in awe of Winton for making such a huge difference in these people's lives. u/snoo-12762 commented, "Oh my god my jaw is in the floor, this is one of the most amazing things I’ve actually ever seen." u/Shallwestartthen wrote, "This never fails to move me. The way he quietly wipes his tears at the end... this is true heroism." u/oyisagoodboy expressed, "This is always worth the watch and truly beautiful. He never told anyone. That's truly a good deed done for the sake of doing what is right and just."

We've previously reported about Winton and the incredible story behind how he saved these children. Sir Winton was born to Jewish parents. His parents wanted him to fit into British life. So they anglicized his name and baptized him into the Anglican church. It was in December 1938 when Winton realized his real calling. He received a letter from his friend Martin Blake, who had already visited Prague on behalf of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia. He wrote, "I have a most interesting assignment and I need your help. Don't bother bringing your skis."

Winton traveled to Nazi-occupied Sudetenland and saw refugee camps filled with families forced to flee in the European winter. Seeing their situation, Winton decided to use his contacts and help refugees evacuate to England. He and his friend Blake Warriner quickly set up a headquarters of sorts in a hotel in Prague and started making a list of families who wanted to send their children to safety. For every refugee who escaped Czechoslovakia, he had to arrange a foster family. Once that was sorted, he and the children had to travel to the heart of Nazi Germany by train. He made this fatal journey eight times and successfully transported 669 children from those dangerous situations.

King Charles met with Holocaust survivors on January 27, 2026. The King and Queen lit candles as a symbolic act of remembrance, reported BBC. Last year, King Charles visited the Polish site of the Nazi concentration camp, reported PEOPLE. According to a royal source, The King viewed it as “an opportunity for him to reflect on the many stories of suffering and courage he has heard from those who bore witness in the very location where they took place.”

This article originally appeared 2 years ago.