Emma Willis and Dermot O'Leary paid a touching tribute to Michael Buble while hosting the Brit awards on Wednesday night. The singer, who was originally due to present the award ceremony, pulled out after his three-year-old son Noah was diagnosed with cancer in November 2016. Speaking about the Just Haven't Met You Yet star's absence, Emma said: "We so wish he could've been with us and everybody at the Brits sends him all our love and fingers crossed we'll see him on the stage next year." The audience cheered in response to their tribute, and fans were quick to praise the pair on social media. One person tweeted: "Lovely mention for Michael Buble from Dermot & Emma. Get well soon Noah." Another person added: "Nice that @radioleary & @EmmaWillis remembered @michaelbuble in their opening tonight #BRITs2017."
Emma and Dermot are hosting the Brit awards
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The 41-year-old and his wife, Luisana Lopilato, recently released a statement to give fans an update on Noah's progress. They wrote: "We are so grateful to report that our son Noah has been progressing well during his treatment and the doctors are very optimistic about the future for our little boy. He has been brave throughout and we continue to be inspired by his courage. Our gratitude to his doctors and caretakers cannot be put into words."
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Dermot has previously spoken about filling Michael's shoes on the night. He said: "Firstly, my immediate thoughts and prayers are with Michael and his family at such a difficult time. Michael is an effortless show man, so those patent shoes will not be easy to fill, but it's an honour to be asked to step in with Emma to host the BRITs. The BRITs is an iconic show that I've watched and attended many times. It's a holy grail for a broadcaster, and I'm really looking forward to working with Emma, who I'm a big fan of, and celebrating a brilliant year of British music."
