Good Morning Britain’s Alex Beresford pays tribute to ‘bright’ murdered cousin stabbed to death 11 days after weatherman’s TV knife plea
GOOD Morning Britain’s weatherman Alex Beresford today spoke of his shock as it was revealed his cousin was stabbed to death – just days after the star waded into the knife crime debate.
Nathan Armstrong, 29, was killed in the early hours of yesterday on the same street where Crimewatch host Jill Dando was fatally shot in 1999.
CCTV caught Nathan — who was nicknamed “BFG” for his 6ft 7in frame — arguing with two men in the middle of posh Gowan Avenue, where houses sell for £1.5million.
Nathan lived with his mum 100 yards away in Fulham, South-West London.
Alex, 38, was told of the murder yesterday afternoon – and today paid tribute to the “bright young man”.
In a statement, Mr Beresford said: “I’m deeply saddened to confirm my cousin Nathaniel lost his life on Friday night.
“We were all so shocked to receive this news yesterday and our thoughts right now are with his mum, his brother and sisters.
“Nathaniel was a bright young man with his whole life ahead of him and this tragedy is yet one more example of a needless life lost to knife crime.”
He later tweeted: “Nobody wins! Everybody loses” along with a broken heart emoji.
Alex, who starred in Dancing on Ice last year, hit the headlines on March 5 when he yelled across ITV’s breakfast show studio to interrupt a panel debating whether there should be more jails.
He shouted: “Prison doesn’t work though. It does not work.
“I’ve grown up in some of these communities you guys are talking about. Some of these boys don’t fear prison.
“If you don’t change the environment you won’t change anything and that’s the key thing.”
Nathan’s murder is the 26th in London this year.
A source said: “He’s in a state of shock.
“It’s so tragic, especially when you think he spoke out about the knife crime problem so recently.”
Nathaniel was a bright young man with his whole life ahead of him and this tragedy is yet one more example of a needless life lost to knife crime
Alex Beresford
Passers-by found the engineering graduate lying in a pool of blood at 12.30am and called paramedics but they were unable to save him.
The street is close to Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage stadium.
Nathan’s distraught dad Michael Armstrong pledged a cash reward for information.
Standing outside his home, he said: “I’ll give £20,000 to anyone who brings my son’s killer to me.”
DCI Glen Lloyd, who is leading the investigation, said cops want to talk to a 6ft-tall, light-skinned black male who was seen near the scene.
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Meanwhile Nathan’s pals paid tribute to him online.
George, 30, said: “He was super-friendly, a BFG. It would shock you how friendly he was.”
Michaela Jade added: “He always had that big smile on his face. He was a big teddy bear.”
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