What happened to Ukrainians who moved in with celebrities and politicians? From Chris Tarrant buying refugees their very own flat, to the Tory MP who put up three generations of the same family, the famous faces who offered help

Celebrities and politicians who welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes today revealed how they were getting on two years after being forced to flee to Britain.

Broadcasters Chris Tarrant and Rachel Riley and Tory MPs Matt Hancock, Grant Shapps, David Cameron and Robert Jenrick were among high profile figures to open their doors to people escaping the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.

Mr Tarrant, 77, today told MailOnline he still sees the Ukrainian family who stayed with him ‘a lot’ despite them moving into a new flat he bought for them.

‘There are three of them: a grandmother, a mum and her baby daughter – the father was already in the Ukrainian Army and remained behind to serve his country,’ he said.

‘They came to live with us when the baby was just seven months old! They’d had a terrifying journey getting out of Ukraine and all three had been sleeping on airport floors in Poland and elsewhere.

Chris Tarrant and his partner Jane Bird, pictured at a fundraising event in London, are one of several celebrity couples who have hosted Ukrainian refugees

Rachel Riley and her Strictly star husband Pasha Kovalev, 43, also took refugees into their home

The Countdown star war a blue and yellow football shirt supporting a charity football match for Ukraine as she left Media City in Salford last year

‘I’ve moved them into a nice flat that I got for them about 18 months ago.

READ MORE – Interactive map shows Kensington and Chelsea as the most generous place for hosting refugees.. so how does your area compare?

‘Although we’ve got a large house with plenty of room, it’s very rural and a bit cut off. So now they are close to shops, cafes, etc, as well as to other Ukrainian refugees.

‘They have found jobs and of course it’s close to a baby club.’

The former Who Once To Be A Millionaire? host said he and his partner, Jane Bird, are still in touch with the family.

‘We see them a lot and they came to spend Christmas with us – the husband is still fighting in the Donbas but we communicate with him regularly,’ he said.

‘That side of things is always going to be scary but they try so hard to be positive that he will survive, that the war will end and that they will all be together again. They have truly enhanced our lives.’

Mr Hancock, 45, and his partner Gina Coladangelo welcomed a family of seven Ukrainian refugees to his Suffolk home over Easter 2022. They moved out in 2023, having found jobs and a home.

Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, filmed himself welcoming Ukrainians into his home in 2022

Mr Shapps, 55, today told MailOnline that the family have moved to their own home but are ‘still considered very much part of the Shapps clan’

Mr Shapps pictured with his wife Belinda and their three children, Hadley, Tabytha and Noa

The former Health Secretary told MailOnline: ‘Hosting three generations from one family, who had escaped the war with little more than the clothes on their backs, was a truly humbling experience – and something I will never forget.

‘Initially there was a language barrier but it didn’t really matter – we got on extremely well.

‘I quickly developed a taste for Ukrainian food – especially borscht – and, before too long, picked up the basics of the language.’

Mr Shapps, the Defence Secretary, welcomed a seven-year-old child, his mother, grandmother and dog to the home he shares with his therapist wife, Belinda, and three children, Hadley, Tabytha and Noa.

The family had posted on social media asking about the Homes for Ukraine scheme which was reportedly picked up by the Tory MP’s daughter.

He previously told how his teenage son Hadley was originally concerned about the family moving in but found they ‘fit in very well’.

Mr Shapps, 55, today told MailOnline the family have moved to their own home but are ‘still considered very much part of the Shapps clan’

Matt Hancock, 45, and his partner Gina Coladangelo welcomed a family of seven Ukrainian refugees to his Suffolk home over Easter 2022

Lord David Cameron revealed in December last year that he and his wife Samantha had hosted a Ukrainian family, and hailed the growing cultural links between both countries. The family has now moved out

The number of Ukrainians arriving in the UK has dramatically reduced since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The Y axis of this graph shows the number in thousands

Countdown star Rachel Riley was also among celebrities who agreed to host Ukrainian refugees alongside her Strictly star husband Pasha Kovalev, 43.

She previously told how the family – which included mother Sasha Borysenko, her eight-year-old son Mykyta, grandmother Luba and aunt Gayla – had no idea she was famous and had to look her up on YouTube.

Today, Ms Riley’s representatives confirmed to MailOnline that the family were still living with her.

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch announced weeks later that he had signed up for the Homes For Ukraine scheme. He said a family was due to move in but they were delayed due to ‘undergoing some medical treatment’.

He has not said whether any refugees have moved in yet, and his representatives have not responded to requests for comment.

David Cameron revealed in December last year that he and his wife Samantha had hosted a Ukrainian family, and hailed the growing cultural links between both countries. The family has now moved out, MailOnline understands.

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch announced weeks later that he had signed up for the Homes For Ukraine scheme, but has not said whether any refugees have moved in yet. He’s seen with his wife, Sophie Hunter

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick is believed to be the first MP to have taken in Ukrainian refugees, welcoming Maria, 40, Christina, 11, and Boden, 15, into his Nottinghamshire home.

He described feeling ‘very emotional’ when he finally met the family at Stansted

‘I think the family we are sponsoring were happy to be in a place of safety,’ he told the BBC. ‘Like most Ukrainians who come under the scheme they are leaving behind husbands, fathers, relatives and friends so there are mixed emotions.’

 Read more