Rita Ora is ‘tormented with worry’ about her mum working on frontline in battle against coronavirus

Rita Ora says she is ‘tormented’ with worry as her mother continues to work on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.

The singer, 29, talked to Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston on Heart Radio on Wednesday and said she felt inspired by her 55-year-old mum, Vera Sahatciu’s ‘selfless actions’. 

Vera is working as a psychiatrist within the UK’s National Health Service, where she is looking after people who have mental health issues as well as COVID-19. 

When Amanda asked how her mum was doing, Rita said: ‘I speak to her every single day – probably twice a day. I am still very concerned and am tormented always worried about her, but there is just no stopping her.

‘My mother is such a positive person and even throughout of all this, she’s been so uplifting.

‘She feels as though it’s her duty and her responsibility. It’s so inspiring to see her get up to help save lives every single day.’

The singer says the global health crisis has helped her ‘appreciate everything so much more’, and hopes the world with be a ‘kinder’ place once the pandemic has passed.

‘I really do appreciate everything so much more now. Everyone is in the same boat and you really see what’s important in life when something like this happens,’ Rita said.

‘I feel that once this is all over, there will be a lot more kindness in the world. And I hope that people will realise the value of life and see things differently.’

Whilst her mother is working, Rita – who recently signed up to be an NHS volunteer – is spending her time at home, where she’s been spending more time than ever in bed to ‘catch up’ on a decade of lost sleep.

She said: ‘I just feel very content weirdly enough because I’ve been travelling for like 10 years, so I’m catching up on 10 years of sleep. I’m recording and trying to be productive.’

But more time at home also means she’s begun ‘snacking’ more often, and says her go-to snack is a Jaffa Cake.

In a separate interview on Wednesday on Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp, she added: ‘I’m snacking a lot, I don’t know how many times someone can eat a Jaffa Cake. What I really need is a lock on my fridge.’