by holdthefrontpage staff
Radio 1 has given a very special Christmas present to a couple from Northcliffe Electronic Publishing.
Taryn and Andy Neal, who work at its Derby headquarters, thought they were in with a chance of winning a trip to Australia to visit her parents when they appeared on the Chris Moyles show.
Chris's competition, 12 Days of Christmas, asked for nominations of people who have battled against the odds this year and deserved a very special gift.
Zimbabwe-born Taryn was nominated by her husband Andy who was impressed by the way she coped when separated from her family as they followed separate paths after leaving Africa.
Five questions had to be answered correctly For more than four years, Taryn has had a tough time with visa applications and came very close to leaving the UK - now her home - at one point.
But despite her failing to answer some very difficult quiz questions about Australia correctly, the presenter revealed Taryn's family were, in fact, in the very next room!
'Satellite link' was only make-believe!In the shock of seeing her family, Taryn uttered some words which shouldn't really have been broadcast, as Chris Moyles revealed they were here for Christmas and the New Year.
Taryn came to the UK in 2000 and had lived and worked here under a temporary working visa.
But when she came to renew it in 2002, the Home Office refused her application and said she had to leave the country, despite the fact that she was working full-time, had a house and boyfriend (now husband) and was of no burden to the country.
A worrying two years followed, with appeals to the home office being repeatedly submitted and rejected and it looked more and more as though Taryn would have to leave the UK.
Finally, the suggestion was put to her in August that she should travel to Australia where she would then be able to re-apply for a permanent UK residency visa.
Family is reunited!After the competition "win", Andy said: "I'm over the moon that Taryn has got the chance to meet up with her family. I heard about the competition six weeks ago and couldn't resist nominating her.
"It has been hard for her living so far away from her family and she misses them a lot over the Christmas period."
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e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk
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