Watch Russell Palmer, a professional performer, speak about the importance of St George's Day as he jokes "I don't really answer to my actual name anymore".He spoke about how the national celebration brings people together, particularly children, to celebrate England's patron saint.Asked whether St George's Day has been forgotten in this day and age, he said: "St George is a symbol. People recognise the symbolism. I think we don't really focus on the Church or religion anymore."
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00:00St George, welcome. You've survived the centuries to make it on GB News.
00:04I have, yes.
00:05In actual fact, you are Russell Palmer, a professional St George actor, do we call you?
00:09Um, I, well, performer, yes. I run lots of children's workshops for primary schools, lots of events and things like that.
00:17I have many different, different characters. I don't really answer to Russell Palmer anymore. I don't know who that person is.
00:22Just St George.
00:22Yes.
00:23You've transitioned.
00:23For the day.
00:24Transitioned.
00:24Yes, for the day.
00:25Good stuff. What's going on today then in the town centre? Big parade, what can we expect?
00:28Yeah, so it's because it's St George's Day. Happy St George's Day, everybody. It's the sort of thing that we do every year. It's for the children.
00:36I think it brings all the children together from all the local schools. I'll get out there in a little while. I'll be meeting them all. I'll be talking to them.
00:42The one question they always ask me is, is it a real sword? And I like to explain to them I'm the only person that can walk through a town centre with a real sword, so it's quite good.
00:50But yeah, it's all about the children. They show off and display all of their creations that they made for St George's Day, dragons and everything, and they really, really enjoy it.
00:58And how important is it, do you think, to instill the knowledge of St George into children? He was a defender of the faith, a martyr of Christianity. Do you think it's forgotten in this day and age?
01:07I think a lot of the times these days, we don't really focus on the church here. We don't really focus on religion anymore. It's a symbol. St George is a symbol.
01:18And I get many, many people say to me every year, but St George was a Roman. And you say, well, that's true, but if I dressed as a Roman, nobody would know who I was.
01:25So, being this sort of symbolism here, it's kind of, people recognise it. I mean, I've been asked a couple of times, do I work for the Red Cross?
01:32So that's always quite funny, but yeah, I think people recognise it.
01:36Lovely. Russell, St George, thank you very much. Big day plan, stick with us.