Idris Elba narrates message of hope with 'Don't Quit' poem

London: British star Idris Elba is spreading a message of hope for the people in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 47-year-old actor, who revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis in March, recorded Don’t Quit from American poet John Greenleaf Whittier for the BBC, the morale-boosting video of which was released by the network on Friday.

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will; when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill; when the funds are low but the debts are high; when you want to smile but you have to sigh; when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must but don’t you quit,” Elba said in the 90-second clip.

The video, commissioned by BBC Creative, was released after the UK recorded 980 hospital deaths in a single day on April 10.

It featured a montage of news footage detailing the UK’s fight against COVID-19, including parked airplanes, empty grocery shops and closed markets, as well as uplifting moments such as applauding National Health Service (NHS) workers, violinists playing out their windows during self-isolation and shows continuing without an audience.