The quiet community of Bushey, Hertfordshire, was forever changed on July 9, 2024. That day, BBC racing commentator John Hunt lost his wife Carol, 61, and daughters Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, in a brutal attack carried out by Louise’s ex-partner, Kyle Clifford. The murders, which took place in the family’s home, shocked the nation and left John and his eldest daughter Amy grappling with unimaginable grief. Now, more than a year later, their journey through loss has taken on a new form: one of remembrance, activism, and hope for change.
On November 27, 2025, Queen Camilla welcomed John and Amy Hunt into the Garden Room at Clarence House for an emotional and deeply meaningful conversation. The meeting was recorded for a special edition of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, set to air on New Year’s Eve. The broadcast, chaired by BBC broadcaster Emma Barnett and featuring former prime minister Baroness Theresa May, aims to shine a light on the urgent need for systemic change regarding violence against women and girls. As Buckingham Palace confirmed, the timing of this announcement is no accident—it coincides with the final day of the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual campaign running from November 25 to December 10 to raise awareness and spur action worldwide.
For the Hunt family, this broadcast is more than just an interview. It is a platform to honor the memories of Carol, Hannah, and Louise, and to ensure that their lives are remembered for the vibrant, loving people they were—not simply as statistics in a tragic crime. Speaking to the BBC, John Hunt described his daily routine of remembrance: “From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them. Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, ‘Girls, sorry I can’t be with you, I’m with your mum at the moment.’ As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. So yeah, very close (to me) all the time.”
Amy Hunt, determined to restore dignity to her mother and sisters, echoed her father’s sentiments. “My mum, Hannah and Louise became a statistic. They became victims of Kyle Clifford. I want to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully rounded people,” she said, as reported by BBC News. This resolve has driven the Hunts to channel their grief into action, launching The Hunt Family Fund in memory of Carol, Louise, and Hannah. The fund is dedicated to supporting charities and projects that help and inspire young women, as well as those working to prevent domestic abuse and assist affected families.
The official launch of The Hunt Family Fund will take place at a fundraising gala on Thursday night, December 11, 2025. The event, which features a silent auction with unique prizes such as behind-the-scenes access to Match of the Day, a tour of Michael Owen’s stables, and a luxury Paris weekend for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is expected to draw significant support. Bids for the auction will be accepted until the night of the gala, with all proceeds going directly to the fund’s charitable initiatives.
The story of the Hunt family’s tragedy is as harrowing as it is heartbreaking. According to Daily Mail and court records, Kyle Clifford, a former soldier, meticulously planned his attack. Armed with a crossbow, knife, duct tape, rope, and other paraphernalia, he arrived at the Hunt family’s £800,000 home under the pretense of delivering a farewell card and returning some of Louise’s belongings. The violence that followed was both calculated and unspeakable. Carol was killed with a ten-inch knife, while Louise endured a two-and-a-half-hour ordeal during which she was bound, gagged, raped, and ultimately shot through the heart with a crossbow. Hannah, arriving home moments later, was also killed with the same weapon. All three women were declared dead at the scene. Clifford was apprehended the following day in a cemetery in Enfield, north London, after shooting himself with the crossbow as police closed in, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
At Cambridge Crown Court in March 2025, Clifford, 27, was sentenced to a whole life order after pleading guilty to the murders and being convicted of raping Louise. He refused to attend his sentencing or trial, a move described by many as a final act of cowardice. The court heard harrowing details of the attack, including evidence captured on the family’s security cameras and the desperate 999 call made by Hannah as she lay dying. As BBC News reported, the presiding judge remarked, “It’s unspeakable what friends and family have witnessed in this court.”
Louise’s relationship with Clifford had grown increasingly troubled in the months leading up to the attack. Friends noticed changes in her behavior—she wore less makeup and was not allowed to see male friends on her own. A turning point came at a friend’s wedding in June 2024, where Clifford belittled her and boasted about his infidelities. Louise ended the relationship soon after, unaware of the full extent of Clifford’s violent intentions.
The Hunt family’s ordeal has become a rallying point for broader discussions about domestic abuse and gender-based violence in the UK. The inclusion of Baroness Theresa May—a longtime advocate for victims’ rights and a driving force behind domestic abuse legislation—in the upcoming broadcast underscores the need for policy reform and community engagement. As Emma Barnett, the programme’s chair, guided the conversation, topics ranged from personal grief to the systemic changes required to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The Queen’s involvement in the broadcast, and her support for the Hunt family, reflects a growing recognition at the highest levels of society that gender-based violence is not just a private tragedy but a public crisis. The timing of the programme’s announcement, aligned with the UN’s campaign, is intended to keep the issue in the public eye and encourage meaningful action from governments, charities, and individuals alike.
For John and Amy Hunt, the pain of their loss is ever-present, but so is their determination to ensure that Carol, Hannah, and Louise are remembered not for the way they died, but for the lives they lived and the change their memory can inspire. The Hunt Family Fund stands as a testament to their resilience and a beacon of hope for others affected by domestic violence. As the world listens to their story on New Year’s Eve, it’s a reminder that even in the face of unspeakable tragedy, the human spirit can find ways to honor, heal, and fight for a better future.
