Hattie Pearson speaks with Cash Register prize winner, John Elkington.
Death is a very lucrative business. The average funeral cost is around $9,000 in the United States. That would be a significant amount for anyone to pay, especially when the death is unexpected. The prices are so high that some states even provide financial assistance for people to have memorials for loved ones.
Even if people can muster up the cash for a burial, they may not be able to afford a headstone that they believe is adequate for a loved one. That’s why a story from the UK is so touching.
Every day, during its Cash Register promotion, Hits Radio UK in England gives away a ‘life-changing” amount of money to a lucky caller. DJ Hattie Pearson was behind the mic on May 17 when a retired man named John Elkington called in and won a Cash Register prize of £105,000 ($130,000).
When she asked what he would do with the winnings, Elkington said he would buy a gravestone for his late wife, Anita, who died six years ago. Elkington’s admission made Pearson immediately well up with tears.
He then explained why, as a retired person, it was so hard for him to afford a headstone for his wife.
"When you're a pensioner, it takes a long time to save up with the cost of stuff nowadays,” Elkington said. “It's made me emotional. You don't know how much this means." The prize winner said he visits his wife weekly and puts fresh flowers on her grave. Pearson noted that he’d have some “good news to share with her” the next time he sees her.
"I'm shaking everywhere,” Elkington continued. “Do you know I've never, never, ever won anything? Well, I say I've never won anything. I've won the love of a lovely lady."
Prize winner John Elkington.
via Planet Radio
Elkington’s sweet words for his wife made Pearson “a bit emotional” and she needed a few seconds to compose herself on air. The heartfelt exchange between Elkington and Pearson was also very moving to the people listening to the show in their cars. Many were overjoyed when they heard such a sweet man win the big prize.
I was sobbing like a baby listening to that when working this afternoon
— jonc (@jonc80733341) May 17, 2023
This was lovely. I was sitting listening in the car and I was over the moon John won the money x
— susan fowler (@suef1963) May 18, 2023
I was in tears listening to this … so well deserved for John ❤️
— Cath Lomas (@CatherineLomas1) May 17, 2023
This wasn’t the only time that Pearson has had a hard time keeping her composure after giving away a large cash prize on the air. On May 11, she gave a £99,000 ($123,000) cash prize to a caller named Amanda, who has cancer. Amanda learned that she was sick while pregnant with her daughter, who is now two years old. When asked what she would do with the prize money, she said she wanted to take her children to Disneyland.
“You've just changed my life," Amanda told Pearson after being told she won the big cash prize.
“Take the girls away and cherish some really special memories that you’re going to be able to make together," Pearson told her.
Pearson could hardly contain herself during the conversation. “Had a big cry at work yesterday,” she tweeted the next day with a video of the interaction between herself and the caller.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."