Pride of Britain Awards Honor Heroes and Draw Stars to London

The 2026 Pride of Britain Awards brought together celebrities, community volunteers, medical professionals and people recognized for extraordinary acts of courage at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London on October 19. Hosted by Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo, the 27th annual ceremony celebrated individuals whose actions have saved lives, supported vulnerable communities and inspired charitable causes across the United Kingdom.

According to coverage published by the Daily Mirror, the honorees included a retired cardiac surgeon, a general practitioner who helped injured passengers after a train collision, young fundraisers and volunteers working to prevent suicide. The event also attracted television personalities and other entertainment figures to the red carpet.

Asif Hasan, a 70-year-old cardiac surgeon who retired from Newcastle's Freeman Hospital after 35 years, was recognized for treating critically ill children. Nineteen children whose lives were saved through his work gathered at the ceremony, according to an opinion article published by AOL UK. Hasan also spent holidays operating on children and training surgeons in Pakistan.

The AOL UK article reported that Hasan credits his colleagues, nurses and the National Health Service for his achievements. He considers training surgeons who eventually surpass his own abilities his proudest accomplishment.

Another featured honoree was Elaine Oakey, 53, from Blackpool, who spent more than a decade developing football opportunities for young amputees. Her work began after her son Jamie, now 23, was told at age five that he could not play football because of his prosthetic limb.

Oakey described the challenges facing young people who join the program.

"Young people come to us at the toughest of times, believing they will never play football again. Some of them go on to represent England," Oakey said.

Elaine Roberts and her son-in-law, Luke Ambler, established Andy's Man Club after Roberts lost her son Andrew to suicide at age 23. The organization now brings together more than 7,000 men at sessions across England, Scotland and Wales, providing opportunities for men to discuss their struggles.

Ambler, 36, from Halifax, explained the motivation behind the initiative.

"The goal has always been to stop other families going through what ours went through," Ambler said.

Twelve-year-old Zac Howells, from Ebbw Vale, Wales, was also recognized after steering a car toward safety when his mother, Nicola Crump, lost consciousness while driving at 60 mph on a dual carriageway last December. He slowed the vehicle by guiding it into the central reservation before calling emergency services.

Crump acknowledged the difficulty of the situation her son faced.

"It must have been really frightening for him but he knew he had to do something," Crump said.

Other honorees included Andrew Franks, a 53-year-old volunteer security guard from Manchester who confronted a knife-wielding attacker at a synagogue last year. According to the Daily Mirror, Franks was stabbed three times but warned the congregation to secure the doors, helping prevent further harm.

Franks recalled the attack.

"He was yelling he was going to kill me. I thought I was going to die," Franks said.

Doctor Eli Prior, a 41-year-old general practitioner from Bedford, helped treat injured passengers after a train collided with a stationary train near Bedford in June. The Daily Mirror reported that the crash killed the driver and injured 162 people. Despite her own injuries, Prior remained with the wounded for hours before emergency responders completed their work.

"I was in tears and trying to manage things. It was like a war zone," Prior said.

Twelve-year-old Kirsty Waugh, from Tunbridge Wells, raised nearly £250,000 for childhood cancer research after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Her fundraising efforts included crocheting bunting triangles and launching the My Name Is Kirsty campaign, which attracted more than 14,000 people named Kirsty worldwide.

Waugh explained the purpose of her campaign.

"I'm trying to show how much everyone cares about children with brain tumors, and raise money to find cures and better treatments, wherever they are in the world," Waugh said.

Five-year-old Gregor Corse, from Kirkwall in Orkney, raised £80,000 through walking challenges despite a neurological condition affecting his balance and motor skills. His activities included completing daily laps around his home without a walker and walking 1.2 miles to nursery four days a week.

"Doing my walking is making me so happy to raise money for charity and I love all the awesome messages from people," Corse said.

The ceremony also recognized three bereaved parents, Ellen Roome, Esther Ghey and Ian Russell, for their efforts to strengthen protections for children online after losing their children to different forms of online harm.

Russell, from Northwest London, emphasized the wider implications of such tragedies.

"If it can happen to our family then it could happen to anybody," Russell said.

Roome, from Cheltenham, described her goal.

"I just want to make the online world safer for every child," Roome said.

Ghey, from Warrington, also highlighted the importance of collective action.

"I believe that we can empower people to make change," Ghey said.

The awards ceremony also featured prominent entertainment figures. Irish presenter and author Laura Whitmore attended with her husband, comedian Iain Stirling, wearing a navy HELLESSY suit with wide-leg trousers and intricate white lace appliqué, according to RTÉ. Stirling wore a black blazer and waistcoat with a blue-and-green kilt.

Other attendees included Davina McCall, who wore a gown combining a sequined top with a black draped skirt, and Vorderman, who chose a black mermaid-style dress. GK Barry appeared in a pale pink corset gown with a high-low hemline, pale heels and slicked-back hair, according to the Daily Star.

The Daily Mirror reported that ITV1 was scheduled to broadcast a two-hour program featuring the awards on Thursday at 8 p.m.