Tears, Courage and Triumph as Pride of Britain Awards Celebrate the Nation’s Unsung Heroes

From a chef who risked his life confronting a knife-wielding attacker to a doctor who treated train crash victims despite suffering serious injuries herself, this year’s Pride of Britain Awards honoured people whose extraordinary actions have saved lives, supported vulnerable communities and given hope to others. The emotional ceremony, hosted by Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo, brought celebrities and guests to tears as it celebrated the remarkable kindness and courage found across Britain.

Some nights remind a nation of what truly matters. At the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, held at London’s Grosvenor House, it was not the famous faces on the red carpet who commanded the greatest attention. It was the ordinary people whose extraordinary actions had changed lives forever.

Andrew Franks, the chef who confronted a knife-wielding attacker outside Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester; Dr Eleanor Prior, the injured GP who treated fellow passengers after a devastating train crash near Bedford; and Florence Coke, affectionately known as Mama Flo, the 71-year-old great-grandmother who feeds people struggling to afford a meal, were among the inspirational figures honoured.

They were joined by world-renowned cardiac surgeon Asif Hasan, whose career has given hundreds of children a chance at life, and a remarkable group of young people who have turned personal challenges into opportunities to help others.

The ceremony, broadcast on ITV, brought together celebrities from across entertainment, sport, music and public life. Yet even the most recognisable guests were left humbled by the stories unfolding on stage.

Led by presenters Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo, the evening celebrated a different kind of stardom: the courage to act when others need help, the determination to keep going through hardship and the compassion to make a difference without expecting anything in return.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the awards as “the antidote to the algorithms”, capturing the spirit of an evening that offered a powerful reminder of the good people continue to do for one another.

Andrew Franks: The chef who stood between an attacker and a synagogue congregation

One of the most moving moments of the evening belonged to Andrew Franks, a 53-year-old chef who was volunteering in a security role outside Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester when a knife-wielding attacker struck on Yom Kippur last year.

Andrew confronted the attacker, who stabbed him three times as he tried to stop him reaching the synagogue. Despite his injuries, Andrew managed to trip the man and raise the alarm, shouting for the doors to be locked so those inside could protect themselves.

The encounter left Andrew with serious injuries to his head, neck, spine and face. He is still recovering physically and continues to experience the psychological effects of that terrifying day, waking at night with memories of the attack.

Speaking publicly about the ordeal for the first time, the widowed father described the moment he decided to intervene.

“I went to grab him and he stabbed me three times, yelling he was going to kill me,” he recalled. “I managed to trip him up… I got up somehow and shouted, ‘Lock the doors, lock the doors!'”

Andrew also took the opportunity to thank his father, Ellis, who had held his wounds closed until medical help arrived. It was a moment of gratitude he had never previously expressed to him on stage.

“I know I haven’t said it dad, but thank you for saving my life,” he said.

The award recognised the extraordinary bravery of a man who put himself in danger to give others precious time to find safety.

Judge Denise Lewis told Andrew that the decision to honour him had been unanimous.

“I am completely humbled to be standing next to you,” she said.

Rob Rinder also paid tribute to his actions, recalling the Jewish proverb that saving one life is like saving an entire world. He reminded Andrew that courage can provide an answer to despair, particularly when fear threatens to overwhelm everything else.

Dr Eleanor Prior: Treating the injured despite her own pain

Another extraordinary story belonged to Dr Eleanor Prior, a 41-year-old GP from Bedford who became an unexpected lifesaver after a serious train crash.

Known to friends as Eli, she was travelling in the front carriage on her way to a friend’s 40th birthday in London when the train crashed into a stationary train near Bedford in June. The collision killed the driver and left 162 people injured.

The force of the impact threw Dr Prior approximately eight metres down the carriage. When she regained consciousness, she found herself on the floor, injured and disorientated, struggling to understand how she had ended up there.

Her instinct as a doctor soon took over.

Although she initially moved towards the door, hoping to escape the wreckage, she saw injured passengers around her and realised they needed help. She stayed behind to assess their conditions and provide treatment, despite her own injuries and shock.

“I remember coming to on the carpet, looking under the seat in front of me, wondering how I got there,” she recalled.

She described the scene as being like a war zone. For around three hours, she helped manage the injured passengers, including people with severe fractures and life-threatening injuries, before working alongside emergency responders.

Dr Prior later learned that people had been trying to identify the injured woman in the green dress whose actions had helped so many others. She had no idea that her efforts had attracted such attention.

At the awards, she was celebrated for her instinctive compassion and determination to care for others when she herself needed medical attention.

The ceremony also happened to coincide with her wedding anniversary, which she celebrated with a star-studded gathering at the Grosvenor House hotel.

Asif Hasan: A lifetime spent giving children a second chance

For retired cardiac surgeon Asif Hasan, the evening brought an emotional reunion with 19 of the young patients whose lives he had helped save.

During an extraordinary career, Hasan performed more than 400 heart transplants and approximately 4,000 open-heart operations. He spent 30 years leading paediatric cardiac surgery at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, taking on complex cases and helping children whose chances of survival had appeared desperately slim.

His work has transformed the lives of countless families, and the awards ceremony offered a chance to see the results of that dedication gathered together on one stage.

Among those whose lives had been changed by his expertise were former Children of Courage winners Max Johnson and Cecilia Adamou.

“You gave me a chance when everyone else had given up on me,” Cecilia told him. “You gave me a second chance at life.”

Hasan was visibly moved as the children and adults he had treated appeared to surprise him. The audience responded with the longest standing ovation of the evening as he received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Speaking to Carol Vorderman, he reflected on the many powerful testimonies he had heard throughout the ceremony.

“I was just doing my job… and I also worked in this extraordinary organisation, the NHS,” he said.

His humility was a fitting reflection of the night. For Hasan, the greatest achievement was not the number of operations he had performed, but the lives that had continued because he had been willing to take on the most difficult cases.

Gregor Corse: The little boy who refused to give up

Among the youngest winners, five-year-old Gregor Corse from Orkney quickly captured the hearts of the audience.

The young boy, who lives with a neurological condition affecting his balance and motor skills, had faced significant challenges learning to walk. His family had been told that independent walking might be beyond his reach, but Gregor’s determination proved remarkable.

Inspired by his love of snooker and his admiration for Stephen Hendry, Gregor began working towards a fundraising challenge that combined his ambition to walk with his desire to help others.

His goal was to complete 30 laps around his home every day for 30 days, a challenge he affectionately called “30 loops o’ the hoose”.

The initial target was to raise £500 for Inclusive Orkney, a charity supporting children with additional needs. Instead, his story captured attention far beyond the island, and the total eventually reached around £80,000 through his walking challenges.

Gregor also committed to walking to nursery during the days he attended, continuing to build his confidence while raising money for charitable causes.

Dressed in a smart kilt and flat cap, he arrived at the ceremony with his characteristic motto: “I can do it.”

Judge Kate Garraway described him as the best-dressed gentleman in the room.

But the evening held another surprise. Gregor’s snooker hero, Stephen Hendry, appeared on stage, prompting an unmistakable look of excitement from the young fundraiser.

For a child who had worked so hard to take each step independently, the moment offered a fitting celebration of both his perseverance and the generosity he had inspired.

Kirsty Waugh: Turning a personal battle into a campaign for other children

Twelve-year-old Kirsty Waugh demonstrated that extraordinary courage can come from the youngest members of society.

From Tunbridge Wells in Surrey, Kirsty was just 10 when she began a determined campaign to support research into childhood cancer after being diagnosed with a brain tumour of her own.

She gave her tumour the name Terry, finding a personal way to talk about something that had dramatically changed her life.

Rather than allowing her diagnosis to define her future, Kirsty set about helping other children facing similar challenges. Her fundraising efforts have raised a quarter of a million pounds for brain tumour research.

Her achievements earned her the Child of Courage Award, recognising both her fundraising success and the determination with which she has approached her illness.

Kirsty spoke to Davina McCall, who has faced her own brain tumour diagnosis, about the importance of living in the moment.

“I do try to live in the moment,” she said.

Musician Danny Jones also offered words of encouragement, telling her: “The world is so much better with you in it.”

Kirsty’s courage was evident throughout the evening. She even plotted with Ashley Banjo to replace Carol Vorderman as the awards’ presenter, bringing a playful touch to a ceremony filled with deeply emotional stories.

Her appearance served as a reminder that young people facing enormous personal challenges can still find ways to inspire and support others.

Zac Howells: A split-second decision that may have prevented disaster

Another young hero recognised at the ceremony was 12-year-old Zac Howells from Ebbw Vale in Wales.

Zac was travelling in a car with his mother when she lost consciousness at the wheel. Faced with a frightening situation, he managed to take control of the vehicle and steer it so that it slowed down by scraping against the central reservation.

His quick thinking helped prevent what could have become a devastating motorway pile-up.

The young football fan received his Child of Courage Award from Jack Grealish, who praised him for the way he had responded under pressure.

England footballer Jude Bellingham had also taken the time to meet Zac and sent him the aftershave he had admired.

Grealish went a step further by inviting Zac to his box at Everton, giving the youngster an experience he was unlikely to forget.

“We’d all do anything for our mums,” Grealish told him. “I’m proud of you.”

Zac’s actions showed how a child confronted with an emergency could make a life-changing decision in a matter of seconds.

Three bereaved parents unite to protect children online

For Esther Ghey, Ian Russell and Ellen Roome, the road to the Pride of Britain Awards began with unimaginable loss.

Each had lost a teenage child in circumstances connected to different forms of online harm. Rather than allowing grief to silence them, they turned their experiences into campaigns aimed at protecting other families.

Their individual efforts were recognised together, reflecting a shared determination to understand what had happened to their children and prevent others from enduring the same pain.

Ian Russell’s daughter, Molly, was 14 when she died in 2017. An inquest found that unsafe social media content promoted by algorithms had played a role in her death.

Ellen Roome lost her 14-year-old son, Julian, known as Jools, in 2022. She has spent years fighting for access to his social media accounts, believing that understanding his online experiences could help establish what led to his death and give other parents greater answers.

Brianna Ghey, Esther’s daughter, was 16 when she was murdered in 2023. She was stabbed 28 times in a premeditated attack carried out by teenagers who had consumed extreme online violence.

In Brianna’s memory, Esther established the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project to campaign for greater digital safety and help bring about meaningful change.

“As soon as Brianna was connected to her phone, I felt like I lost her,” Esther said. “So I feel like I lost Brianna twice. But I do believe that we can empower people to make change.”

Ian described his determination to challenge a system he believes drew his daughter into a harmful online environment.

Ellen, meanwhile, explained that her campaign had grown from a simple conviction that parents deserved answers.

“I’m just a mum who stood up and said, ‘This is wrong’,” she said.

Their recognition reflected the courage required to turn private grief into a public campaign, particularly when the questions they are asking concern the safety of children and the responsibilities of social media platforms.

Esther also paid tribute to ANDYSMANCLUB, explaining that the organisation had been a lifeline for her husband following Brianna’s death.

ANDYSMANCLUB: A family tragedy becomes a lifeline for thousands

The importance of mental health support was another major theme of the evening.

Elaine Roberts and Luke Ambler established ANDYSMANCLUB after Andrew Roberts, Elaine’s son and Luke’s brother-in-law, took his own life at just 23.

Determined to challenge the stigma surrounding men’s mental health, the pair began with a small gathering in Halifax, creating a welcoming space where men could meet for a cup of coffee and talk openly about their lives.

What began as a modest local initiative has grown into a nationwide support network, with around 7,000 men attending sessions regularly.

For many, those meetings provide an opportunity to speak honestly about difficulties they might otherwise keep to themselves.

“When someone says they’re still here because of it, you know why you’ve kept doing it,” Luke said.

Their work was recognised by Andy Burnham, who spoke emotionally about the difference the organisation makes.

“I am in no doubt that the work they do saves lives each week,” he said.

Elaine also checked whether Burnham was still wearing the ANDYSMANCLUB wristband she had given him when he was Mayor of Manchester.

“I’ll always be an Andy who supports Andy’s Man Club,” he assured her.

The moment reflected the lasting connections formed by a charity built around one simple idea: men should have a place where they can talk without fear of judgement.

Elaine Oakey: Giving young amputees the chance to play football

Elaine Oakey, 53, from Blackpool, received the P&O Cruises Inspiration Award for her decade-long commitment to transforming the lives of young amputees through football.

Her work began with her own son, Jamie, who wanted to play the sport despite being born without a foot and part of his lower leg.

When Elaine was told that playing football with a prosthetic leg would not be possible, she refused to accept that the dream had to end there. Instead, she helped create opportunities for Jamie and other young amputees to participate in the sport.

Her determination has since helped young people who may have believed that an amputation meant giving up the game they loved.

Elaine shared an exciting update with the audience, revealing that Jamie was preparing to play in the World Cup in Mexico the following month.

Her story illustrated how one parent’s refusal to accept limitations can create opportunities for an entire community.

A live auction led by GK Barry during the ceremony raised £67,000, enough to fund nine football camps and help continue the work supporting young players.

Brandon Hulcoop: Creating the accessible products he could not find

Brandon Hulcoop, a 23-year-old blind man from Plymouth, was recognised with the King’s Trust Young Achiever Award for his work developing products designed to make everyday life more accessible for visually impaired people.

His business grew out of his own experiences and the difficulty of finding products that met his needs.

From Braille menus to accessible greeting cards, Brandon began creating items that addressed gaps he had encountered himself, helping other people facing similar barriers.

His achievement demonstrated how personal experience can become the foundation of a successful enterprise with a wider social purpose.

The award recognised not only his entrepreneurial determination but also his commitment to making everyday products more inclusive.

For Brandon, the business represents an opportunity to provide solutions he wished had been available to him earlier in life, while helping others navigate a world that does not always account for their needs.

Barry Walden: A lifetime of fundraising through music

At 85, Barry Walden from Hull proved that the desire to help others does not diminish with age.

The ITV Fundraiser of the Year has spent decades raising money for charity through his love of singing and his involvement with the Society of M.I.C.E. (Men in Charitable Endeavour).

Across 65 years, his efforts have helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes.

Barry also revealed that the organisation had produced a Calendar Men calendar, in which he appeared as Mr November.

His sense of humour remained firmly intact throughout the evening.

“I’m a 65 year overnight success,” he joked, offering the audience a lighter moment amid the emotional tributes.

His award recognised a lifetime of charitable commitment and the power of using a personal passion to support others.

Mama Flo: The great-grandmother making sure nobody goes hungry

Florence Coke, the 71-year-old Stockport great-grandmother known affectionately as Mama Flo, received the This Morning Local Hero Award for the generosity she has shown to her community.

A familiar face through her Caribbean takeaway in Greater Manchester, Mama Flo has earned a reputation for food that brings people together. Her curried goat and jerk chicken are enjoyed by customers ranging from footballers Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire to musician Billy Ocean.

Yet her influence extends well beyond the kitchen.

After seeing children stealing food, Florence decided to invite them into her takeaway and give them something to eat. Her response was simple: she did not want children going hungry when she could help.

She now devotes herself to feeding people who are struggling, getting up at 4am to prepare food and make sure those in need have somewhere to turn.

Her approach is rooted in the belief that a meal can offer more than nourishment. It can also provide dignity, comfort and a sense that someone cares.

“My cooking comes from pure love,” she said.

Asked which dish people should try first, she recommended her jerk chicken.

For Mama Flo, however, the greatest reward is knowing that her food can make a difference to someone having a difficult day.

A nation celebrated through its quiet acts of kindness

Across the ceremony, the stories shared a common thread. Some winners had acted instinctively in moments of extreme danger. Others had spent years supporting vulnerable people, raising money for important causes or campaigning for changes that could protect future generations.

The awards brought together familiar faces including Anna Friel, Jack Grealish, Jerry Hall, Alan Carr, Sue Johnston and space pioneer Tim Peake. Judges included Michael Sheen, Pete Wicks, Kate Garraway and Dame Denise Lewis.

But the emotional centre of the evening remained the winners and the people whose lives they had touched.

Andrew Franks demonstrated extraordinary bravery in the face of a violent attack. Dr Eleanor Prior continued treating injured passengers despite being badly hurt herself. Asif Hasan’s career showed what decades of dedication can achieve, while the younger winners demonstrated that age is no barrier to making a difference.

Elsewhere, bereaved parents continued their fight for online safety, campaigners challenged the stigma surrounding men’s mental health, and community champions showed how practical acts of kindness can transform lives.

As the evening drew to a close, the winners gathered on stage for a final standing ovation, bringing together the many different stories celebrated throughout the ceremony.

The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards will be broadcast on ITV on Thursday, October 22, at 8pm, giving viewers the opportunity to hear these remarkable stories for themselves.

At a time when public debate can be dominated by division, anger and uncertainty, their achievements offer a different picture of Britain: a country where people continue to put others first, often without recognition or reward.

These are the people who step forward when someone needs help, who refuse to accept that a difficult situation cannot be changed and who turn personal hardship into something that benefits others.

Their stories offer a reminder that courage can take many forms. Sometimes it means confronting danger. Sometimes it means spending a lifetime caring for others. And sometimes it means simply making sure that a hungry child has something to eat.

Together, this year’s Pride of Britain winners demonstrated that compassion, resilience and determination remain powerful forces in communities across the country.

They are the quiet heroes whose actions keep hope alive, proving that the heart of Britain is still beating strongly in the people who choose, every day, to make life better for someone else.