Pride of Britain 2008, 1 Oct, ITV1, 8pm
Published: Tuesday, 9 September 2008, 4:10PM
The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards 2008
It’s the night when more than 100 of the country’s biggest stars unite to honour the most remarkable people of the year - our nation's unsung heroes.
The Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards 2008, sponsored by The Co-operative, marks its 10th anniversary with a glittering gala in central London.
Prince Charles and Prime Minister Gordon Brown join David Beckham, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Michael Caine, Ant & Dec, Kevin Spacey, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Bruce Forsyth and Gordon Ramsay in saluting the incredible real-life winners.
Other celebrities taking part include Simon Cowell, Dame Shirley Bassey, Joan Collins, Russell Brand, Cat Deeley, McFly, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, Kelly Brook, Alan Carr and Sir Richard Branson, as well as the nation’s soap favourites.
The annual emotion-charged event is packed with breathtaking stories of heroism and courage, uplifting moments, and hilarious celebrity surprises.
David Beckham surprises a teenage fan who risked his life rescuing a stranger from being hit by a 100mph express train and Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean make an inspiring young girl's dreams come true.
And Ant and Dec fly to Afghanistan to honour the brave medics who risk their lives to save others on the frontline.
Winners also range from a woman who raised £45million for breast cancer research by getting 150,000 women walking through the night in their bras, to a man who ‘fathered’ more than three million babies worldwide by pioneering IVF.
Among the courageous children is a nine-year-old boy who saved his mother from a frenzied knife attack by jumping on her assailant and a five-year-old who rang 999 and calmly tended to his mum when she fell into a diabetic coma.
Also honoured will be the sports men and women who renewed the nation's pride this summer - all our Olympic gold medallists.
Hosted by Carol Vorderman, the 10th Pride of Britain Awards is set to be more amazing than ever and will be screened as a two-hour primetime special on Wednesday October 1 at 8pm on ITV1.
Carol Vorderman says: “For me, Pride of Britain is the only awards show on TV that really matters because the winners are real people who could not be more deserving.
“Over the past decade, there have been so many heart-warming, inspiring stories of people who have contributed so much to this country. It’s a chance for us to celebrate Britain at its best and I’m not surprised it has become the biggest national event of its kind.”
Prince Charles says: "The Pride of Britain Awards is a unique way to celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable people and hear something of their inspiring and humbling stories.
“These marvellous awards remind us of the compassion, decency and courage which still exists in every corner of the land."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown says: “Now celebrating a landmark 10 years, the Pride of Britain Awards has become a highlight of our national calendar. Their enduring success illustrates that we as a country take the greatest pride in those who show the courage to go beyond the call of duty, the dedication to support and tend for loved ones and families, and the inspiration to transform communities.”
The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges including the Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown, pioneering heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub, Dame Kelly Holmes, Simon Cowell, Bill Nighy, Jamie Redknapp and one of Britain’s top policewomen Cambridgeshire Chief Constable Julie Spence.
There are some new categories for this year’s ceremony. Sponsor The Co-operative has launched The Co-operative Local Champion for people who have improved their local area and, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS, the NHS Hero of the Year will recognise those who personify the very best of the service.
THE 2008 PRIDE OF BRITAIN WINNERS:
OUTSTANDING ACT OF BRAVERY:
Bernie Butler, 68, Kirkby.
Heroic Bernie risked his life to rescue a man from a devastating explosion after a lorry collided with a gas tanker on the M6 motorway.
Juby Mathew, 31, Huddersfield.
Juby suffered injuries and needed five months off work after saving a toddler from being savaged by a ferocious dog.
Carl Duval, 16, Worthing.
When a young woman collapsed and fell off the platform onto train tracks, people were too frightened to take action because there was a 100mph express train expected to hurtle down the track at any moment. But teenager Carl didn't think twice. The teenager jumped down on to the track and saved the woman’s life.
CHILD OF COURAGE:
Tilly Griffiths, 8, Staffordshire.
Tilly has overcome a muscle-wasting disease to single-handedly raise £330,000 at a charity auction, makes inspiring fund-raising speeches and pursues a range of physically demanding sports.
Nathan Thompson, 9, Rosyth, Edinburgh.
Nathan saved his mother from a crazed attacker who broke into the family home intent on killing her.
Liam Fairhurst, 13, Soham.
To lose a friend to cancer while battling the disease yourself is unimaginably hard for any young person. But to take inspiration from this and set out on a mission to raise £150,000 to help other children with cancer is remarkable.
Jaden Ashton, 6, Bicester.
Jaden saved his mum by calling 999 and tending to her when she fell into a diabetic coma.
FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR:
Nina Barough, 53, Berkshire.
Nina, pioneered the Walk The Walk bra walks in 1998 which have now raised a staggering £44 million for research into breast cancer. 15,000 women a year take part in the event which has been expanded to Edinburgh, Bristol and Newcastle.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION:
Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, 24, Solihul.
As he led a fireteam of Royal Marine Commandos to investigate a suspected Taliban bomb-making factory near the town of Sangin, Afghanistan, he set off a trip-wire that unleashed a booby trapped grenade. Without hesitation, Matthew, hurled himself onto the floor, rolled over and used his backpack, containing a large lithium battery and medical kit, to cover the lethal shrapnel fragments from the blast.
Carol Saldinack, 51, Norfolk.
Carol felt compelled to make the agonising decision to turn her own sons into the police after they boasted of carrying out an unprovoked assault, which left a father blind in one eye.
Richard Taylor, 59, London.
Since the death of 10-year-old Damilola Taylor in 2000, his father Richard has been at the forefront of the fight against urban violence. Despite a tiny budget of little more than £50,000 per year and just two full-time members of staff, the Damilola Taylor Trust has a nationwide reach. Richard, 59, personally visits every family who loses a child to street crime.
Harry Gregg, 76, County Derry.
Harry has long insisted on being remembered as a man who was one of the best goalkeepers in the world, not as a hero. But in the midst of the wreckage from the Munich air disaster, in which eight of his Manchester United team mates perished, he cemented his place in history. Harry saved a pregnant woman and her young daughter and a number of his team mates, including Sir Bobby Charlton. The tragedy happened 50 years ago, but this is the first time he has been recognised with an award.
Medical Emergency Response Team.
This specialist unit, based at the British military hospital at Camp Bastion, flies rescue missions night and day around the volatile active combat zones. Under immense pressure, the teams complete 24-hour tours of duty and are on call seven days a week, ready to respond to any injuries that UK and coalition troops may suffer on the front line.
Team GB.
When the 311 men and women of Team GB boarded the plane bound for the Beijing Olympics, they carried the hopes of the nation with them. And for two weeks in August, the country was gripped as the team became heroes before our eyes, winning 19 gold medals. And the success of Team GB carried on into the Paralympic Games, with British athletes bringing home 42 Golds.
THE CO-OPERATIVE LOCAL CHAMPION
Tony Fowler, 48, Leicester.
To the residents along the 100 mile-route Tony travels every day he is not only their milkman, but an invaluable local crime-fighter, acting as the eyes and ears of the 21 villages on his daily round while most people are still asleep.
NHS HERO OF THE YEAR
When the biggest fire in NHS history broke out at a major cancer hospital, there were teams of workers risking their lives to keep their patients safe. Staff went into emergency mode to safely, calmly and swiftly evacuate 160 patients, some desperately ill with cancer, as a blaze overwhelmed the roof of London's historic Royal Marsden Hospital.
PRINCE’S TRUST YOUNG ACHIEVER
Ricky McCalla, 26, Bromley.
As a talented young dancer and choreographer, Ricky McCalla had a promising career ahead of him. But his dreams were shattered after he was shot during a bungled car jacking which left him partially paralysed. But far from letting the situation defeat him, he decided to turn what happened to him into something positive by becoming a mentor to young people at risk of getting involved in the sort of the crime that devastated his own life.
ITV TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Pepe Rahman Hart, 39, Trinity Church of England Primary School, Radstock
Pepe has been the Head Teacher since it opened three years ago when two local schools merged. As a result of her hard work and determination, she has developed a revolutionary environmental programme which is being adopted in other schools.
GMTV EMERGENCY SERVICES
Torbay RNLI crew
The courageous Devon RNLI crew members rescued eight people from a stricken timber ship caught in a Gale Force Nine storm.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Professor Robert Edwards, 83, Cambridgeshire.
Sir Robert Edwards pioneered the research and led the invention of IVF; he is now responsible for the birth of three million babies worldwide.
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