| A woman who turned blind on her wedding day, a schoolgirl with horrific burns who raised more than £200,000 for the hospital that saved her life and a single mum of four running a food bank for hundreds of her neighbours in East London are among the winners of this year's Pride of Britain Awards. Co-hosted by Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo, in front of a star-studded audience, the awards will feature extraordinary stories of bravery, selflessness and phenomenal fundraising feats, with a very special award for England's incredible Lionnesses. More than 150 of the UK's biggest stars will come together to celebrate, including: Idris Elba, Michael Sheen, Anna Friel, Frank and Christine Lampard, Derek Chisora, Dame Mary Berry, Holly Willoughby, Big Narstie, Molly May Hague and Tommy Fury, Olly Murs, Kate Garraway and Emily Atack. The Lifetime Achievement Award this year goes to Jill Allen-King, 82, of Southend-on-Sea, who has spent the last 50 years working to improve the lives of other blind and partially sighted people after losing her sight on her wedding day. Now 82, Jill has given hundreds of talks to schoolchildren, raised thousands of pounds for blindness charities and became the first female president of the National Federation of the Blind UK. Elizabeth Soffe, 8, from Birmingham, wins the Child of Courage Award. She was just six months old when she almost died in a cot fire, suffering life-changing, third-degree burns over 60 per cent of her body. Elizabeth spent weeks in a coma, followed by six months in intensive care, and has undergone more than 70 operations. Last year, wanting to thank the medics who saved her life, Elizabeth undertook a charity challenge; running a mile a day for 26 days, including 73 laps of her garden during periods of isolation, raising £202,000. Despite everything she has gone through, Elizabeth refuses to feel sorry for herself, telling people: "It doesn't matter what you look like, it just matters that you're kind." Michelle Dornelly has been named TSB Community Hero. She realised how many of her neighbours in Hackney, East London, were going hungry, she decided to take direct action; stepping in to help. Despite being a mum of four and struggling to get by on Universal Credit payments herself, in April 2020 she formed the Hackney Community Food Hub. Putting calls out via social media she has gone on to develop a team of 100 volunteers and has fed more than 100,000 people, including those who are housebound or homeless. The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with TSB, which celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things, will be broadcast on ITV on October 27 at 8pm. Full list of winners revealed here |
