'IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO HEAR EVERYONE'S HUMBLING STORIES'

Stars turned out in force at the Daily Mirror's Pride Of Britain Awards With TSB to celebrate the achievements of some of the nation's unsung heroes

- LAUREN MORRIS

A star-studded guest list took London’s Grosvenor Hotel by storm earlier this month for the annual Daily Mirror Pride Of Britain Awards – and OK! was there rubbing shoulders with the celebrities on the big night.

Carol Vorderman, 62, and Ashley Banjo, 35, were back on hosting duties for the show, which honours extraordinarily brave people from across the country.

The ceremony kicked off with inspirational cancer patient Freya Harris, eight, winning the Child Of Courage Award. The schoolgirl competed in Crufts with her dog Echo, despite battling a rare Wilms’ tumour. Strictly – It Takes Two presenter Fleur East and former I’m A Celeb runner-up Jordan North gave Freya her award as the celebrity audience watched on.

Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard took to the stage to give Jack Rigby – the son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby – the show’s Young Fundraiser Of The Year Award. The 12-year-old has raised more than £50,000 since his father’s death in 2013 and even managed to collect another £20,000 from former Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne on the night. “It feels like I’m in a dream,” Jack told Susanna.

Susanna added, “It’s always an emotional evening but also incredibly uplifting. It really is all about the people who win the awards and it’s wonderful to get to hear their stories. Amongst the darkness of the news right now, the winners are beacons of hope and light.”