It's one of the most heart-warming events of the year as well-known faces from the world of TV, sport and politics gather to celebrate the bravery and selflessness of people who make the world a better place. The Pride of Britain Awards celebrates the achievements of remarkable people in one of the most emotional nights of the year.
A host of celebs including Strictly Come Dancing stars Kym Marsh and Gemma Atkinson were seen boarding the train in Manchester along with Kym's fellow former Coronation Street stars Helen Flanagan and Brooke Vincent. Kym, who is dazzling on the Strictly dancefloor this year with professional dance partner Graziano Di Prima, looked on sparkling form as she wheeled her case along the platform.
She looked comfy and stylish in a black and pink sweatshirt with black leggings and trainers and a cosy green coat with fluffy hood. The 46-year-old actress and BBC's Morning Live presenter accessorised with large sunglasses and she wore her honeyed tresses in pretty waves.
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Kym, who played Rovers Return landlady and barmaid Michelle Connor for 14 years until 2019, was joined by her mum Pauline. The star, who has joined the new reboot of the BBC school drama Waterloo Road as dinnerlady Nikki Walters, beamed as she carried a bouquet of roses.
At the weekend Kym danced her way through to the next round of Strictly with a barnstorming quickstep to Ballroom Blitz. She made it to the BBC dance contest's Halloween Week after landing in the bottom two last week and surviving the dreaded dance-off with singer Matt Goss.
However, Kym appeared disappointed as she and Graziano secured a score of 27 out of a possible 40 leaving them in the bottom end of the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard. While judge Motsi Mabuse said the routine was like a "ray of sunshine coming in" she noted that she saw uncertainty in Kym's eyes.
Anton Du Beke added that her performance lacked some of her usual confidence and head judge Shirley Ballas argued the performance lacked 'stamina' and that it 'wasn't her best dance'. But Craig Revel Horwood disagreed, saying: "I thought you came out absolutely confident. Your frame needs work, we all know that but I thought the footwork was clean and, as Anton said, you flew around that floor, well done."
Viewers were amazed during the show launch last month to find out that Kym has three grandchildren and she said she was pleased to be taking part in the popular long-running show for the grandmas. "I am doing it for the grannies, definitely," she declared. "Has a granny ever won before?" host Tess Daly asked as Kym informed her they hadn't. "I could be the first!" she exclaimed.
Gemma, who was a finalist on Strictly in 2017 where she met her fiance pro dancer Gorka Marquez, also grinned as she caught the train to the capital. The Hits Radio presenter and former Hollyoaks and Emmerdale star clutched her dress bag after having breakfast with her drive-time co-presenter Mike Toolan.
She shared some comical snaps on her Instagram of herself performing leg stretches in her train seat, as Mike joked "I've got this for the next 2.5 hours." This was followed with a video clip of Mike engrossed in conversation with Brooke, who stood in as breakfast co-host with him on Manchester's Key 103.
"I've lost him to Brooke Vincent," she joked. Posting an image of herself pulling another acrobatic move as she raised both legs in her seat, she quipped with laughing emojis: "Won him back round."
Thirty-year-old Brooke, who played Weatherfield's Sophie Webster, cut a cool figure in a slouchy green sweatshirt and jogging bottoms with a white baseball cap and trainers. Helen, 32, who played her on-screen sister Rosie, wrapped up for the journey in a snuggly black aviator jacket with pink fluffy detail.
Elsewhere Lucy Fallon, who played the soap's Bethany Platt, had a fake tan nightmare. Her stylist Ryan Kay shared on Instagram the messages exchanged between himself and the actress of leaked tan in her case.
"Glad I didn't have my dress in here," said Lucy, who is expecting her first child with footballer Ryan Ledson. She told Ryan: "My fake tan has leaked hahahaahaaha."
Ryan wrote: "When @lucyfallon sends me this. Thank god I'm travelling with your outfit for #prideofbritain and it's not in that case."
The ceremony for Pride of Britain 2022 takes place today (Monday October 24) - and the show will air on Thursday (October 27) on ITV at 8pm. Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo will return to co-host the star-studded event at London’s Grosvenor House.
Carol, who has hosted the event for 23 years since 1999, said: "We’ll have 12 incredible winners again this year, but it's difficult for the judging panel because we have thousands of nominations and everyone on the shortlist could easily win.
"We try to reflect what’s happened in Britain in the last year, so you’ll recognise people who have been in the news, but we aim to balance that with stories nobody has heard before. It’s a magical combination."
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