Former Coronation Street and Waterloo Road star Kym Marsh knows better than anyone what a special night we have in store at the MEN's Pride of Manchester Awards 2023. Kym has been hosting the event celebrating the inspiring achievements of unsung heroes in the city since 2019.
She will return next week to the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel to host the MEN Pride of Manchester Awards, in partnership with TSB, on Wednesday, May 10. The achievements of an inspiring range of people from across the region will be celebrated at the glittering event attended by famous faces from Manchester and beyond.
And for Kym, there will be extra special reasons to be proud this year. She will watch on as her daughter Emilie, 25, will perform a special song in front of the audience, after walking the red carpet with her children and her beloved parents, Dave and Pauline.
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Kym says: "It’s going to be amazing. It’s always a very special night, but I love hosting these awards and feel very honoured to have been asked again.
"You meet so many inspirational people, and getting to listen to their stories, and be inspired by them, is a wonderful and special privilege. So to have my daughter Emilie there on stage this year with all of those special people it really is wonderful."
Waterloo Road star Kym says the event has a special place in the hearts of her family. And having them there with her on the night means the world to the star - as her dad Dave is currently in the midst of cancer treatment.
Kym says: "My parents usually come to both the Pride of Manchester and Birmingham events each year, but with dad not being so well now, he finds it hard to travel that far. But he was desperate to come to Manchester, so he was not going to miss this one for the world."
Speaking about his treatment, Kym says her dad inspires her every day with his strength. She says: "He has good and bad days, he’s just finished a round of radiotherapy. They can’t cure dad, but they can treat him.
"They’re treating him as much as they can, we want him to be with us as long as possible, and so does he. I think he’s been super strong as always, he inspires me every day with how strong he is mentally.
"He just gets on with things. He has his ups and downs, but when we’re in Manchester together next week hopefully it will be one of his good days."
For Kym, hearing the stories of the community heroes on stage at the Pride of Manchester Awards, is something that can inspire hope and optimism for everyone. She says: "It's an event that kind of restores your faith in humanity I think.
“We hear so many bad things in life, and the things that people are doing wrong and this is just the antidote to that. Although a lot of these stories might be quite emotional, it makes you realise how good and brave people really are.
"When you hear of things other people have been through, it makes you think of what you’ve been through in your own life. You just don’t know what other people are going through and it’s amazing and very brave of everyone to be sharing their stories on stage.
"And to let them celebrate us in the way we do, because It is about celebrating people.
Kym recalls many emotional moments at the 2022 Pride of Manchester event - which saw Spice Girl Mel B present an award to Dr Erinma Bell MBE for devoting her life to protecting young people from violent crime, and Child of Courage Pixibelle Sykes, 9, honoured for her fundraising in the midst of her gruelling chemotherapy treatment.
Kym says: “Last year was very emotional, but it’s always like that for me. When people ask me to choose a moment or choose a winner who stands out, I find it really difficult because they’re all such amazing, inspirational people."
TV favourite Kym will be presenting the awards ahead of returning to Manchester with her new role in Take That musial Greatest Days. Kym will be performing alongside daughter Emilie in the musical - both playing the same character of Rachel seen at first as a teenager then later in her 40s.
And Kym says her family are excited to be able to see the mum and daughter on stage together again during the Palace Theatre run here in Manchester.
Kym says: “They’re just so excited about seeing me and Emilie together on stage. I think it’s a unique experience for everyone.
"Obviously they’ve seen me and Emilie sing together on stage before, but not like this. It’s going to be a whole different experience for them.”
Kym was a huge Take That fan growing up in Wigan, and so she says it's been a special experience to be singing the songs of her teen idols now on stage. She says: "Every single Take That song everyone loves for one reason or another.
"They’ve stood the test of time, and everyone loves their music from any age group. I think that’s what we’ll see in how diverse the audience will be, simply because everyone loves the music.
"Every single day is a pleasure listening to all those tunes. I think Take That are a really special band and they’re a huge part of history."
Being able to perform alongside daughter Emilie on stage is also special for Kym. They are currently both in rehearsals for the show, which premieres on Saturday night in Bromley at the Churchill Theatre, before heading to Manchester from May 16 - 27.
Kym says: "I've watched her from day one in rehearsals to where she is now the growth is unbelievable, it’s so exciting for me to watch. She’s been in Nashville recording her album which has taken a year to do which will hopefully be out later this year. I’m incredibly proud of her for that and there’s a lot of interest in her for that now.
"It's wonderful to think that people are actually looking at her for her talent. It’s fabulous."
The Pride of Manchester Awards, in partnership with TSB, take place on Wednesday May 10. There will be live coverage throughout the night from the Manchester Evening News.
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