A little girl brought Shirley Ballas to tears on a night full of moving stories and incredible people.
Overcome with emotion, the Strictly judge wrapped her arms around inspirational Elizabeth Soffe, whose bravery and selflessness touched hearts at last night’s Pride of Britain Awards in London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
The eight-year-old suffered severe burns in a cot fire when she was just six months old.
But she has refused to let that stop her, and many wiped away tears as they heard how she has raised £202,000 for the hospital that treated her.
On stage to collect her Child of Courage award, Strictly Come Dancing fan Elizabeth looked amazed as dozens of the show’s stars flooded the stage.
Hugging her, judge Shirley said: “I had a tear back there.
“I thank you for inspiring me, you are absolutely adorable. You are such an unbelievable spirit and we are all so proud. You are beautiful in every way and with a heart that shines.”
F1 fan Elizabeth, who has had 80 operations since suffering third-degree burns all over her body, was told she had won the Pride of Britain award by F1 hero Daniel Ricciardo.
“It was a big surprise,” she told presenter Carol Vorderman, before getting another surprise – she and her family were invited to Silverstone next year to go in the pit lane.
A young French boy saved by schoolgirl Lucy Montgomery also left the audience in tears.
Eight-year-old Mathieu beamed as he looked at her and said: “Lucy is my friend and my superhero.” Lucy, now 15, was on a family holiday in south west France last year when she saw Mathieu in trouble in the river Charente.
The lad was swept away on his paddle board so Lucy swam out despite strong currents and dragged him to the bank.
But by then Lucy’s dad Graham, trying to help, had also been swept off his feet. She saved him too – and by then was so exhausted, she had to cling to Mathieu’s board until she luckily drifted to the riverbank.
Asked by Ashley Banjo whether she felt like a hero, Lucy said: “No, I just did what I thought everyone would do.”
Earlier she had been surprised by her favourite singer Lewis Capaldi, and was given her Teenager of Courage award by comics Paddy McGuinness and Leigh Francis. Leigh said: “One of my people in the ginger collective – I salute you!”
Jill Allen-King – Lifetime Achievement Award
It may have been one of the happiest days of her life but, for Jill Allen-King, her wedding day also contained heartbreak, for it was the day she lost her sight.
Jill had already had one eye removed after contracting measles as a baby. Then, aged 24, she went completely blind from glaucoma.
After getting her first guide dog, Topsy, in 1972, and being appalled at how few places admitted guide dogs, she began campaigning tirelessly for better access to public spaces for support animals.
Jill, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, also pushed for tactile paving at pedestrian crossings. She has spent 50 years improving the lives of blind and partially sighted people across the UK and Europe, and has an OBE.
At 82, Jill is still working. She said: “I want to sit back and relax, but there is still so much to campaign for.”
Tobias Weller – GMB Young Fundraiser of the Year
Eleven-year-old Tobias may have autism and cerebral palsy but he refuses to let anything stop him from helping others.
The schoolboy, of Sheffield, South Yorks, who uses a walking frame, has completed two marathons, an Iron Man and a sponsored walk — raising more than £158,000 for causes such as his school and Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
In December he became the youngest person to be celebrated in the New Year’s Honours List, with a British Empire Medal.
Tobias had previously been surprised with his award by his hero David Walliams. He said last night: “It was amazing when he walked through that door I couldn’t believe my eyes...”
Seconds later Tobias got another surprise when Oti Mabuse and the stars of The Masked Dancer, including Onomatopaeia and Odd Socks, appeared on stage along with The Voice Kids’ Danny Jones from McFly. They’re both his favourite shows.
Oti said afterwards: “It warms your heart. It was an honour.” Danny added: “I told my son, who is four, that I was coming to meet a hero tonight. He asked if it was a super hero, and I said yes, it is a real life super hero. We should all be a little bit more Tobias.”
Michelle Dornelly – TSB Community Hero
When Michelle Dornelly realised just how many of her neighbours in Hackney, East London, were going hungry she knew she had to do something.
In 2020 the mum of four, who is on Universal Credit, formed the Hackney Community Food Hub, using social media to build a team of 100 volunteers.
She has since fed over 100,000 people across the borough and expects the demand to grow.
Michelle says: “I know people who have five or six children at home. Furlough has finished and their benefits have gone down. Gas prices have gone up.
“They’re asking: ‘Do I heat the home or fill the children’s bellies and we go cold?’”
David Groves and Alex Harvey – Outstanding Bravery Award
Two Royal Navy heroes were honoured for a dramatic rescue mission worthy of the big screen.
Leading Seaman David Groves, 32, and Able Seaman Alex Harvey, 28, were returning to Plymouth with HMS Argyll after a nine-month tour in the Pacific when they got a mayday call from the Grande America – a 28,000-ton cargo ship on fire 150 miles off the French coast.
They led a four-hour mission to save 27 men during a vicious storm, taking a dinghy to the stricken ship.
David’s wife Leanne had gone with Alex, from Hull, to accept the award, as he had been called back to his ship. She told the crowd she expected him back in two months – only for one of the emotional surprises of the night when David, from Taunton, Somerset, popped up on stage.
David said afterwards: “I’m speechless. I wasn’t expecting to be here but they managed to get me off.”
