Pride of Britain Awards

Celebrities brave the wind for Pride of Britain Awards

Over 100 celebrities battled near-torrential winds last night to attend the 10th Pride of Britain Awards.

The likes of Kelly Brook, Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly, Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell and The X Factor’s Dannii Minogue got their gladrags on to see some of Britain’s heroes being awarded for outstanding acts of bravery.

SEE ALL THE PRIDE OF BRITAIN CELEBRITY PHOTOS HERE

Prime Minister Gordon Brown saluted the lifeboat heroes who saved eight sailors from a crippled vessel in a force nine gale. He said: ‘In these tougher times, it’s right to remember the people who make our country great.

‘There are no greater heroes than the men and women who staff our emergency services. They put their lives on the line every single day.’

David Beckham surprised Carl Duval, 17 – who risked his life to save a stranger who collapsed on to a live rail line in the path of a 100mph express train – in a restaurant, telling him: ‘It’s an amazing thing you’ve done.’

And Sir Richard Branson stunned 13-year-old fundraising cancer sufferer, Liam Fairhurst, by offering him a trip to his private Caribbean island, adding: ‘It’s the very least I can do for this amazing young man.’

Daily Mirror executive editor Peter Willis, who founded the awards, was honoured with a special gong. Gordon Brown said: ‘In Britain they say it takes 500 years to create a national institution. He’s done it in ten years.’

Other celebrities to attend the uplifting ceremony included, Carol Vorderman, Cat Deeley, Gordon Ramsay and Ronan Keating.