PRIDE of place

CAROL VORDERMAN and ASHLEY BANJO on the joy of celebrating more unsung heroes

- 

THE PRIDE OF BRITAIN AWARDS

Honouring inspirational acts of courage, kindness and selflessness by truly remarkable people, The Pride of Britain Awards is one of the most emotional evenings in the TV calendar. With stars from the worlds of showbusiness and sport on hand to present the accolades, this year's ceremony is set to take place on Monday at London's Grosvenor House hotel before airing on ITV1 on Thursday. Overseeing proceedings again are Carol Vorderman, who has been at the helm since the annual celebration began in 1999, and Diversity frontman Ashley Banjo, who joined as co-host four years ago. Here, in an exclusive interview, Carol, 64, and Ashley, 37, tell TV Times why this event has stood the test of time...

What do you think makes The Pride of Britain Awards strike such a chord?