British stars including Tom Felton, Cheryl Cole and Gary Barlow were among the famous faces who turned out in force on Monday night (03Oct11) to honour the country's heroes at the Pride of Britain Awards.
The prestigious annual ceremony, held at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, saw stars from the stage and screen pay tribute to everyday people who have gone through extraordinary experiences.
Harry Potter star Felton took to the stage to praise seven-year-old George Major, who picked up the Young Fundraiser of the Year title after raising $32,000 (£20,000) for a hospital in Reading, England.
In a post on his Twitter.com page after the event, Felton writes, "Pride of Britain = amazing. Food for the soul. Truly inspiring people. Was an honour to be in their presence."
Funnyman James Corden was on hand to give the Teacher of the Year prize to Llew Davies, telling the crowd, "You can see how much they (the kids) enjoy him teaching."
The actor told Britain's Daily Mirror during the night, "You just feel very humbled by the Pride of Britain winners. It's impossible not to. Their achievements put into perspective what we do. These guys are out there making a real difference, 365 days of the year... changing lives. It's right that we should all take a back seat for the night and let them be the stars."
Girls Aloud star Cole, who flew to Afghanistan last month (Sep11) to be filmed visiting troops as part of the awards, also attended the lavish event, alongside N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos and former Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Melanie Chisholm, who were also among the star-studded line-up handing out awards to the brave.
And the celebrities gushed about the humbling ceremony following the event, heaping praise on the award winners.
Cole writes on Twitter.com, "Proud to be British Pride Of Britain," while Barlow says, "I'm so glad to be a part of such a special night. It's our chance to recognise ordinary people with extraordinary stories."
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