The Pride of Britain Awards brought tears to the audience as three young heroes were honoured for their extraordinary courage and determination. Gregor Corse, Kirsty Waugh and Zac Howells each received awards at the star-studded ceremony, with tributes from England star Jack Grealish and snooker legend Stephen Hendry.
Gregor's Inspirational Walking Challenges
Gregor Corse, from Kirkwall on Orkney, was just four years old when he began his '30 loops o' the hoose' challenge, walking daily laps around his home for 30 days. The challenge raised £80,000 for charity, earning him the Good Morning Britain 'Young Fundraiser of the Year' award.
Born with a neurological condition affecting his balance and motor skills, Gregor astonished his family by learning to walk short distances over a year. He persevered through pouring rain, completing each day's laps without his walker, starting in February. The initial goal was to raise £500 for Inclusive Orkney, a charity providing activities for children with additional support needs.
Within days, Gregor had raised more than £10,000, and the total has now soared past £73,000. He then took on 'Wanders tae School', covering 1.2 miles to nursery four days a week throughout August, raising a further £7,000 for Clan Cancer Support and Soma's Light, which supports young people's mental health in Orkney.
His mum Iona said: "When Gregor was just a few months old I knew something wasn't right because he still couldn't reach certain milestones, like sitting up or crawling." She added, "He is honestly the most inspirational little boy in the world." Gregor, who has just turned five, said: "Doing my walking makes me so happy to raise money for charity and I love all the awesome messages from people."
Kirsty's Global Cancer Campaigns
Kirsty Waugh, 12, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, was surprised with her Child of Courage award by comedian Alan Carr before the ceremony and met Strictly 2025 runner-up Amber Davies and McFly's Danny Jones. At age 10, she suffered eyesight problems, memory lapses and fatigue in 2024, leading to an MRI scan that revealed a brain tumour. After a seven-hour operation removed little of the tumour, nicknamed 'Terry', she began a 70-week chemotherapy course.
Despite impaired vision, Kirsty learned to crochet by touch, creating a bunting triangle for each chemo session. Her Crochet for Cancer campaign raised more than £120,000 for Children With Cancer UK. When treatment stopped working but unexpectedly restored much of her eyesight, she began a new 85-week plan and launched 'My Name Is Kirsty', a global campaign mapping namesakes to raise funds for brain tumour research. She has connected with more than 14,000 Kirstys across 50 countries and all seven continents, raising over £125,000 for OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity.
Her dad Mat said: "Kirsty's tumour is benign, but as the charities explain, 'Benign isn't fine,' because it's growing in a place it can't grow." He added, "Unfortunately about 17 weeks into the second chemo treatment, Kirsty got an allergic reaction, so we're now waiting on a new plan." Kirsty said: "This year I'm trying to show how much everyone cares about children with brain tumours, and raise money to find cures and better treatments, wherever they are in the world."
Zac's Quick Thinking Saves His Mum
Zac Howells, 12, from Ebbw Vale, Wales, met his hero Jack Grealish as he received his Child of Courage award, having already been surprised by Jude Bellingham. Last December, his mum Nicola was driving him to a Christmas market in Warwickshire when she passed out at the wheel. Travelling at 60mph on the A40 in Herefordshire, she slowed the car and steered halfway onto a verge before losing consciousness.
With the car still in drive, Nicola's foot pressed the accelerator, and the vehicle veered back onto the dual carriageway. Zac leaned across, grabbed the wheel, steered into the central reservation to stop, turned off the engine and called 999. Using the sat nav to pinpoint their location, he helped police and paramedics arrive quickly. In the 999 call, he said: "Basically I'm driving on a motorway and my mum just fainted so I had to crash the car to stop. Her foot pressed on the pedal, and the car began accelerating, so I had to crash into the barrier. I'm really scared."
Nicola, unconscious for around seven minutes, was found to have extremely low blood pressure and will have further cardiology tests. She said: "He literally saved our lives and who knows who else's lives. I just felt so guilty, I was watching him and he was telling me not to worry. It's playing on me how scared he must have felt, but he's so humble."
