Meet the OK! Heroes of 2020 as the stars who went above and beyond to make us all happy
The very last twelve months have not particularly been easy, with headlines dominated by terrible information.
But some of our favourite stars have made confident they’ve been there to elevate a couple smiles. In Sir Captain Tom Moore’s circumstance it was an excess one hundred laps around his garden, but many others, like Marcus Rashford with his strategies for no cost faculty meals, also did their little bit to make certain the country stayed constructive all through a pandemic that virtually brought the state to a standstill.
Though the vital personnel, NHS employees and academics are amid all those we say a big thank you to, below are the stars who’ve also aided make items that very little little bit greater and have been awarded our coveted Hero Of 2020 honour as a result…
SIR CAPTAIN TOM MOORE
Ideal in the thick of the pandemic, this Second Environment War veteran made the decision to wander one hundred laps of his twenty five-metre garden in a bid to elevate £1,000 for the NHS in time for his 100th birthday.
When information of his obstacle caught on, and with a very little encouragement from new pal Piers Morgan, Tom attained around the world recognition and surpassed his target by totting up an remarkable £32,796,475.
He has since long gone on to be knighted and was awarded a Pleasure Of Britain award. Sir Tom also received two Guinness Environment Data and is the oldest writer to have a No 1 reserve with his memoir, Tomorrow Will Be A Superior Day.
Soon after staying honoured as an Okay! hero, he instructed us, “I’ve been overwhelmed by the gratitude and support I have received from much and extensive this yr. What began as a smaller spouse and children obstacle turned some thing quite extraordinary and what adopted I could in no way have imagined would transpire to me. Thank you to all people who supported and walked with me raising money for all those in want. I’m so joyful we have been in a position to share a very little light-weight with all people all through tough instances. I have usually lived with the optimism that ‘tomorrow will be a very good day’.”
HOLLY WILLOUGHBY
As the queen of daytime Television, Holly Willoughby has been a reassuring fixture on our screens all through 2020. A massively deserving receiver of our award, the This Morning presenter’s sunny manner and caring character have been a digital hug for numerous all through these hard instances.
Addressing viewers of This Morning prior to we went into a 2nd lockdown, Holly mentioned, “We did not go any place all through the very last lockdown and we’re not likely any place this time. We are below every single morning for you. We did it very last time and I know we can get by means of it this time.”
And we all connected to the 39-yr-aged star when she opened up about how hard she was discovering staying divided from her possess spouse and children. “I just want to hug my mum and dad so terrible,” she confessed.
As properly as placing a smile on our faces every single day, Holly has also taken the time to elevate awareness of psychological well being charities and strategies.
With Britain’s psychological well being helplines struggling to cope with greater instances of nervousness and despair all through lockdown, Holly encouraged her enthusiasts to offer you their support and elevate money for the organisations. She mentioned, “No contact for assist should go unanswered.”
As component of ITV’s psychological well being marketing campaign Britain Get Speaking, Holly also teamed up with Ant and Dec, David Walliams, Anna Friel and Will.i.am in a video urging people today to access out and support many others.
JOE WICKS
Soon after his remarkable PE With Joe reside workouts and raising tens of millions for charity, there was no doubt Joe Wicks would make our list.
For 18 months, the 34-yr-aged star hosted no cost PE classes for kids and elevated almost £100,000 for NHS Charities With each other.
Reflecting on that time, Joe mentioned, “I needed to support mothers and fathers and assist small children obtain some happiness, use some vitality and feel risk-free.
I genuinely do think I accomplished that. Under no circumstances did I think about people all above the environment would come with each other to just take component – eighty million sights is difficult to comprehend, but this definitely is my proudest accomplishment.”
If that wasn’t more than enough, Joe then did a 2nd PE Obstacle for Little ones In Want, raising above £2.three million in the method.
The star exercised for 24 hours straight and was joined by celebs like Sam Smith, Melanie C and Louis Theroux. It is no speculate the star was awarded an MBE for all his initiatives this yr, some thing he has termed “a desire come true”.
DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE
From organising donation drives for all those most in want to hosting a digital match of bingo for treatment household people, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have provided immeasurable support all through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under no circumstances the sort to keep away from mucking in, Will and Kate have grabbed every single prospect to assist elevate the nation’s spirits and champion the initiatives of vital personnel.
Talking at the get started of lockdown, Kate mentioned, “The NHS and frontline personnel are performing the most remarkable position.”
The royal pair’s most recent endeavour noticed them embark on a countrywide teach tour, which was supposed to glow a highlight on
the lifestyle-conserving initiatives of frontline personnel all through the pandemic.
The pair recently thanked all people they had satisfied on the tour, with Prince William adding warmly, “In bleak instances, you give us hope about what can be accomplished if we all work with each other.”
MARCUS RASHFORD
Manchester United footballer Marcus has been causing waves both of those on and off the pitch this yr, many thanks to his tireless marketing campaign to quit boy or girl starvation.
The 23-yr-aged has made it his mission to make certain tens of millions of small children have accessibility to no cost faculty meals, even with lockdown shutting schools for months at a time, and has elevated tens of millions of lbs . for boy or girl poverty in the method.
Marcus mentioned his possess childhood has been the driving drive behind his actions. “What people are likely by means of now, I have once had
to go by means of that – and it’s extremely challenging to obtain a way out,” he mentioned.
The star has been active on social media, using it as a platform to contact out politicians and as a end result attained tens of millions of new enthusiasts as properly as an MBE and now an Okay! Heroes award.
He mentioned, “I really do not have the education and learning of a politician, but I have a social education and learning acquiring lived by means of this and acquiring used time with all those influenced. These small children matter. And as long as they really do not have a voice they will have mine.”
JAMIE OLIVER
Jamie has retained budding chefs entertained above the very last couple months with his Instagram cooking classes, as properly as his Television show, Jamie: Continue to keep Cooking And Carry On.
“Food turned this sort of a significant detail for all people – cooking it, getting accessibility to it, using it to sustain routines or to build considerably-required times of pleasure,” he instructed us.
“As the state was jogging out of substances, we needed to assist viewers obtain uncomplicated choices and easy fixes – so turning each individual episode around quickly and reacting to what all people was likely by means of, virtually and emotionally, was genuinely important”
Jamie, who filmed the whole show on wife Jools’ cellular phone, was thrilled to be acknowledged with the award.
“Big thank you to all the gang at Okay! Magazine. I’m genuinely pleased that me and my crew were being in a position to be useful to people today this yr – 2020 has certainly thrown us loads of issues.”
THE GMB Spouse and children
Waking up on weekday mornings to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid was in no way dull in 2020, but the co-hosts confess offering the information this yr has been much from easy.
“At instances it was overwhelming,” Susanna instructed us exclusively. “There was so considerably disappointment and isolation. But we made confident to rejoice the courage, hope and optimism too.” Piers agreed, telling us, “It’s absolutely been the most tough yr of my profession, but also in numerous strategies the most rewarding. I look at it an honour to convey momentous information to people today.”
In addition to the dynamic duo, Dr Hilary Jones brought comfort and ease to all those seeking health care suggestions. “Covid-19 has been the most important well being tale in 30 yrs of health care Television broadcasting,” he mentioned. “It’s retained me very fast paced.”
At last, Kate Garraway, whose partner Derek has been hospitalised with Covid-19 since March, showed dignity and bravery as she ongoing to co-anchor the show on Fridays. Susanna, Piers, and Hilary will be on GMB on Christmas morning from 7am.
MARVIN AND ROCHELLE HUMES
These two retained spirits high all through lockdown with their Keep Home With The Humes’ DJ sets every single weekend on Instagram. And greater nonetheless, they elevated above £20,000 for the NSPCC at the same time!
1000’s tuned in to check out the pair social gathering at household – and although Marvin strike the decks, Rochelle danced all night time long even with staying expecting with their third boy or girl. Rochelle later mentioned, “Just needed to say a big thank you to all people who has supported our #stayhomewiththehumes household get-togethers! They have been a lot of entertaining.”
The duo also attained out to partners who had their wedding ceremony cancelled owing to the pandemic and set up a competition for just one pair to gain a no cost two-hour DJ set from Marvin at their reception. That will absolutely make the day even a lot more distinctive when it does come around.
SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR
During the pandemic’s bleakest hour, it would have been easy to sit around and mope under a veil of tension and disappointment – but not on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s check out! The Murder On The Dancefloor hitmaker place her abilities (and kitsch design and style) to very good use and lifted the nation’s spirits with her kitchen discos. The forty one-yr-aged is no doubt a deserving hero just after welcoming us all inTo her foil-fringed household for weekly performances, which proved to be the best pick-me-up.
Having said that, it turns out that Sophie relied on her glitter-clad sing-tracks as considerably as we all did. “I actually really do not know what
I would have completed if I hadn’t had that, and I really do not know how it would have been for our spouse and children, for the reason that it turned genuinely important,” she mentioned.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II
As a beacon of hope during a horrific 2020, our list would not be finish without Her Majesty The Queen. It was an psychological instant when the royal tackled the country back again in April and spoke of the “pain”, “grief” and “financial difficulties” faced by numerous.
The monarch then mentioned, “I want to thank all people on the NHS frontline, as properly as treatment personnel and all those carrying out crucial roles, who selflessly keep on their day-to-day obligations outside the household in support of us all.”
She ongoing, “I hope in the yrs to come all people will be in a position to just take satisfaction in how they responded to this obstacle.” The Queen concluded her information with the inspiring words, “We will meet up with all over again.”
The royal also made historical past by carrying out her initially ever digital engagements, like speaking
to carers and displaying her gratitude to the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Pressure. She also led the country in marking Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in London.
VICKY PATTISON
Vicky Pattison, former star of the strike show Geordie Shore, traded in the glamour of reality Television to assist feed society’s most susceptible. In her high-vis jacket with arms prepared to work, Vicky bought to packing tonnes of treatment packages loaded with food and necessities.
Her mammoth work arrived to an end when hard cash movement ran out, but not prior to she tried to fund the project herself. Soon after this sort of an remarkable contribution, there was no doubt in our minds that Vicky would be just one of our 2020 heroes.
On staying instructed of the award, Vic mentioned, “I am tremendous-honoured to have been selected for this award by Okay! Magazine. I imagine this yr has been hard for everyone and we’ve all dealt with it in distinct strategies. For me, it felt very good to get out there and do some thing and be proactive, but also I’m considerably happier when I’m fast paced, so it is for egocentric reasons too. You know the indicating, ‘The Devil tends to make work for idle hands’? I could not bear to see any a lot more of the aged struggle.”
DR EMILY ANDRE
We have awarded Dr Emily Andre for her heroic initiatives on the frontline and placing herself at danger, alongside with her NHS colleagues, by continually doing work all through the crisis.
Talking all through the initially lockdown in April, she instructed Okay!, “The pandemic has made me realise how astounding the NHS is to come with each other under this sort of intense circumstances.”
Emily, 31, endured with the deadly disorder herself when the virus initially strike and had to isolate absent from her partner Peter, forty seven, and small children Amelia, 6, and four-yr-aged Theo, to keep away from spreading among her spouse and children.
“I had a sore throat and missing my perception of odor and style for a 7 days,” she mentioned. And hubby Pete admitted he’s just as proud of our columnist as we are. “Emily’s my hero,” he mentioned.“I’m so proud of her. But all of the other NHS personnel, and the 50 percent a million volunteers, are heroes of mine, too.”
CAROL VORDERMAN
When formal education and learning ceased and people were being flung into the not-so-common environment of household schooling, alongside arrived Carol Vorderman to the rescue. The former Countdown mastermind, who turns 60 on Christmas Eve, received above rather considerably every single parent in the Uk when she started offering no cost maths lessons to small children.
Perhaps the initially man or woman on the world to make that topic glamorous, Carol would certainly be our initially preference for a tutor. So, when she selected to take out all paywalls from her instructing platform, The Maths Factor, it’s no surprise she turned just one of the nation’s darlings. The assistance, which usually charges £2 for each 7 days, is also some thing expensive to Carol’s possess coronary heart. “This is the detail I am most proud of,” she mentioned, when asked about the project that provided no cost lessons to numerous principal faculty small children during the pandemic.
FRANKIE BRIDGE
Above a yr the place despair, nervousness and suicide have regrettably in no way been so topical, Frankie Bridge, 31, bought fast paced recording her podcast, Open up Mind, in which she interviewed celebs this sort of as Tess Daly and Laura Whitmore to brazenly discuss psychological well being.
Talking to Okay! about her hero award, Frankie mentioned, “I’m so shocked! I feel like I have been chatting about psychological well being for a long time, so it’s so lovely that people today are recognising it. This yr it’s been a lot more important than ever, so I feel extremely honoured.”
Frankie, who is mum to Parker, seven, and 5-yr-aged Carter, with partner Wayne Bridge, instructed us the feedback she gets from listeners is “so nice” and reveals her podcast has impressed her followers to seek out suggestions.
“My podcast is all about trying to assist people today,” she stated. “It’s so nice when it’s performing the position you want it to. When people today say, ‘I did not realise which is why I’m sensation this way’ or ‘You’ve made me feel solid more than enough to chat to someone’. Which is what it’s all about!”