Pride of Britain Awards

2012 Winner Jay Kamiraz Sleeping next to overflowing bins behind an inner city hostel, Jay Kamiraz thought his life was over, at just 17. The teenager was homeless after struggling to come to terms with the effects of a savage unprovoked attack by seven men. After a month in hospital, Jay was afraid he would […]

2012 Winner Katie Piper Scarred for life in a horrific acid attack organised by her violent ex, Katie Piper battled back to inspire millions of young women. The 29-year-old launched her Katie Piper Foundation in 2009 to raise awareness of the plight of victims of burns and other disfigurement injuries. The charity campaigns for specialist […]

2012 Winner Natalie Aggiano After her mother was murdered, Natalia Aggiano chose to give one of her own kidneys to save a stranger’s life, in an astonishing legacy of love. Natalia was 19 when her paranoid schizophrenic father stabbed mum Elva to death. She vowed to do something positive in her mother’s memory. So when […]

2012 Winner Ramona Gibbs Brave Ramona had a split second to make a life or death decision as an out of control car hurtled towards her and little sister Trixie. Without a thought for her own safety, Ramona pushed Trixie out of danger – sustaining serious injuries in the process. Ramona, then six, was playing […]

2012 Winner Flo and Jim Essex Most couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary would mark the occasion with a family party or dinner in a nice restaurant. Not Flo and Jim Essex. They laid on a bed of nails to raise ­thousands of pounds for a special care baby unit. And that’s not all. Despite […]

2012 Winner Royston Smith and Alistair Neill Civilians Royston Smith and Alistair Neill put their lives on the line to tackle a killer armed with an automatic rifle on a Royal Navy nuclear sub. Royston, 48, and Alistair, 55, were visiting HMS Astute in Southampton last April when the horrific events unfolded. The pair were […]