THE Sun's annual Who Cares Wins Awards returns tonight, where we shine a light on and celebrate the NHS's brave and exceptional healthcare heroes.
Running annually, the ceremony celebrates the nation's healthcare workers and volunteers who have gone above and beyond – and this year it's even more special as the NHS celebrates 75 years.
Presenter Davina McCall will be hosting the ceremony and is looking forward to making the night one to remember for those attending.
And this year, the awards will feel even closer to home for Davina as her daughter Holly is training as an NHS dietician.
Our panel of judges who decide who takes awards home, includes The Sun's Editor-in-Chief Victoria Newton, TV presenter Christine Lampard, Paralympic champ Ellie Simmonds and boxing champ Anthony Joshua.
The Who Cares Wins Awards 2023 – sponsored by The National Lottery and in partnership with NHS Charities Together – will air on Channel 4 tonight at 6.30pm.
Read our Who Cares Wins Awards blog below for the latest news and updates…
- By Catherine Micallef
Anthony Joshua witnesses paramedics in action
As boxer Anthony Joshua was arriving to The Sun's Who Cares Wins awards, he witnessed NHS paramedics saving a life right in front of him.
Once they were finished with helping their patient, they asked Anthony Joshua for selfies, who couldn't "say no to lifesavers like" them.
Read all about the story below.
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999 DRAMA Paramedics save man in front of Anthony Joshua as he arrives for Who Cares Wins
- By Catherine Micallef
Who are the Who Cares Wins Awards 2023 judges? – Ellie Orton
Ellie Orton from NHS Charities Together will be one of the judges choosing who's taking an award home.
She said: "In the 75th year of our NHS, the Who Cares Wins awards give us another opportunity to celebrate everything that’s so special about the health service.
"Over the years, the NHS has rolled out world-leading research, vaccination programmes and advancements in medicine that have had a profound impact globally.
"It’s a magnificent institution – but it would be nothing without its people. Most of us would say our lives have been touched by the NHS workforce.
"And thanks to public generosity, NHS Charities Together has been able to give back – funding thousands of projects across the UK.
"The Who Cares Wins awards are a much-needed opportunity to recognise those who truly go above and beyond. I’m excited to celebrate their exceptional achievements."
- By Catherine Micallef
Who are the Who Cares Wins Awards 2023 judges? – Dr Zoe Williams
The Sun's Health GP will be in attendance tonight as she admitted being a judge is "one of the hardest things to do because all the entries are so incredible and deserving."
She added: "I know first-hand how many unsung heroes there are in the NHS. I’m lucky to work with lots of them on every shift I do. The nominees are incredible people who make all the difference to families at their most traumatic times.
"They’re the ones who hold hands, explain procedures, reassure families and help no matter how bad things might be. I’ve met incredible people through the awards who make sure patients get what they need and take care of the little things.
"The Who Cares Wins awards are amazing every year, but this year – with the NHS turning 75 – I know they’ll be a special celebration and I can’t wait to meet the nominees."
- By Catherine Micallef
Who are the Who Cares Wins Awards 2023 judges? – Anthony Joshua
Boxing champion Anthony Joshua called the NHS "a national treasure" as he's "excited" to be attending tonight's ceremony.
He said: "I’m so excited to be a judge for this year’s Who Cares Wins awards.We have all needed the NHS at some point in our lives. It’s a national treasure and I don’t know where we would be without the people who keep it running day in, day out.
"Every single person who works in the health service is a champion in my eyes. As an awards presenter last year, I was blown away by the nominees and what they achieved. I was determined to get a selfie with every one of them. They were the true stars of the night.
"It was such an honour to present the Young Hero award to Jayden Sorhaindo, 12. Carer Jayden, who saved her mum’s life after she collapsed in the bath, spoke with such eloquence it moved the audience to tears.
"These healthcare heroes care for us – now it’s our turn to care for them."
- By Catherine Micallef
Who are the Who Cares Wins Awards 2023 judges? – Ellie Simmonds
Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds will be attending the awards ceremony tonight.
She expressed her gratitude for the NHS, having had to rely on them most of her life due to her disability.
Ellie said: "Living with a disability since I was a baby, I’ve always relied on the NHS. I am so grateful to the incredible people who work there.
"The nurses have always been so friendly and the doctors put me at ease whenever I had treatment. My particular form of dwarfism, achondroplasia, causes legs to bow, which is painful.
"In 2007, aged 12, I had metal plates put in my knees. I was in Birmingham Children’s Hospital for a week. It was scary. But my memory is positive because of the amazing people who looked after me.
"I learned to walk again. The specialists literally put me back on my feet. A year later I won my first Paralympic gold medals. I’m delighted to be a judge for Who Cares Wins.
"It will be tough picking the winners but I look forward to reading their amazing stories and celebrating our healthcare heroes."
- By Catherine Micallef
Christine Lampard on how the NHS helps families
The judge spoke about how one time, her son Freddie developed a mystery rash and they had to rush him to hospital.
She said: "The doctors and nurses who treated him at 2am were absolute heroes. You get there, you feel like you’re handing over your most prized possession, but it doesn’t matter how busy it is, they make you feel like you’re the priority."
Thankfully, Freddy was all right.
Christine added: "The doctors, nurses and volunteers see unimaginable things. Parents who have had terrible things happen to their families nominate those who mattered in those moments. I’ll definitely be bringing my tissues on the night of the awards.”
- By Catherine Micallef
Who are the Who Cares Wins Awards 2023 judges? – Christine Lampard
Long-standing judge and TV Presenter Christine Lampard will also be in attendance tonight.
She said how honoured she feels to be chosen as judge again and can't wait for the star-studded ceremony.
Lampard said: "So often in medical emergencies the heroes are nameless — but the Who Cares Wins awards give us an opportunity to celebrate those heroes and thank them for everything they do."
She also spoke on how her children – Patsy and Freddie – love playing doctors and nurses: "Freddie has a toy medical kit and he spent ages checking things like my temperature, while accidentally bashing me with lots of implements!”
- By Catherine Micallef
Who are the Who Cares Wins Awards 2023 judges? – Victoria Newton
The Sun's Editor-In-Chief Victoria Newton will be one of the judges who decide who gets to take an award home.
She said: "This year we are delighted to again celebrate Britain’s healthcare heroes in this very special way.
"Reading the heart-warming, humbling and sometimes harrowing stories of how nominees have gone above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of others, I continue to be amazed by the many different ways the NHS and our unsung heroes strive to keep us safe every day.”
- By Catherine Micallef
Davina on the NHS celebrating 75 years
"If you ask anybody in Britain about one of the things they are most proud of, it would be our NHS. If there was one thing that Covid taught us, that will stick with us, is that without it we’re done.
"This idea that treatment is free for everyone is so unique and so precious. I mean, 75 years of the NHS — that’s quite something to celebrate.”
- By Catherine Micallef
The difficult job the NHS has
Davina McCall is very aware of the challenges NHS staff faces, especially since her daughter can tell her all about what she experiences.
The host said: "Listening to her talk about the people that she has worked with is so lovely. Sometimes it’s like being in the trenches — it’s so hard it’s exhausting. It does make you all very close.
"I think the NHS has had quite a hard time with people complaining, waiting times or things like that. But anybody that works in it, it’s not their fault.
"They give everything they’ve got. I’m sure the people who work in the NHS understand that they are not angry with them, but they bear the brunt of a lot.
“All they want to do is help people. You’re not doing it for fame or the money. You’re doing it because it’s a vocation. You were born to help people.
“We know how hard it is on the people that work in it. And if there’s anything that we can do to celebrate those people, and say thank you, it’s one of the most worthy things we can do.”
- By Catherine Micallef
Davina's daughter is working for the NHS
This year Who Cares Wins Awards will be extra special for Davina as her daughter is also working in the NHS healthcare system.
Holly is training to become an NHS dietician.
Davina said proudly: "My daughter is working in the NHS. She’s working in hospitals on placements.
"She’ll do another placement at Christmas, then she’ll do her dissertation before she graduates next June. Then she’ll go straight to the NHS.”
Speaking on her daughter's passion: "I’m proud of all of my kids, obviously. Holly realised, probably when she was 11 or 12, that she wanted to do something to help people.
"She loves cooking, food and trying to find a way to be able to help people using food. So it was like a no-brainer.”
- By Catherine Micallef
Davina McCall 'nervous' for tonight's show
The host admitted that she feels "nervous" hosting these awards despite the impressive experience she has.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: "I think what makes me a bit nervous is that they are heroes. You want them to have an amazing night.
"You want them to meet their dream celebrities and you want them to have an amazing, fantastic, celebration with everybody.
"I want to make it really fun, wonderful and heart-warming. I just want to do a great job of that.”
- By Catherine Micallef
Who Cares Wins Awards air tonight
The Who Cares Wins Awards will air tonight at 6.30pm on Channel 4.
Davina McCall hosts the ceremony which honours those working within the nation's health sector.
The awards are sponsored by The National Lottery and in partnership with NHS Charities Together.
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