Carol Vorderman shares her biggest regret after starting Pride of Britain Awards

Carol Vorderman has been hosting the Pride of Britain Awards for the past 25 years and now the TV star opened up about how much the show means to her

Undeniably, it's one of the most heart-wrenching nights on the telly, honouring the remarkable deeds of everyday folk. As the Pride of Britain Awards makes a comeback for its landmark 25th anniversary, host Carol Vorderman - who's been part of the journey since day one - confides to OK! that it means "so much" to her. "When we did the first show 25 years ago, it was very unlike what we have now," she elaborates. "It had awards like Sports Personality of the Year, Politician of the Year and Businessperson of the Year, but there was also this essence in the middle of it. I think there were about six awards, so the survivors of the Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, for instance, were one set of people."

"And there was a wonderful young woman who had meningitis and lost some limbs as an adult, who went on and finished her training as a doctor. "“Everybody in the room – around 300 celebrities – shut up for once and listened. You just knew, standing on the stage, there were no cameras or anything at that event, that this was something special. So then, the wonderful Peter Willis - one of the Daily Mirror editors who'd come up with the original concept - and I took it to the ITV bosses and they commissioned it – and that’s where it started.” Carol, 63, confesses she had no clue it would endure the test of time so magnificently. "We just knew it was a wonderful thing." The show was incredibly positive and served as a 'mothership' for all those types of award ceremonies on TV.

"We just knew it was a wonderful thing. It was very positive and became this sort of 'mothership' for all those kinds of award ceremonies on the telly. It reminds us that the majority of people in this country are good people." she said. Her favourite part of the job is meeting the amazing individuals involved. "It's all about the winners - and always has been."

In the past, Carol struggled to keep her emotions in check on stage, but over time, she's learnt how to maintain her composure. "In the early days, that was quite difficult. But I always took the view, and I still do, that if the hosts get too emotional, it becomes about the hosts - and it shouldn't be."

"You should be there to guide the winners and help them have the best night. There are many ways you can host something like this. You can be the huggy person - that's my natural state, to be the hugger - but I prefer to be more like a conduit."

"I'm slightly more formal than in normal life because we're talking about very emotional things. You have to remember, these award winners have gone through trauma - then they're standing up in front of a room full of famous faces. So, we're there to give them confidence and ease their nerves."

When it comes to working with Ashley Banjo, who joined Carol as co-host in 2021, she confesses she couldn't ask for anyone better. The duo became close after the former Countdown presenter met Ashley's brother, Jordan, in the I'm A Celebrity jungle in 2016.

Carol also opened up about her connections and admiration for the people she works with, including Jordan and Ash, as well as their mum Danielle. "I met Jordan eight years ago and then Ash after, as well as their mum, Danielle, who's wonderful. I've always admired them because they're grafters. Ash is a bit like me I suppose, he's stuck his head above the parapet a number of times to stand for things he believes in. He's one of those people who feels a great sense of responsibility for others," she says. "He's a wonderful co-host."

The TV personality also revealed how the team unwinds after the Pride of Britain awards ceremony. "We all stay in a hotel and go to the bar with everyone," Carol shares. "We also have the winners' dinner the night before, which is a wonderful night."

She further described the camaraderie among the winners at the event. "The winners meet each other for the first time so when they all go into that big room, they know each other and they're all cheering the other ones on. It's lovely, and a big part of what makes Pride of Britain as good as it is."

Despite her busy schedule, which includes hosting Pride of Britain, releasing her debut political novel 'Now What? On A Mission To Fix Broken Britain', and presenting a radio show on LBC, Carol admits to struggling with balancing her workload. She recently faced a health scare due to burnout.

"I don't," Carol laughs, when asked about how she manages everything. "A couple of weeks ago I had a bit of a health scare. I've been working seven-day weeks and I just hit burnout."

Thankfully, Carol's health scare was not serious, but it was a wake-up call. "I had some tests and thankfully there are no health issues as such, it's just utter exhaustion. I'd been running on fumes since Christmas, so I'm cutting back to five-day weeks."

The presenter, recognising a silver lining to her recent health scare, said cheerily, "I'm glad it happened, in a way, because it turned out it wasn't anything serious. It was quite nice to have the MOT to say I'm fine. It doesn't matter what age you are, you can experience burnout."

She is now intent on establishing a regular routine and dedicating more time to her passions, which include hiking and hitting the gym. "I haven't been [for a hike] for about 18 months and the gym for nearly a year, and I'm a bit of a gym bunny. I can't live that life any more - I've got to get back in the gym because I enjoy it, it gives me a buzz. And I want to get out in the mountains again," she confessed.

Discussing her hectic work schedule, she added, "If you're working seven days a week, you literally don't have time. And some weeks, because of work, I'll be in a different hotel bed for five nights, packing and unpacking, and you don't sleep properly. I can't do that any more."

Carol's vigorous approach to life is palpable; when discussing her inherent optimism, she shared, "I've always been a hyper-focused person, which can be positive, but also a negative - because you become obsessed about something, whether it's a piece of work, or a campaign. Like a lot of things, it's a blessing and a curse. It's just my nature."

She has made a conscious effort to reduce her screen time in an attempt to disconnect. "One of the things I've done in the last month, which sounds like nothing but I'm so happy about, is switching my phone off for 12 hours a day. Instead of leaving it on the bedside table, I leave it in the kitchen every night. It's made such a difference," she shares.

Carol, mother to Katie, 33, and Cameron, 27, from her marriage to Patrick King, has always maintained that she enjoys being single (although she has previously spoken about dating five "special friends") - and confirms that this remains true. "I am very happy, yes! " she beams. "There's no change there."