HELLO! hosted its first Star Women awards this afternoon (Tuesday 25 June 2019) at 30 Pavilion Road in Knightsbridge, London, in association with Childrensalon – and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Sarah, Duchess of York received the Inspiration of the Year award for her incredible charity work including being founder patron of Street Child. She moved the celeb-packed audience to tears and laterhad the audience in stitches with her heartfelt acceptance speech in which she so kindly offered to help last year's star mums winner Lisa Wells at her fundraising ball.
Mel B had guests in tears at the HELLO! Star Women Awards
Spice Girls star Mel B, fresh from her comeback Spice World tour, bravely opened up about her personal struggles as she accepted the Campaigner of the Year award for her work helping survivors of domestic abuse. "I went to a refuge in Leeds and I sat down with 15 women, and they all had exactly the same story as mine," said Mel. "I was so embarrassed to talk about it but then I started speaking about it and I felt so empowered. And I thought, if I can help people going through my situation, then this is my mission and my purpose – apart from being a Spice Girl and Girl Power!"
Lady Frederick Windsor attended the star-studded event Credit: Goff Photos
This year's awards ceremony builds on the success of HELLO!’s Star Mum Awards 2018. It was created to highlight women whose talents inspire and empower others daily. Stars Kimberley Walsh, Izzy Judd, Beverley Knight, Amy Dowden, Neil and Katya Jones and Vogue and Spencer Matthews attended the glittering ceremony, which saw a wide range of women – both famous and not – recognised for their achievements.
Sarah Ferguson received the Inspiration of the Year award
READ: Sarah Ferguson wows This Morning viewers with hair transformation
HELLO! Editor-in-Chief Rosie Nixon hosted the awards alongside broadcaster and presenter Kate Silverton. Rosie and Kate also served on the awards judging panel alongside Saira Khan, Vogue Williams, Rochelle Humes and Hibo Wardere of charity SafeHands for Mothers – the panel shortlisted potential winners for the Star Mum and Hello to Kindness awards.
Some of the inspiring Star Women winners
Rosie said: "This afternoon at HELLO!'s Star Women awards, we celebrated the remarkable achievements of some truly inspiring women, both famous and non-famous. Everyone in the room was moved by their stories and the ways in which these women have given selflessly whether that be to their family or society as a whole. I hope the platform given today will help them take their causes to even greater heights."
Loose Women's Andrea McLean also attended Credit: Goff Photos
Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden was named the winner of the Raising Awareness Award for speaking openly about Crohn's Disease, the disease which she herself suffered, while the HELLO! Star mum prize was given to Eula Valentine, in honour of founding The Merton Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Group (MSCTG).
Charlie Howard won the Fashion Game-Changer Award
Model, author and body positive activist Charli Howard was given the Fashion Game-Changer Award – which was voted for by readers of HELLO! and Hello Fashion Monthly.
Strictly's Amy Dowden was named winner of the Raising Awareness Award
MORE: Star Women Awards 2019 - meet our amazing celebrity panel
Faye Savory won the Hello to Kindness prize, which was voted for by HELLO! readers in an online poll. Faye was chosen for her work setting up business BearHug gift boxes, which are designed to deliver all the comfort of a hug when you can’t be there in person. Members of the Hubb Community kitchen won the Community Award for their incredible community spirit following the Grenfell tragedy.
Members of the Hubb Community Kitchen with their award
Full coverage of the Star Women awards and videos of the incredible winners will be online later this week and in next week’s edition of HELLO! magazine.
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