There is a lot of excitement in the room when the judges for the HELLO! Inspiration Awards 2022 gather together. They get to honour the people who go above and beyond to help others by sifting through the nominations for two very special categories in our annual ceremony.
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Woman's Hour and Countryfile presenter Anita Rani, Britain's Best Walks star Julia Bradbury, Strictly Come Dancing's Johannes Radebe, former Loose Women star Saira Khan and HELLO!'s editor in chief Rosie Nixon are this year's judges.
WATCH: Meet HELLO!'s fabulous judges at this year's Inspiration Awards
The Inspiration Awards, sponsored by luxury childrenswear retailer Childsplay Clothing, is returning on 4 October for its fifth year and celebrates the UK's most selfless and giving individuals.
READ: Meet the celebrity judges at this year's Inspiration Awards
The Star Mum award - which was created to recognise mothers who, while raising their family, still find the time to help others in need - and the #HelloToKindness categories are the only ones voted for by our readers.
Meet the judges for this year's Inspiration Awards
After whittling down the shortlist to three finalists, readers can vote for the #HelloToKindness and Star Mum awards, with the winners getting a luxurious prize including an overnight stay at London’s Great Scotland Yard hotel and a VIP ticket to the star-studded ceremony. They will also receive a pampering VIP hair and make-up package for the awards before taking home a goody bag worth hundreds of pounds.
"These awards mean so much to us all at HELLO! because we get to turn the spotlight on people who really deserve recognition. I think it’s so important that we celebrate non-celebrities, as well as those in the public eye, and these special individuals deserve all of our support and praise because they are improving the lives of others and may not have been told how brilliant they are before," Rosie says.
Anita Rani is also hosting the awards
Meanwhile, Julia adds: "Lots of people have been through incredibly tough times in recent months and years, and I think it's important that we all celebrate one another. Perhaps for some of those unsung heroes who don't know how incredible they are, this is going to make a huge difference in their lives."
Simply read the stories below then scroll down to where you can vote for your favourite nominee.
Billie Mulreany
Billie, 58, from Southend, raised her four children alone, working several jobs to ensure they had all they needed. While battling Crohn's Disease, she has also set up Real People, an organisation which supports people with learning disabilities by offering services including employment opportunities and offering community respite. "She is an inspiration and I can only wish to become half the woman she is. She has had so many obstacles put in her way but always finds a way to push through," says her daughter Jenna Medlock, who nominated her.
Kelly Stevens
One year after tragically losing her mother at the age of only 50, Kelly adopted her aunt's son Thomas, after she was unable to parent him. Unwilling to let Thomas be fostered, the 34-year-old from Southport, Merseyside, gained full guardianship of him as a single mum while working full-time at her own hair salon. In between her work and taking trips with Thomas in her caravan, she also recently found the time to run the London marathon in memory of her mum.
Emily Johnson
Emily's two teenage sons and partner all have mental health issues and she has 'tirelessly' cared for them, putting her needs last. One of her children has severe OCD, and another has a gambling addiction, resulting in her often having to sacrifice her sleep and personal time to help look after their needs. She has also dealt with anxiety and binge eating disorder herself but friends say she always puts loved ones first. Emily, 50, has also recently undergone foot surgery, leaving her out of action for six weeks, but she has kept her spirits up throughout.
