Carol Vorderman's terrifying health scare as she opens up on 'emotional' new role

It’s undoubtedly one of the most emotional nights in the TV calendar, celebrating the extraordinary acts of ordinary people. And as the Pride of Britain Awards return for a milestone 25th anniversary, host Carol Vorderman — who’s been involved since the very beginning — tells OK! it means “so much” to her. “When we did the first show 25 years ago, it was very unlike what we had now,” she explains. “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.”

So, at the time, I took it to the ITV bosses and they commissioned it — and that’s where it started.” Carol, 63, admits she had no idea it would stand the test of time so spectacularly. “We just knew it was a wonderful thing.

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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.” Meeting the incredible people involved is her favourite part of the job, she says. “It’s all about the winners — and always has been.”

While Carol previously found it difficult to hold back the tears, she’s learnt how to keep it together on stage over the years. “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.”

And when it comes to working with Ashley Banjo, who joined Carol as co-host in 2021, she admits she couldn’t wish for anyone better. The pair grew close after the former Countdown presenter met Ashley’s brother, Jordan, in the I’m A Celebrity jungle in 2016.

“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 duo aren’t averse to letting their hair down either, once the ceremony is over. “We all stay in a hotel and go to the bar with everyone,” Carol says. “We also have the winners’ dinner the night before, which is a wonderful night.

“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.”

Carol is certainly a busy woman. As well as hosting duties for Pride of Britain, she’s just released her debut political novel, Now What? On A Mission To Fix Broken Britain, and presents her own radio show for LBC.

How does she juggle it all? “I don’t,” Carol laughs, as she tells us she’s been experiencing burnout lately. “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. “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.”

But the presenter sees the wake-up call as a positive, saying, “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 focusing on trying to get back into a routine and wants to spend more time doing things she loves, like hiking and working out.

“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 reveals. “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.”

It’s clear Carol has a zest for life. Opening up about her positivity, she says, “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.”

In a bid to try and switch off, Carol has made a conscious decision to spend less time on her phone. “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 explains.

And Carol, who is mum to daughter Katie, 33, and son Cameron, 27, from her marriage to Patrick King, has always insisted she’s happy being single (though she’s opened up in the past about dating five “special friends”) — and tells us that’s still the case. “I am very happy, yes!” she smiles. “There’s no change there.”