FREDDIE AND HUGHIE ON PRIDE OF BRITAIN FAME Who will be your heroes of 2022?
Ever since best friends Hughie Higginson and Freddie Xavi got their Pride of Britain Award nominations a year ago their lives have been, in their words, “bonkers”.
First there was the shock of receiving trophies from Dan Walker at the Pride of Manchester awards which were hosted by Kym Marsh.
Then Ant and Dec jumped out of a phone box at the I’m a Celebrity Jungle Challenge in Manchester, and surprised them with invitations to the Pride of Britain Awards in London.
At the ceremony, watched by millions of ITV viewers, the pair were hailed Good Morning Britain’s Young Fundraisers of the Year.
They collected their awards from Sir Mo Farah and rapper KSI before mingling with stars such as Holly Willoughby, Simon Cowell and Nicola Roberts.
The boys, from Ribble Valley, Lancashire, have since won hearts with their TV and radio interviews, received heroes’ receptions at school and even been recognised out in the street.
Speaking ahead of nominations for this year’s Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, in partnership with TSB, opening today, Freddie, 11, said: “Everything’s been crazy since we won Pride of Britain.
“We still can’t believe stars like Sir Rod Stewart asked for a picture with us at the ceremony – we thought we’d be asking them. Everyone kept saying they were proud of us and that we had done a really nice, special thing.
“Both our dads were teary-eyed when we came off stage and there were lots of big hugs. It was nice to see our parents so proud. All the people we met were so nice. And the best bit was having each other there.
“We’ve done so many TV interviews, we don’t get nervous any more. And when I went back to school, my form group made a tunnel with their arms for me and gave me big cheers.
“Me and my dad have even been recognised in the street. It’s been bonkers.”
Hughie, 12, says: “We made new friends with the other winners and we’re all still in touch.
“We all say Pride of Britain doesn’t feel real because it was so brilliant.
“Our trophies are on the top shelves in our rooms because the top shelves represent our top priorities.
“And we’re still fundraising – we still
Both our dads were teary-eyed when we got off stage
FREDDIE XAVI ON THE PRIDE OF BRITAIN AWARDS
have a lot of work to do.” Freddie, from Whalley, and Hughie, from Higham, raised £220,000 for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where Hughie has been receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia since September 2020.
To thank the staff who cared for him so attentively, he signed up for the hospital’s charity’s fundraising walk.
On the day he was too ill to take part, so Freddie devised his own fundraising challenge and ran 2km every day in the
50 days before Christmas. He completed the final 2km on Christmas morning, pounding the streets before opening his presents.
Hughie summoned all his strength to join his mate on the final stretch so they could cross the line together.
Hughie still can’t get over how many treats he has enjoyed since receiving the Pride of Britain nomination. He said: “We got to pick cool suits together and loved wearing them. We went down to London and Pride of Britain gave us a list of places to go and we picked the Sea Life centre. We had a big winners’ dinner the night before the ceremony. Having celebrities wanting to see us and say congratulations at the ceremony was mad.
“Afterwards we were invited to the Houses of Parliament and were in the room where the Queen slept before her coronation.
“The Speaker Lindsay Hoyle gave us a tour... he said whenever we came to London we could give him a call.
“Back at school, I was given chocolate, balloons and cards. There were so many nice things I wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for Pride of Britain and I can hardly remember them all.” Hughie still faces another two years of leukaemia treatment. But he lets nothing get in the way of fundraising – and Freddie is beside him every step.
Hughie says: “I take chemo pills every day. But once a month I have a line in and steroids, which make me a bit sick and emotional, so that’s a tough week.
“But I think I’m doing all right, I’m more mobile and I’m back at school.
“And me and Freddie have work to do because we wanted to do something together.” The boys started Freddie and Hughie’s 100km Football
Challenge on Boxing Day and set up a JustGiving account to help children’s hospitals around the country.
Freddie says: “We’re running around all 92 Premier League and English Football League football grounds.
“We started at our beloved Turf Moor, Burnley. And we’re going to do more grounds to make it 100 so we run 100km, which is a bit of a nod to my first 100km. We give the money raised to whichever children’s hospital is nearest to the football ground.
“We have done seven so far... so only 93 to go!”
This year the boys will start secondary school together but there is a downside to being well known.
“Because lots of people know our faces, we won’t be able to get away with any trouble,” says Hughie. “That’s the thing about fame.”
Nominate now at prideofbritain. com/nominate