KYM MARSH’S OK! COLUMN

Last week I hosted the Pride of Birmingham Awards and it was a wonderful night. The awards, which were held at the University of Birmingham, put the spotlight on the exceptional people that don’t tend to shout about the good things they’re doing. It doesn’t matter whether they’ve carried out one courageous act, or worked tirelessly to fundraise for a good cause, there were so many well deserving people but the winners were remarkable.

I don’t get too nervous hosting events like that now, as I’ve done it a number of times. It helps that I have an autocue too, but you do have to be prepared and I rehearsed earlier in the day.

I brought my family and Scott [right] along to the awards which are held by the Birmingham Mail in partnership with TSB. Scott loved hearing the stories of people who’ve turned tragedy into doing something inspirational. Scott ditched his kilt for the evening and wore a suit instead

and I loved my Nicole Bakti dress. When you’re hosting an event like that you want to feel good and I did, with a little help from my glam squad! [Bottom left with family and friends].

We had a few drinks in the hotel bar after I’d finished hosting the awards. Scott went to bed early as he had to be on a 5.50am train back down south, but I stayed up with my family and also Michelle Heaton, Ore Oduba and Ashley Taylor Dawson, who were all there, too. I crept back into our room at 4.45am! Poor Scott had to get up shortly after that!

Polly had a wonderful eighth birthday with 25 of her friends at a soft play centre called Total Ninja [above]. She also loved the Hoverboard I bought her – I can’t get her off it! Later this year, Polly will be making her acting debut when she comes on tour with me for Elf:

The Musical. I’m going to be doing some travelling around the country with the theatre tour and I don’t want to be away from Polly. I got told there was a small part for her playing one of the children, so it’s worked out perfectly! She’s been going to her dad’s acting school [First Take School of Acting] and she’s loved every second of it, so it’s a great opportunity for her. She’s really excited and so am I!

Well done to Helen Worth [above], who plays Gail Rodwell on Corrie, whose monologue on the suicide of Aidan Connor is up for a BAFTA in the Must-see Moments. It’s fantastic news. It was beautiful and it gave me shivers. It was wonderfully written, delivered by Helen and directed. I hope it wins because it was also covering an important subject – male suicide – that reached a lot of people.