Award-winning TV presenter to host NHS ‘Oscars’
An award-winning TV presenter will host a celebratory event honouring hard-working NHS workers.
Elle Osili-Wood, who presented ITV’s coverage of the 2025 Oscars alongside Jonathan Ross, will join St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals Group for the second-ever gesh CARE Awards.
The sponsored ceremony is a special ‘thank you’ to health heroes who make a real difference to patients and colleagues.
Elle fronted coverage of King Charles’ Coronation, regularly hosts BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts show and is an entertainment presenter for Katie Piper’s Breakfast Show. She was also awarded the BAFTA Breakthrough in television.
Elle said: “It is my absolute honour to host the gesh CARE Awards and celebrate the tireless work of our beloved NHS workers.
“As a proud Londoner, I can’t wait to join them in showing my gratitude for the work they do every day and to showcase the best of the NHS, in what promises to be a joyful and special event.”
Colleagues have nominated each other to recognise the achievements linked to the Group’s five-year CARE strategy to care for local people and keep them well, while one of the categories includes the public-nominated ‘Outstanding CARE of the Year’ Award.
For this accolade, patients, their families and carers have nominated a team or individual who went above and beyond, to care for people in hospital or the community.
James Blythe, Interim Group Chief Executive for St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group, said: “We are very lucky to have Elle as our host, and we look forward to welcoming her to our very own Oscars, to celebrate our wonderful colleagues.
“Every day, I am humbled by their dedication, compassion, and resilience – these awards are to honour them and the vital role they play in providing outstanding care to our patients.”
Manju Pillai spent weeks gravely unwell in intensive care at St Helier
Patient Manju Pillai, who spent weeks gravely unwell in intensive care at St Helier, has thrown her support behind the awards.
The mother-of-two said staff gave her and her family “hope, comfort, and strength” after she was struck down by a mystery illness on return from her dream holiday.
Manju, from Surrey, was diagnosed with “immune-mediated complex neurological syndrome”, a little-known condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own nervous system.
She said: “I am so grateful to the NHS teams who cared for me with such skill, compassion, and determination. Their dedication gave me a second chance at life, and my family and I will never forget it.
“The gesh CARE Awards are a wonderful way for patients, families, and the public to recognise the extraordinary staff who go above and beyond every single day – it means so much for staff to know the difference they’ve made.”
Everyone from the hospital Group’s 17,000 workforce is eligible for an award, not just those in clinical roles – at last year’s inaugural event, hospital housekeepers received one of the evening’s loudest rounds of applause, while security teams were cheered for keeping people safe against rising levels of violence and aggression.
The winners will be announced on 9 December at a special ceremony at the iconic Kia Oval in Kennington, generously sponsored by St George’s Hospital Charity, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity and local businesses.
For further information on the gesh CARE Awards, visit here.
