Olly Murs, Beverley Knight, Gaby Roslin and Louisa Johnson support the Children with Cancer UK annual fundraising Gala

Olly Murs, Beverley Knight, Joely Richardson and Paula Radcliffe supported the star-studded event, hosted by one of the country’s most popular presenters Gaby Roslin.

The Gala opened with a poignant performance from the Children with Cancer UK choir, made up of children whose lives have been affected by cancer; some currently in treatment, some in remission, and some being supportive siblings who’ve seen first hand how cancer impacts a whole family. The choir was led by 2015 winner of the X-Factor Louisa Johnson, who brought added magic to the unmissable moment as they sang You Will Be Found from the hit Broadway and West End musical Dear Evan Hansen, supported by the Anglia Ruskin University choir.

Items were generously gifted for the live auction part of the night, all to raise vital funds to support the charity’s missions: to see a world where every child survives cancer. With thanks to former England rugby star and auctioneer Martin Bayfield, the night saw bids aplenty for exclusive items, such as a 1975 Andy Warhol original artwork from the Ladies and Gentlemen series, signed by the artist and the opportunity to experience The World Athletics Diamond League Live in Monaco for four people, including a four night stay and VIP hospitality.

Headline act Olly Murs provided entertainment for the evening. With 5 chart-topping albums, over 2million tour tickets sold, 7.6m monthly Spotify listeners, he treated guests to some of his top hits including Troublemaker, Hearts Skips a Beat and Dance With Me Tonight. The evening also saw a special guest appearance from West End sensation Beverley Knight who sang Greatest Day, Get Up and Shoulda Woulda Coulda. Also in attendance were Children with Cancer UK ambassadors Made in Chelsea stars Ollie and Gareth Locke, Sporting legend and women’s world record marathon holder Paula Radcliffe, and award-winning actress Joely Richardson.

Guests also heard an important message from one of the patient families on how nights like these truly make a difference. In loving memory of Neive Louvaine Warwick, who died on 24 October 2023 to Rhabdomyosarcoma at just six years old, her mother Sarah Warwick shared his message of thanks to all those in attendance:

Thank you to everyone for coming tonight and supporting Children with Cancer UK. It means such a lot to me and many other families going through an unimaginable cancer diagnosis with their child. We fundraise to advance research into finding better, less harsh treatment options to improve quality of life and prognosis for children and their families. Neive devastatingly ran out of treatment options with little to no chance of recovery and for her and many others survival rates at the point of relapse are significantly reduced. Can you imagine being told your child will lose their life because there are no more options left? That was my reality and many other parents will hear those words today. Through research we can help fund projects to better understand these tumours, find more targeted successful treatments and understand the makeup and characteristics of childhood tumours. We hope one day we’ll be able to find a cure and for our precious children to have a chance at life but for that to be possible we need support from you.

Amar Naher, CEO of Children with Cancer UK said:

We are thrilled to be hosting our annual Fundraising Gala this year at the beautiful Peninsula Hotel in London. We are so grateful for all the support shown tonight as we couldn’t do it without everyone involved, including our amazing event partner Market Financial Solutions. Whilst our Gala is a star-studded night of top-class entertainment and celebration, it’s also an important opportunity for us to raise awareness of the reality of cancer for children and young people. Every pound raised from the evening will make a huge difference. From helping to support families in the toughest of times, through to funding vital specialist research, we are providing hope for a future where every child and young person survives cancer.

Notes to Editors:

Children with Cancer UK is the leading children and young people’s cancer charity in the UK. Our vision is for every child and young person to survive cancer. We are working to improve survival rates and the long-term quality of life for those that do, we are also striving to find ways to prevent cancer in the future. We are dedicated to raising and investing funds into vital research that helps us understand childhood cancers and improves treatments. We support families as they navigate treatment and life beyond cancer. What began as a small memorial charity in 1988, has evolved into the leading charity for children and young people affected by cancer, raising more than £300 million and investing in over 300 pioneering research projects.

Press Enquiries:

For all press enquiries, please email media@childrenwithcancer.org.uk or call 0800 222 9000 and ask for the media team.