Yahoo News EastEnders cast get emotional presenting Pride of Britain winner
The cast of EastEnders presented an award at tonight's (November 4) Pride of Britain Awards.
One of the BBC soap's stars, Diane Parish (Denise Fox), teared up when saluting Liverpudlian mum Gee Walker, winner of this year's Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award.
Walker is behind the Anthony Walker Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the memory of her 18-year-old son Anthony, killed in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack in 2005.
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"Your capacity to take pain and turn that pain into hope and action is an inspiration for every single one of us," Parish told Walker.
"It doesn't matter what colour, creed, gender we are, you are an inspiration. All I can do is salute you, thank you Gee."
Parish was joined on stage by her co-stars Danny Dyer (Mick Carter) and Rudolph Walker (Patrick Trueman).
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Launched in 2006, the Anthony Walker Foundation aims to combat racism and offers a space for people to feel safe after experiencing racial abuse.
The organisation is currently working with young people through educational outreach programmes in schools. It also supports those who have been victims of hate crimes — 10,000 in the last five years alone
"Standing up there, I didn't realise the enormity of it, the positive that has come out of this evil," Walker said while on stage.
"Grief can consume you and control you, and I thank God that he has given me the strength to not allow it to control me," she added.
"Together all we can do is try to make a change and do good."
EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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