Elizabeth Hurley led the star-studded arrivals at this year’s Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, celebrating trailblazers and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
Held at Camden’s Roundhouse on Wednesday, the 14th annual ceremony drew a host of famous faces — including Dannii Minogue, Katherine Jenkins, and Russell Tovey — for one of the industry’s most vibrant nights.
Hurley, 60, turned heads in a plunging purple gown as she arrived with her son Damian, before being honoured with the coveted Honorary Gay Award for her long-standing allyship.
Taking to the stage to accept her award from presenter Anna Richardson, the actress and model said: “Thank you very much indeed – this is so fetching. It’s such a huge honour, and I would like to dedicate this beautiful award to all my beautiful gay friends, because you have quite simply made my life better.”
She continued: “You have stuck by me through thick and thin, and even when I’ve been at my absolute lowest ebb, it has always been you who’ve come in like the cavalry and stood by my side.
“So my heartfelt thanks to all my personal friends and to everybody in this community – you’ve always had my back, and I promise you I’m always going to have yours.”
The Austin Powers and Bedazzled star has long been celebrated as a pop culture icon and LGBTQ+ ally, from her defining 1990s Versace safety pin dress to her enduring advocacy work and screen presence.
Other winners on the night included Dannii Minogue, who accepted the Ally Award, wearing a sweeping pink gown.
“I just want you to know that in return, I have always, in your presence, felt safe, felt seen and been celebrated,” she said.
Russell Tovey, named Man of the Year, delivered a powerful speech after being presented the award by writer and producer Russell T Davies.
He called for unity within the community, urging the audience to “look around and say, ‘I got you, I’m here for you, and we’ve got this,’” while warning of “catastrophically damaging and hostile government rhetoric”.
Reflecting on the queer pioneers who paved the way, Tovey said: “As a community, we carry their trauma – and we should. They did the hard work so that maybe we didn’t have to. But that’s changing, because now we do have to. More than ever.”
He ended with a warning about the rise of Reform UK, calling on the community to “ring-fence and water-tight” its rights.
“It’s our time now,” he said. “Because if not us, then who?”
The evening, hosted by Jamie Laing and Mika, featured performances from Scissor Sisters, Pam Ann, and Calum Scott, alongside appearances from Edward Enninful and Denise Welch, fresh from Charli XCX’s recent wedding celebrations.
Calling it the best party she’s been to all year, Welch told The Standard: “It was just the most wonderful time and completely unpretentious.”
Reflecting on her viral Instagram post from the wedding, which was a slew of selfies with the celeb guests, she added: “It was quite exciting for me to post pictures of lovely people that I’d met at the barbeque turn out to be Troye Sivan - and y’know all these really cool people I didn’t know at the time until my Instagram blew up.”
She concluded: “It was testament to Charli and George just how lovely and relaxed it was. It was great — I’m very happy for them.”
Meanwhile, Russell T Davies offered a glimpse into his next project, Tip Toe, revealing they’re just four weeks into filming but already “very excited” about what’s to come ahead of its 2026 release.
The series stars Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as Leo and Clive, neighbours who’ve lived side by side in Manchester for nearly 15 years. Just as life begins to settle, the world around them grows increasingly tense.
“I’m more excited by this than anything else in a long while — it’s really good,” he told The Standard on the carpet. “It’s very funny, very savage too, a really tough piece of work, because the world is getting tough, and it’s about that… the pit we’re all sliding into.”
Other honourees included Luke Evans, Campbell Addy, Gok Wan, Tom Allen, Dominic Skinner and Tiara Skye, while the Williams family accepted the Inspiration Award on behalf of late drag icon The Vivienne.
