Carol Vorderman looked sensational as she gave fans a first glimpse at her eco-friendly Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards dress.
The former Countdown presenter, 61, posed for pictures at a fitting where she showed off her impossibly tiny optical-illusion waist.
As she prepares to host the coveted awards for the 24 th time on Monday, alongside Diversity dancer Ashley Banjo, Carol donned her recycled gown for some last-minute alterations.
She will be wearing not one but two of her pre-worn gowns, which have been upcycled – adapted and transformed for the occasion – and originally worn to the ceremony by Carol in 2018 and 2021.
Her stunning dress is made from a dark grey silk and is cut in a bandeau style to show off the fitness-fanatic’s toned arms.
The Isabell Kristenson dress, which is embellished with crystals on the bodice, has been taken in for Carol to wear on stage, having debuted on the red carpet four years ago.
She’ll also wear a stunning red Suzanne Neville gown she wore to present on stage at last year’s awards on the red carpet. The floor-length number has padded shoulders, long sleeves, a V-shaped neckline, and a silver zip down the back.
Carol took to her Instagram to share a look at the recycled grey gorgeous gown. She captioned the snap, explaining the story behind the dress.
The telly favourite wrote: “In the spirit of hand me downs and sustainability… @ashleybanjogram and I are wearing beautiful outfits for this years Pride of Britain which we’ve worn previously.
“Ash is wearing the suit he wore as best man at @jordbanjo wedding earlier this year and I’m wearing a stunning gown which I wore on stage for POB in 2018.
“The dress is a lovely silk and it’s been a great, sustainable process.
“P.S… they’re NOT real gems around the waist…. ha ha,” [sic].
Ahead of her night in the spotlight, Carol told the Mirror how she and the Pride of Britain team are “doing things a little bit differently this year”.
“We’ve been working hard to make the whole event as green as we can.
“As part of that, for my red carpet and on-stage outfits, I’m wearing two dresses that I have worn before, so we’ve upcycled two of the amazing dresses that have been made for me.”
And it’s an idea she is fully behind adding: “I love it, I wouldn’t buy any new clothes if it was up to me.”
Carol said: “At Pride of Britain we always reflect what is going on in Britain as much as we can. Given the cost of living crisis, people have to cut back so it is only right that we recycle these dresses.”
She is not the type of celebrity that only wears a designer outfit for an event and then tosses it aside. Carol who hosted Countdown from 1982 to 2008, admits: “I’m the kind of person who will always wear things more than once. I always have, I do it all the time. People go ‘Where did you get that dress?’ I’m thinking ‘Well, I got it 15 years ago’.”
Carol’s Pride of Britain co-host, Diversity dance troupe leader and choreographer Ashley Banjo, 34, is also recycling a suit he has worn before.
And the whole event will be greener this year with a vegan starter for guests, ensuring all food is locally sourced and the table print will be on recycled paper using eco-friendly ink.
The production equipment will all be hired for the night, and the red carpet will be repurposed so schools can make use of it in the future.
