BBC Sports Personality gong show to posthumously celebrate Bradley Lowery
One to Watch: The Beeb’s annual sports celebration will honour the late Sunderland FC fan who died earlier this year aged six.
Bradley Lowery’s parents will be presented with the Helen Rollason award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017 in recognition of their son’s brave battle with rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma, which he sadly lost in July of this year, aged six.
The award recognises outstanding achievement in the face of adversity and will be presented to Bradley’s parents on stage at the live show later this evening.
Born in 2011, Bradley was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer at just 18 months old, but it never stopped him from bringing joy to those around him and to his community. He became a firm fans’ favourite at his favourite team, Sunderland, where he formed a great friendship and bond with their star striker Jermain Defoe.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds was raised in aid of Bradley’s fight and a foundation in his memory now helps treat children with similar conditions, a true testament to the impact he had in just six short years.
The Helen Rollason award was introduced in 1999 in memory of BBC Sport journalist and presenter Helen Rollason MBE who lost her battle with cancer in that year, aged 43. Previous winners of the award include Sir Frank Williams, Jane Tomlinson and last year’s recipient, charity marathon runner Ben Smith.
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Elsewhere during the programme another fantastic and memorable year of sports will be celebrated in style as Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan preside over the gong show.
In front of a 10,000 strong crowd at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, the world’s most iconic sports awards show will look back on all the magical moments of the past 12 months as well as reward some of the year’s standout achievers. The main Sports Personality Of The Year award – now in its 64th year – will be decided by a public vote on the night, and there are many contenders who can win it.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year airs tonight at 6.45 on BBC One.
