Tom Daley to help honour LGBT icons as host of The Virgin Holidays Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar

The sixth annual Virgin Holidays Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar, will return this Thursday (October 12) – with Tom Daley set to host the event at Camden’s Roundhouse. This year’s awards will be the biggest and best yet, fulfilling an extraordinary legacy of acknowledging the great, the gay and the good in a fashion that befits the world’s leading gay media lifestyle brand. The awards will be hosted, at Camden’s Roundhouse on October 12, by the recently-married, Olympic medalist Tom Daley, who has previously won two Attitude Awards, one personally and one as part of Team GB. Tom is no stranger to presenting on the small screen, but this time he’ll be fully clothed and live on stage. A donation in lieu of Tom’s fee will be made to the LGBT+ charity Switchboard. “I know just how good it feels to be acknowledged by your peers and within the wider LGBT+ community,” Tom says. “It’s not so much validation as celebration, and so I was keen to be part of that process and part of an event that has such a profile, does so much good and sends such a powerful message. I can’t wait!” The whole event will be streamed live on Facebook for the benefit of Attitude’s social media audience that exceeds one million people. You can also catch live updates throughout the night on attitude.co.uk. The Virgin Holidays Attitude Awards 2017, powered by Jaguar, will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation, a charity for which Attitude and its sister title, Winq, have raised close to £300,000 in just five years. Virgin Holidays returns as headline sponsor, a position the UK’s biggest and most dynamic tour operator has enjoyed since the event’s inception in 2012, joined for 2017 by Jaguar, another returning partner. Darren Styles, Attitude’s publisher and managing director, says:  “Since launch, the Attitude Awards has established itself as the blue riband British LGBT+ awards event, with everyone from Cher and Sir Ian McKellen to Boy George and Yoko Ono attending to collect awards. “Presenters have included the likes of the late, great Carrie Fisher, David Furnish and Naomi Campbell while brilliant acts to have performed live range from Paloma Faith to Adam Lambert. It is spectacular. “The continued support of our friends at Virgin Holidays and, latterly, Jaguar, allows us to put on this incredible show and deliver a bumper Attitude Awards issue of Europe’s best-selling, award-winning magazine. “We send the message loud and clear: whether you are a 16-year-old kid in the Welsh valleys yet to come out or a 73-year-old singing superstar from Palm Springs who just has, there are no limits to being the best that you can be.” Joe Thompson, the managing director of sponsor Virgin Holidays, comments: “We are delighted to have been part of the incredible success story that has been the Attitude Awards and to have played such a key role in its founding and development. “At Virgin Holidays, we believe everyone can take on the world and work hard to make travel accessible and enjoyable for everyone; regardless of sexuality. We’re standing behind that commitment and are pleased to confirm our headline support will continue into 2018.” Scott Dicken, the marketing director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, adds: “Our Attitude Awards experience as car partner last year convinced us – since diversity goes to the heart of our business – that a position as the solus co-sponsor alongside Virgin Holidays was the way forward for the Jaguar brand. “We are excited to be aboard and to help shape not only a brilliant event but its position at the heart of the LGBT+ community it serves.” The Virgin Holidays Attitude Awards 2017, powered by Jaguar, takes place art Camden’s Roundhouse on Thursday 12 October.