Adam Kay to host BBC One special Dear NHS Superstars
- Adam Kay is to host the TV special Dear NHS Superstars, coming soon to BBC One
- The former doctor says the show will be "a joyous celebration of our greatest achievement as a nation"
- Lenny Henry, Rosie Jones and Amanda Holden are amongst the celebrities paying tribute to the NHS
Comedian and writer Adam Kay is to host Dear NHS Superstars, a one-off show for BBC One in which celebrities show their appreciation for healthcare workers.
The BBC confirms: "Dear NHS Superstars will see some of the country's favourite faces celebrate and pay tribute to the amazing healthcare professionals working in the NHS - from porters to surgeons and from cleaners to physiotherapists.
"From the heartfelt to the hilarious, each celebrity will share stories of personal interactions they've had throughout the years with NHS workers. The stars will speak candidly as they show their admiration, respect and thanks to those incredible doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers they and their loved ones have encountered in their lives."
Sir Lenny Henry, Shirley Ballas, Adrian Lester, Rosie Jones, AJ and Curtis Pritchard, Beverley Knight and Amanda Holden are the first to be confirmed as taking part.
Kay told his stories of working as a junior doctor in This Is Going To Hurt: Secret Diaries Of A Junior Doctor, his best-selling book first published in 2017. He's now set to publish Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You this July, which the BBC confirms has also inspired this hour-long TV special.
Commissioner Kate Phillips says: "I am delighted to bring this show to the viewers and hear these amazing stories."
Adam Kay comments: "I'm thrilled to be (the least famous) part of Dear NHS Superstars. It's a joyous celebration of our greatest achievement as a nation, a huge and heartfelt thank you to the 1.5 million people we all owe our lives to, and a harrowing demonstration of what closing hairdressers for three months does to the hair of celebrities."
Lynn Sutcliffe from production company Mighty Scotland adds: "It has been a privilege to bring together these remarkable stories, especially at a time when NHS workers are so cherished by the whole nation. We hope people will find this programme as moving and inspiring to watch as it has been for us to make."
Dear NHS Superstars will be shown soon. An exact transmission date will be announced in due course.