Bradley Riches is an actor, author, and autism advocate who has inspired many people through his honesty and positivity about being autistic. After first becoming widely loved on Celebrity Big Brother, where he openly shared his autism journey and formed wonderful friendships in the house, Bradley has continued to achieve great success, including starring as Lewis in Emmerdale.
Bradley was non-verbal until the age of 10 and has spoken proudly about the support of his loving family throughout his journey. He is also the author of Autistically Me, launching in June 2026, and is admired for using his platform to encourage understanding, acceptance, and celebration of differences.

Having first joined the Autism Hero Awards 2025 as a judge and award presenter, Bradley is now proudly welcomed as a Charity Patron for Anna Kennedy Online (AKO). He will also join the celebrations for the 15th year of Autism’s Got Talents in October 2026. Alongside his advocacy work, Bradley enjoys dance and sharing fun TikTok videos with his followers.

Anna Kennedy and the AKO family are delighted to welcome Bradley Riches as part of the AKO family and thank him for being such a positive voice for autism. 💜

Dancer James Hobley, a previous finalist in Britain’s Got Talent, became our first Young Patron for Anna Kennedy Online. James won a place at the prestigious English National Ballet School.

James began his dance journey after earning a scholarship at The Hammond School, a specialist musical theatre and dance school in Chester.

Jo Luck joined Anna Kennedy Online as a Patron in June 2013. Jo shared her story of growing up without a diagnosis, facing bullying and isolation, and discovering the power of understanding her unique perspective.

Jo has dedicated her time to raising awareness about Autism, promoting inclusion, and sharing her experiences to empower others.

Click here to read the full story.

Kacey Ainsworth has been working in entertainment industry since 1978. She is a multi awarding winning actress who came into prominence for her portrayal of Little Mo in Eastenders.

Since then she has starred in lots of TV shows including Holly Blue, Call the Midwife and most recently as a very evil witch in CBBC’s The Worst Witch.

After several members of her family were diagnosed with Autism, she decided to get actively involved in raising awareness of autistic spectrum disorders and promoting inclusion for those on the spectrum.

Our Patron Lauren has Aspergers. Her love of music and drama has always given her an outlet, and she thrives on the excitement of performing, whether it’s playing guitar or the many shows that she’s appeared in.

In 2016 Lauren received the Diana Award for her volunteering and ambassadorship through Anna Kennedy Online.

Lauren creates video captions for Charity events and looks after the Charity’s YouTube Channel: Click here for more details.

Samantha Lee Howe is the writer of over 30 novels and several story collections. She is the author of the USA Today bestselling novel The Stranger In Our Bed, which she adapted for screen and has won multiple awards including Best Thriller for the National Film Awards.

Samantha’s latest novel, the first in a post-war mystery series, A Thorn in the Rose, will be published in February 2026 by Bedford Square.

An ardent supporter of charities, Samantha has been a regular judge for Anna Kennedy Online’s Autism Hero Awards for the past few years and supports the charity’s very popular talent show, Autism’s Got Talent.

For more information, visit samanthaleehowe.co.uk.

Author of 2 books and a third on the way, I’m a 10-year freelance writer, corporate & show-biz PR professional, and popular radio voice.

Pulling together special events is my forte. I’ve worked on great successes, including KPMG’s Women in Business and the Refuge Glamour Ball.

In addition to my own hair and beauty column in The Sun newspaper, I was a regular on the Lorraine Kelly’s GMTV show, during which I transformed Lorraine into movie legend Elizabeth Taylor.

English actress, radio presenter, businesswoman, film producer and former model, best known for her role as Yvette Carte-Blanche in the BBC comedy series ‘Allo ‘Allo.

Vicki has supported the charity for a number of years, attending Autism’s Got Talent, judging the Hero Awards, and supporting the Autism Art Exhibition, including purchasing an artwork.