Paul O'Grady's Little Heroes Series Two returns to ITV1

Series 1 aired on ITV in 2018 and returned a year later for Series 2, with Paul again opening GOSH’s doors to millions of people.

In both series, Paul’s warmth and kindness shone through television screens as he learnt the unique stories of GOSH patients.

If you missed the show last time or want to have a re-watch, ITV1 will be re-airing Series 2 this summer. It will be shown every Tuesday, 8–8.30pm, from 27 June to 1 August 2023.

Each 30-minute episode focuses on two to three children at GOSH. It offers a glimpse into their unique hospital journey, showcasing a range of specialties.

We see Paul visit multiple wards to tell the stories of children living with rare and complex conditions. He shines a light on their personalities, characters, and the medical conditions they are treated for.

We also see Paul meet doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals at GOSH, as well as non-clinical teams – such as catering staff and porters. Paul shows the breadth of work that goes into supporting children and families at the hospital.

Daniel, Rue and Conor are just three of many patients who appear in Series 2. Below, we introduce them and update you on how they’re doing today.

In Episode 1 we meet Daniel.

At the time of filming Daniel was five years old and had arrived at GOSH with joint pain. At GOSH, our specialist teams diagnosed him with a rare form of juvenile arthritis.

During the episode Paul learns about the work of Play Specialist Alanna, who helps lower Daniel’s anxiety around needles.

Daniel’s mum, Rosemary, hoped the show would raise awareness of her son’s condition.

Now nine years old, Daniel and his family have learnt how to live with the uncertainty of a chronic condition and are optimistic for the future.

“Daniel has gone from strength to strength and has made such a good recovery,” Rosemary says. “He still has yearly check-ups at GOSH, but he no longer must take medication to manage his condition.

“Daniel had a journey overcoming some anxiety around his health over the years since leaving GOSH, but he has allowed himself to take risks and be brave, which has given him his childhood back.

“We are so very proud of him and his positive attitude. He even wants to become a doctor when he is older and has been reading lots of detailed books about medicine and science! Our experience at GOSH is always so positive and Daniel’s consultant Dr Al-Obaidi is so kind, reassuring and thorough.”

Fast-forward to Episode 5 and we meet Rue, then 17 years old and treated at GOSH for a rare autoimmune condition called neuromyelitis optica. 

It mainly affects the optic nerves and spinal cord, and for Rue has caused vision problems and sight loss.

We see Rue meeting Paula, an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, who helps her with practical tasks such as applying makeup and making hot drinks.

Today Rue is doing well and is studying business marketing at university.

“She has good days and bad days where she is very fatigued,” her mum, Martha, tells us.

“She is a very strong young lady now; she makes me proud each day.”

In the final episode of the series Paul meets 14-year-old Conor, who has an aggressive cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

He’s at GOSH for a bone marrow transplant and, due to being immunosuppressed, must remain in isolation for weeks.

Thankfully, despite some complications, the transplant was successful.

Conor is now in his late teens and began his transition to adult services last January. The process kickstarted with Conor attending a joint clinic with his GOSH team and the team at his new hospital.

At the time of switching hospitals, Conor told us he was “reluctant to leave” GOSH as it was “the place [he’d] known [his] whole life”.

“I enjoyed time in hospital, chatting with the nurses,” he said. “At nights, if I was up and couldn’t sleep, one of them would play Uno with me.”

Every day, about 750 seriously ill children and young people from across the UK are seen at GOSH.

You can discover just some of their stories by watching Paul O'Grady's Little Heroes.

To give seriously ill children the best chance to fulfil their potential, GOSH has always depended on supporters like you.

Help change the lives of children and families at GOSH by donating today.