Quality Street announced its inaugural British Icon Awards to celebrate six superstar personalities who have captivated the UK this year and achieved viral status through their sparkling escapades and entertaining content.
The six standout stars were selected based on their viral moments throughout 2025, spreading joy across the nation through comedy, iconic TV appearances and totally random, sometimes heart-warming entertainment.
The recipients of the Quality Street British Icon awards are: Bus Aunty Bemi Orojuogun, Voice of the Jet2 Holiday advert Zoe Lister, Linda Rands Series Three of The Traitors UK, The United Strand Frank Ilett, The Farrier (Hoof Guy) Sam Wolfenden, and Chip Shop Diva Destiny Harold.
The Quality Street ‘Street of Fame’ has been unveiled at London’s Battersea Power Station in a glittering ceremony to honour the true icons of the year. Recipients of the award, Bemi Orojuogun “Bus Aunty” and Linda Rands from series three of The Traitors walked the purple carpet this morning. Cementing their status in 2025 virality, their octagonal plaques, which pay homage to the iconic Christmas brand, were revealed to the public.
Backed by new research, Quality Street found a seismic shift in who truly captures the attention of the younger generation. Almost 3 in 10 (29%) Brits think social media personalities are more iconic than traditional celebrities. The study also found that 37% of Brits think viral social moments have the biggest cultural influence in Britain today, a figure that rises to over half (53%) among Gen Z.
But it’s not just those under 30 that that have been impressed by these stars, as those aged 45-60 (Gen X) admit to spending 50 minutes a day on average scrolling through viral videos across TikTok and Instagram.
Rachael Mundy, Marketing Manager, Quality Street, Nestlé UK & Ireland commented: “Quality Street is and has always been about bringing joy to people and celebrating those special shared moments. This year, those moments are increasingly happening online.
“Our research clearly shows that the new generation of British icons aren’t just on our screens; they’re the people who make us laugh, cheer, and connect through viral moments. The Quality Street British Icon Awards and our sparkling ‘Street of Fame’ are our way of giving these brilliant, everyday personalities the recognition they deserve – turning fleeting viral fame into lasting glory. Just like everyone has their favourite Quality Street, everyone has their favourite viral moment.”
Linda Rands from hit show, The Traitors, and Quality Street British Icon Award 2025 recipient said: “I’m honoured to have been awarded a Quality Street British icon award. Creating content is something I never set out to do, but going viral has changed my life for the better, creating so many new and exciting opportunities. It’s been a lot of fun over the past few weeks meeting the other recipients, and I’m delighted to be at the official unveiling today to see my purple plaque in all its glory!”
For the fourth-year running, Quality Street has been named the brand that ‘Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without’. As well as celebrating this festive accolade, Quality Street is delighted to recognise this glittering line-up of stars that have brought joy and sparkle to the nation in 2025. Each winner has been awarded their own plaque to proudly display in their hometowns across the country.
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