, returning for his seventh stint as the host of the with , is more appreciative than ever to be involved in the heartwarming event that "It's a proper landmark in the calendar for me now," he shared with "It's humbling and wholesome. You hear so much negativity on social media and in the news, and even though a lot of the stories on Pride of Britain are born from negative situations, we're celebrating the positive. It's a really important thing to be a part of." When he's not lighting up our TV screens, Ashley is a whom he shares with

Despite their split in December 2022, which they revealed had happened a year prior, the former couple, who were and continue to co-parent effectively. "My kids will always come first for me, so whatever that takes, we do. We do the best job we can," he affirms. Ashley, aged 36, is all set for one of the biggest TV nights. When asked about his favourite aspect of his role, he revealed: "Meeting these people is amazing. We get together and have a winners' dinner, where we get to sit with everyone and their families, and get to know their stories. It's like being at the most interesting dinner party in the ."

He spoke of the incredible individuals he comes across: "There are some remarkable people out there. Some of the VTs they make – they look like action movies. There was a guy this year who was saving somebody, swinging on a crane through fire. Crazy! " Additionally, , and praises her expertise: "Carol's great – she's a legend," he shared.

"I always say to people she's not only lovely, but she's super smart as well. She's always made me want to raise my game as a host and she knows everything about everything. She doesn't just know the names of the people and their stories, she'll know the names of their extended family and what they do. She's amazing. I've got a lot of love and respect for her."

Despite his experience, he admits to adding: "Whether it's hosting or a performance, I still get nervous. After all these years and thousands of shows, my belly still goes. If you didn't get nervous, I don't think you'd do as good a job."

The awards, marking their milestone 25th anniversary this year, are known for their emotional impact, often leaving not a single dry eye in the house. Ashley tries to maintain his composure, but confesses that stories involving young children particularly touch him deeply.

"I keep it together because I want to do a good job, but honestly, with the stories about children, especially since I've had kids, they just destroy me," he shares. "I've got a four- and a five-year-old, and some of the kids that are winning awards are the same age as my kids, and it just breaks my heart." This time of year is especially busy for Ashley – it's "crazy hectic", he tells us.

Besides the Pride of Britain Awards, he's also who clinched the title back in 2009. However, his bustling career also means significant periods away from his home and his children, which must be tough.

"Not being able to see them sometimes for a week or two is horrible, but that's also the thing that keeps them safe inadvertently," he muses. "So it's swings and roundabouts. But I miss them."

Ashley candidly shared, "I get dad guilt all the time. But every time I'm away, I remind myself why I'm doing it. I've got a little picture of my son and my daughter, and I keep it in the sun visor of my car. When I'm away, every now and then I'll pull it down to remind myself, because sometimes it's easy to just be like, 'I'll take the day off and go home and see them.' And a lot of the time, I do that. But at the same time, if I don't work hard, then all the nice things they have, they won't have any more."

He mentions staying in touch through FaceTime and says, "My daughter has just discovered that you can send voice notes and messages from an iPad. So I get bombarded all the time – it's adorable. And then she'll call me from the house phone to make sure I reply! " About his children visiting him at work, he adds, "Sometimes they're not interested and sometimes they are, it just depends," and emphasises, "I definitely don't force my world onto them in terms of performing and coming to shows. I'm a performer to so many people, but to them I'm Dad, first and foremost. They love it but they're not massive fans of getting on stage yet."

He opened up about his family life and career aspirations too. He shared insights into his children's personalities, noting, "My son is more like me, he's way more introverted than my daughter. My daughter is shy, but when she gets going, oh my God, she loves it. She's in the crowd and she's getting involved." He also revealed that while his kids might think he's a cool dad, they're not afraid to keep him grounded.

"They must do sometimes, but I still get the forehead slaps from them," he chuckled. "Sometimes I'll say something and my little girl will just go [does action of slapping his forehead]."

Despite having achieved great success with Diversity for 15 years and on television, Ashley has big dreams for the future.

"Right now, the kids take priority, but at the same time, there's loads I want to do. I've always wanted to write a movie and do some things for the big screen. I've also always wanted to create a show for the West End and create my own hip-hop theatre type production. 'm not slowing down any time soon!"]