Famous faces have teamed up with the East of England Ambulance Service to show their appreciation to its hard-working staff.

Celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Griff Rhys Jones and Jake Humphrey have recorded video messages thanking crews, control room colleagues and support staff for their dedication during the coronavirus pandemic so far.

The messages are being shared with staff this week.

At the same time, the service will be revisiting some of its past "hidden gem" staff award winners and publishing some of the praise its teams have received on social media.

In his message, Stephen Fry said: “I want to thank EEAST for the extraordinary work they have done over the past year.

"It has made such a difference to so many people.

“To all of the people backstage and front stage, as we say in theatre, who have done so much to help with such sacrifice and such uncomplaining brilliance – thank you.”

TV presenter Jake Humphrey said: “When we get told to stay at home for our own safety, you can’t do that.

"When we move away from danger, you guys go towards it and we have never seen that more than now with the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are hugely grateful for the hard work, dedication, care and love you give to every single patient you look after.”

Griff Rhys Jones's message is set to be released later this week.

Dr Tom Davis, the service’s interim chief executive, said: “The past 12 months have been challenging for everyone – not least our hardworking NHS staff.

“That is why we are dedicating this week to saying thank you to our staff and volunteers for the commitment they show to our patients every single day.

“The week will give managers the chance to recognise and acknowledge the efforts of their teams and thank them for the continued commitment.”

“We will also be using the event to remind our staff of our trust’s values of care, teamwork, quality, respect and honesty, which are at the heart of everything we do.

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“We hope that the week will be a real celebration for our staff and volunteers which will give them a much-needed boost during what has been the most challenging period in any of our careers.”

Anyone who wants to post their own message of thanks to the ambulance service can use the hashtag #ThanksTeamEEAST.