Actor and campaigner Idris Elba has been knighted, while Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, Matt Lucas, Richard Osman and England’s victorious women’s football and rugby teams also pick up awards.
Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean and England’s victorious women’s football and rugby teams are among the big names in the New Year Honours List.
Luther star and anti-knife campaigner Sir Idris receives a knighthood, while the Wicked actress and singer gets an MBE for services to music and drama. The ice skating legends become Dame Jayne and Sir Chris, while actress and author Meera Syal gets a damehood.
Lionesses Leah Williamson, Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toon were all included on the list. Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – who guided England to glory in this year’s Euros – has been awarded an honorary damehood.
Dame Jayne Torvill & Sir Christopher Dean
Other well-known figures to get awards include Chuckle Brother Paul Elliott, comic Matt Lucas, Richard Osman, Bill Bailey and broadcaster Gabby Logan. Paula Radcliffe becomes an MBE on the long-anticipated list.
A total of 1,157 people have been recognised in the New Year Honours list. Of these, 317 people have been given a British Empire Medal (BEM), along with 487 MBEs and 224 OBEs.
For the first time since 2020, 50% of recipients at CBE level and above are women. Of the successful candidates, 10% are from ethnic minority backgrounds, 5% identify as LGBTQ+, and 15% declared a disability or long -term health condition.
The oldest recipient is John Hearn, 102, who is awarded a BEM for services to Judo and to the community in the North East. Toby Roberts, 20, is the youngest person honoured, receiving an MBE. He was the first ever British Olympic Gold Medal winning sport climber at the 2024 Olympics.
Sir Idris, 53, said: “I receive this honour on behalf of the many young people whose talent, ambition and resilience has driven the work of the Elba Hope Foundation.
“I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence.” Dame Jayne, 68, said the timing of the honours seemed “perfect” after the pair danced on the ice for the last time this year.
She said: “We had such a great time, we were so happy with the tour and the fact that we got through it.”It was a big thing for us to mark our career before retirement, and then receiving this award at the end of the year, it’s just finished everything. It’s perfect.”
