Knighthoods in the New Year Honours have been granted to former England manager Gareth Southgate, London mayor Sadiq Khan, and actor Stephen Fry. Team GB athletes, including gold medal-winning runner Keely Hodgkinson, author Jacqueline Wilson, and television presenter Alan Titchmarsh, have also been honored.
Notably, honours have been bestowed upon some of the wrongfully convicted sub-postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal.
Sir Gareth, recognized for his services to association football, led the England team to the finals of the Euros in 2020 and 2024, as well as the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. Despite not winning any tournaments during his tenure, he stepped down following England’s 2-1 final defeat to Spain in July.
His knighthood parallels that of Sir Bobby Robson, the previous England manager to reach the World Cup semis. Southgate, aged 54, has chosen not to comment on the honour.
Sir Stephen, renowned for his roles in Blackadder and hosting QI, has been acknowledged for his efforts in mental health awareness, environmental advocacy, and charitable works.
He has served as president of mental health charity Mind since 2011 and supports the conservation group Fauna and Flora International.
Stephen Fry has been knighted for services to mental health awareness, the environment and charity
Upon receiving the knighthood, he expressed feeling “startled and enchanted,” adding: “When you are recognized, it surely surprises you, but the most moving part is reflecting on my troubled childhood and the journey that led to many childhood failures.”
“Considering my parents’ perspective, it was quite a disaster. Every time the phone rang, they feared, ‘Oh no, what has Stephen done now’. It was almost a running joke in the family.”
London mayor Sir Sadiq has been honored for his political and public service during his tenure since 2016.
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London mayor Sadiq Khan said he was ‘humbled’. Pic: PA
Expressing his humility at receiving the knighthood, he remarked: “Growing up on a council estate in south London, I could never have imagined becoming the mayor of London.”
“Serving the city I cherish has been the greatest honor of my life, and I remain committed to creating a fairer, safer, greener, and more prosperous London that all communities deserve,” he added.
A petition to revoke Sir Sadiq’s knighthood, initiated by Conservative London councillor Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, garnered over 200,000 signatures recently.
Renowned author Jacqueline Wilson, creator of the Tracy Beaker series, has been appointed a Dame Grand Cross (GBE) for her contributions to literature.
Jacqueline Wilson has been made a dame. Pic: PA
Actress Carey Mulligan and television presenter Alan Titchmarsh have been appointed Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Prize-winning novelist Sir Kazuo Ishiguro is named a Companion of Honour for his literary contributions, actor Eddie Marsan receives an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and Myleene Klass becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
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A host of athletes from the Paris Olympics, where Team GB secured 65 medals, and the Paralympics, where Team ParalympicsGB claimed 49 gold medals, have also been honored.
Making headlines is 22-year-old Keely Hodgkinson, earning an MBE for her 800m gold victory at the Olympics, setting a new British record and becoming the sixth fastest woman at that distance in history.
Tom Pidcock, a two-time Olympic champion at 25, receives an OBE for mountain biking gold, while Paralympian Hannah Cockroft is elevated to CBE for her wins in T34 100m and 800m.
Tom Pidcock crosses the line to win gold during the men’s cross-country mountain biking. Pic: PA
Other celebrated Olympians include swimmer Duncan Scott (OBE), sailor Ellie Aldridge (MBE), and rowers Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott, Lauren Henry, and Georgie Brayshaw (all MBEs).
Former F1 driver and broadcaster Martin Brundle receives an OBE, and former Scotland and Liverpool footballer-turned-BBC pundit Alan Hansen is granted an MBE.
Four victims of the Horizon IT scandal, Lee Castleton, Jo Hamilton, Christopher Head, and Seema Misra, have been appointed OBEs for their contributions to justice.
Political figures honored include Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who becomes a dame, and former West Midlands mayor Andy Street, who has been knighted.
Labour MP Emily Thornberry
World War Two Mosquito pilot Colin Bell, aged 103, is the oldest person on the list, receiving a British Empire Medal (BEM) for charitable efforts. The youngest honorees are 18-year-olds Mikayla Beames, recognized with a BEM for her cancer support fundraising, and para-swimmer William Ellard, made an MBE after his gold win in the S14 200m freestyle at the Paris Paralympics.
Over 1,200 individuals from across the UK have been honored in this latest list.