New Year Honours for sporting legends and soap icons

The Government have revealed the New Year Honours List 2022 with once more the worthy and not so worthy bestowed gongs.

Following a summer of sport for the UK, the New Year Honours List 2022 has gonged several sporting names. As well as community figures who are local heroes and those who have the best interests of the environment at heart.

78 Olympians and Paralympians have been honoured for their services to sport. Adam Peaty and Tom Daley receive OBEs for raising awareness of mental health and LGBT issues respectively as well as their gold medal-winning achievements at Tokyo 2020.

Married Olympians Laura and Jason Kenny receive a damehood and knighthood in the same honours list, for services to cycling.

There is also an OBE for Hannah Mills for sailing and her continued campaigning on marine pollution and athlete Hannah Cockroft. Other Olympians and Paralympians being honoured include a CBE for cyclist Jody Cundy, OBE for sprinter and cyclist Kadeena Cox, and MBEs for boxer Lauren Price, diver Matty Lee and BMX racer Bethany Shriever.

Outside of accolades for Tokyo 2020, Emma Radacanu receives an MBE following her incredible US Open win and Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes receives an OBE for her work promoting women’s football. Sheila Parker, the first captain of the England Women Football Team, is given an MBE for services to football and charity. There is also an OBE for 6 time World Championship winning superbike racer Jonathan Rea.

Damehoods are given to actresses Joanna Lumley and Vanessa Redgrave for their services to drama, entertainment and charity. Receiving OBEs are veteran soap stars June Brown and William Roache, alongside actress Cherylee Houstin who receives an MBE for services to drama and to people with disabilities. Former BBC Newsreader Moira Stuart is to be made a CBE.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

These recipients have inspired and entertained us and given so much to their communities in the UK or in many cases around the world. The honours are an opportunity for us to thank them, as a country, for their dedication and outstanding contribution.