Idris Elba and England’s victorious women’s football and rugby teams lead the new year honours list as more than 1,100 people are recognised this year.
Elba, known for his roles in The Wire and Luther, will become Sir Idris after being honoured for services to young people, while the Lionesses’ Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman is awarded an honorary damehood after twice leading England to victory in the Euros.
England Women’s captain Leah Williamson has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), while Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone have each been recognised as Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
The stars are among 1,157 recipients of new year honours who come from every part of the UK, from champions of sports and the arts to foster carers, health workers and supporters of young people. The Cabinet Office said there is a particular focus this year on those who have gone above and beyond for their communities, reflecting the values of “decency, compassion and a belief in the common good”.
Ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, presenter and author Richard Osman, marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, singer Ellie Goulding, former chief executive of NHS England Amanda Pritchard, a D-Day veteran, and a woman thought to be the oldest victim of the Horizon IT scandal are among others to be recognised.
Sir Idris, 53, who founded the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports community empowerment, education, youth advocacy and sustainable development, 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.”
Meanwhile Wiegman, who has won the Euros twice with England and once with the Netherlands, said: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this honour. When I first arrived in England, I could never have imagined the respect and warmth I’ve experienced from the English people. I deeply thank the fans for their support.”
Members of England Women’s Rugby World Cup-winning squad are also strongly represented, with Marlie Packer and Zoe Aldcroft each becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), along with coach John Mitchell. Teammates Ellie Kildunne, Sadia Kabeya, and Megan Jones were made MBEs after the Red Roses defeated Canada in the final in September.
Mitchell said: “I am incredibly honoured to receive this recognition, but I want to be clear that it reflects the work of the Red Roses World Cup-winning squad and the outstanding staff around them.”
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “This year’s honours list celebrates the very best of Britain – people who put the common good ahead of themselves to strengthen communities and change lives. Their quiet dedication speaks to the decent, compassionate country we are proud to be. On behalf of the whole nation, thank you – and congratulations to everyone recognised today.”
Dame Jayne and Sir Christopher, who took home the Olympic gold at the 1984 Winter Games and saw success at the World, European and British Championships, received their respective damehood and knighthood for services to ice skating and voluntary service.
The pair, who became the faces of the celebrity competition show Dancing on Ice, said the honour is “wonderful and humbling at the same time”.
They join other stars who rose to fame in notable partnerships, such as Paul Elliott, one half of the Chuckle Brothers, who was made an MBE, and Matt Lucas, half of the comedic duo behind Little Britain (the other half being David Walliams), who became an OBE.
Elsewhere, Osman, who writes the Thursday Murder Club book series; Radcliffe, a three-time London Marathon winner who held the women’s marathon world record for 16 years; broadcaster Gabby Logan; football commentator Clive Tyldesley; and actor Warwick Davis were all made OBEs.
Osman, 55, said he was “absolutely thrilled” with the honour, while Davis, also 55, said: “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I’ve been in Star Wars.”
Erivo is made an MBE for services to music and drama, and Goulding has been made an MBE for services to biodiversity and the climate. Location, Location, Location presenter Phil Spencer and comedian Bill Bailey have also been awarded MBEs.
Writer Roy Clarke, creator of sitcoms Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances, becomes a knight, while both Ms Pritchard and The Kumars at No 42 actor Meera Syal have been recognised as dames.
Meanwhile, a woman thought to be the oldest victim of the Horizon IT scandal, 92-year-old Betty Brown, said it was a “shocker” to have been made an OBE for seeking justice for subpostmasters.
D-Day veteran Mervyn Kersh, 101, said it is a “wonderful thing” to be awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Holocaust remembrance and education.
Meanwhile in politics, former development minister Anneliese Dodds has been made a dame and Jonathan Ashworth, the ex-Labour MP and former head of think tank Labour Together, has been made a CBE.
Former Tory leader Lord William Hague has been made a commander on the Royal Victorian Order list for services to the Royal Foundation charity and nature conservation, while Tristram Hunt, a former Labour MP who is now the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, has received a knighthood.
Orlando Fraser, the former chair of the Charity Commission, has been awarded a CBE.
Half of all recipients at CBE level and above are women, marking the strongest female representation since 2020, the Cabinet Office said.
Across the list, 10 per cent come from ethnic minority backgrounds – with 5 per cent Asian, 3 per cent Black, 2 per cent mixed race, and 1 per cent other – while 5 per cent identify as LGBT+, and 15 per cent report a disability or long-term health condition.
In addition, 36 per cent come from a lower socio-economic background, and 67 per cent live outside London and the South East.
The oldest on the list is 102-year-old John Hearn, one of four centenarians included, who received a BEM for services to judo and to the community in northeast England. At 20, the youngest recipient this year is Olympic gold medal-winning sports climber Toby Roberts from Elstead in Surrey, who became an MBE.
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