Coronation Street star Antony Cotton said he was 'completely overwhelmed' as he was made an MBE. The actor, who viewers best know for playing Sean Tully in the ITV soap, has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to British Army personnel and veterans.
As well as his work on-screen, the 46-year-old has been involved with the military community since 2008 and was named as the first celebrity ambassador for military charity the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA).
He is also a patron of Help For Heroes and was made the SSAFA’s 2022 ambassador for the defence inclusivity category. Antony's official association with the charities began following the return of a close friend from Afghanistan, who needed support.
Bury-born Antony, who has played the role of barman and Underworld machinist Sean in Corrie since 2003, said of his honour: "I am completely overwhelmed by this honour, especially as it has come during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Working with our amazing armed forces, in particular the Army, has truly been the greatest honour of my life.
"To have a soldier, of any age or rank, come to me and entrust me with their stories, their experiences and especially their worries, has been life changing. When I am asked why I spend my spare time helping with the welfare of our soldiers and veterans, the answer is a simple one – I feel it is my duty, and it has genuinely become my life’s work."
He added: "The British Army has made significant improvements in the way they approach mental health over the past decade, and I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in some of those changes, and also in the way the Army delivers their welfare programme.
"As with most things, there is still some way to go but I’m very proud of the work we’ve done so far. I share this award with every single person who has ever fought for our country – I am incredibly humbled and honoured to be in your company. Thank you for your service."
He's in good company. Helen Worth, who has spent almost 48 years on-screen playing Platt matriarch Gail, has also been made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. The 71-year-old has been recognised for her services to drama having appeared in the ITV soap for more than four decades.
Joining the cobbles in July 1974, Helen's character has been a prominent figure in a number of explosive storylines gripping the soap over the years while her ill-fated love life has come to define the character, having suffered an affair and the deaths of four of her five husbands.
Speaking about her honour, Helen said: "It was a huge surprise to learn that I had been nominated for an MBE. To be honoured for doing something I have enjoyed so much for so many years is truly wonderful, and I am particularly delighted to receive this award in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Year."
Both Antony and Helen's honours come after the pair met the monarch in July last year during a royal trip to the set of Coronation Street, where she met the cast and crew to celebrate the ITV show’s 60th anniversary, which was in December 2020.
