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TV stars honoured in Queen's birthday list

14/06/2008

Television celebrities Des O'Connor, Victoria Wood and Paul O'Grady have all been recognised in the Queen's birthday honours list.

O'Connor, 76, has been awarded a CBE for his services to the entertainment industry after a career that spans six decades.

He is well-known for presenting a raft of different entertainment shows, most recently his talk show Today with Des and Mel which he co-hosted with Melanie Sykes.

O'Connor also recently took over from Des Lynam as host of Channel 4's long-running word and number game Countdown.

Wood, who recently collected two Bafta awards for writing and starring in second world war drama Housewife, 49, has also been given a CBE to add to her existing honour as an OBE.

O'Grady is best known for his outspoken alter-ego Lily Savage, although recently he has made a name for himself as a talk show host on his own late afternoon programme on Channel 4. He has been given an MBE.

There are also honours for EastEnders actress June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton in the popular soap, and Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies. They have been awarded an MBE and an OBE, respectively.

TV scriptwriter Lynda La Plante has picked up a CBE, while there are also a number of awards for sports stars.

Recently retired England and Wasps rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio is given an OBE to add to the MBE he collected after winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

And undefeated boxer Joe Calzaghe, who was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2007, adds a CBE to his OBE.

Rugby legend Bill Beaumont is also honoured, like Dallaglio for his work within rugby and for charity with a CBE.

Northern Ireland and Fulham striker David Healey becomes an MBE, as does the England women's captain Kelly Smith, while British formula one and motorbike legend John Surtees becomes an OBE.