New Year's Honours List LIVE: Idris Elba and Torvill and Dean recognised by King

Leading the list of people recognised by the King in the New Year's honours are actor Idris Elba along with ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean who won Olympic gold

Actor Idris Elba and ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean lead the New Year honours list while England’s victorious women’s football and rugby teams are also recognised.

Dame Jayne, 68, and Sir Christopher, 67, are rewarded for services to ice skating and to voluntary service, almost 42 years after dancing to Olympic gold in Sarajevo in 1984.

Sir Idris, 53, known for his roles in The Wire and Luther, is knighted for services to young people, having founded the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports community empowerment, education, youth advocacy and sustainable development.

England women’s football head coach Sarina Wiegman has been awarded an honorary damehood after leading the Lionesses to a successful defence of their European Championship title and several of her team have also been honoured.

01:24Tannur Anders

Five different honours in the UK

The United Kingdom has five different honours.

The honours starts with Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), followed by Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

One can also be bestowed with either the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) or Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) tiles. These are the second-highest rank.

Finally the Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE) title. This is the highest rank in this British chivalric order. Male recipients of this order are called "Sir" and female recipeients "Dame".

00:00Tannur Anders

Actress Cynthia Erivo honoured

Actress Cynthia Erivo was honoured by King Charles as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her for services to music and drama.

Erivo, who played Elphaba in the film adaptation of broadway hit Wicked, holds Tony, Grammy and Emmy awards, among many others.

22:54Tim Hanlon

Last Of The Summer Wine creator Roy Clarke receives knighthood

The creator of beloved sitcoms Last Of The Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances and Open All Hours, Roy Clarke has been one of the most significant figures in British TV comedy in the 20th century.

The writer, who was born in 1930 in Austerfield, South Yorkshire, is knighted in the New Year Honours for services to entertainment.

He has created some of the most indelible characters on television, including Hyacinth Bucket and her long-suffering husband Richard, as well as Compo, Clegg and Nora Batty, as his shows frequently feature on lists of the best British sitcoms.

Before he became a writer, Sir Roy had a number of jobs, including as a taxi driver and a teacher. Then in the 1960s, he wrote a number of thrillers for BBC radio, including The 17-Jewelled Shockproof Swiss-Made Bomb, which featured Peter Coke, Sir Ben Kingsley and Bob Grant.

The Last Of The Summer Wine began on the BBC in 1973 and followed the misadventures of the elderly residents of a Yorkshire village. It enjoyed a record-breaking run on UK television, airing 31 seasons and at its peak had an audience of more than 18 million viewers.

22:46Sam Elliott-Gibbs

Chuckle Brothers icon Paul Elliott admits 'it's brilliant' as he's awarded MBE

Legendary children's entertainer Paul Elliott has been recognised for his charitable work with an MBE in the New Year Honours list and called it the shock of his life.

Paul and brother Barry were a staple in British homes with their much-loved TV show ChuckleVision, which ran for nearly 300 episodes during the 1990s and early 2000s.

After Barry's death from bone cancer in 2018, Paul made a vow to his late brother that he would keep on making people laugh, and now he's the one smiling after being told he will become a Member of the Order of the British Empire following the King's announcement.

Speaking about the MBE, he said: "It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s such an honour, a lad from a council estate in Rotherham, and after all these years, getting an MBE is just such an honour. I’m very much a royalist. It was just such a surprise. It was a wonderful feeling, absolutely wonderful feeling, saying Member of the Order of the British Empire, really exciting.”

22:37Tim Hanlon

Matt Lucas to receive OBE in New Year Honours as David Walliams snubbed

Matt Lucas is to receive an OBE in the King's New Year's Honours - while his comedy co-star David Walliams has been snubbed.

A string of stars are set to receive a range of awards as the nation rings in the beginning of 2026. And 51-year-old comedy performer Matt will be called up to receive a title of his own following decades of work as an entertainer.

The comedy star said he had to read a letter informing him he had been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) “a couple of times” as he thought it might be a prank.

Matt said: "I’m still in shock. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I really wasn’t expecting it at any point. About a month ago. I returned home very late from a work trip and was opening some post. I was half-asleep. I had to read the letter a couple of times, and then I thought it might have been a prank, so I had to really scrutinise it."

22:31Tim Hanlon

England Women’s Rugby World Cup winning squad strongly represented in list

Marlie Packer and Zoe Aldcroft become OBEs along with coach John Mitchell of England Women’s Rugby World Cup winning squad.

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.”

Aldcroft said: “The recognition isn’t mine alone. This year I have felt nothing but love and support from so many people and I am extremely grateful.

“My family’s belief in me on this journey has been unrivalled, and I am also fortunate to have been surrounded by an unbelievable group of players and staff who have given everything to the Red Roses.”

Teammates Ellie Kildunne, Sadia Kabeya, and Megan Jones are made MBEs after the Red Roses defeated Canada in the final in September.

22:31Tim Hanlon

England's Lionesses recognised in honours list after winning Euros

England’s Lionesses feature heavily on the list after their Euros win in the summer – with captain Leah Williamson made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone, who were all part of the side that beat Spain in the final in Basel, Switzerland, in July, become MBEs.

And the team’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman, who has won the Euros twice with England, and once with the Netherlands, is awarded an honorary damehood, the Cabinet Office said.

Wiegman 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.”

22:31Tim Hanlon

Torvill and Dean say honours are 'wonderful and humbling at the same time'

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean who took home the Olympic gold at the 1984 Winter Games and saw success at the World, European and British Championships, are made a Dame and Sir for services to ice skating and to voluntary service.

The pair, who later became the faces of celebrity competition show Dancing On Ice, said the honours are “wonderful and humbling at the same time”.

Sir Christopher, 67, said: “It’s been mentioned by fans and supporters, but it’s something that we never realised might happen. If it did, that would be wonderful, but if it didn’t, there’s so many other people in the country that are deserving as well.”

Dame Jayne, 68, said the timing of the honours seemed “perfect” after the pair danced on the ice for the last time this year. She said: “We had such a great time, we were so happy with the tour and the fact that we got through it. It was a big thing for us to mark our career before retirement, and then receiving this award at the end of the year, it’s just finished everything. It’s perfect.”

22:31Tim Hanlon

Sir Idris is knighted for services to young people

Sir Idris, 53, known for his roles in The Wire and Luther, is knighted for services to young people, having founded the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports community empowerment, education, youth advocacy and sustainable development.

He 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.”