ICING ON THE CAKE FOR PRUE

As Bake Off judge and Strictly queen Arlene Phillips are made Dames, while Bond villain Jonathan Pryce is knighted, it’s the...

TELEVISION chef and Great British Bake Off judge PRUE LEITH has had her distinguished career recognised with a damehood.

The South African-born restaurateur, 81, is among a host of stars from the worlds of film, music and entertainment on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

She is joined by former Strictly Come Dancing judge ARLENE PHILLIPS, who has also been given a damehood and Oscarnominated actor JONATHAN PRYCE who has been made a knight.

Acclaimed actress RUTH WILSON, who starred in The Affair and Luther, has been made an MBE for services to drama.

Veteran performer ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK is made an MBE for services to music, as is singer ALISON MOYET.

LULU has been made a CBE for services to music, while JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER accepted an OBE. Radio presenter SIMON MAYO was made an MBE for services to broadcasting.

Dame Prue, who was made an OBE in 1989 and a CBE in 2010, said it was a ‘huge honour’ to be recognised in such a way. ‘I

‘It will take some getting used to!’

am thrilled, delighted and very grateful. I’m not sure I deserve such a pat on the back for doing things that I’ve loved all my long life – in business or cooking or campaigning,’ she said.

‘But I can’t pretend it’s not a huge honour and source of pride. Dame Prue! It will take some getting used to.’

She founded a cookery school, Leith’s School of Food and Wine, in 1974 and went on to enjoy a successful television career.

She appeared on BBC Two’s Great British Menu for more than a decade and replaced Dame Mary Berry on Bake Off when it moved to Channel 4 in 2017. Last year she took part in an independent review to set out a series of recommendations to serve better hospital food, alongside Boris Johnson.

Dame Arlene, 78, recognised for her services to dance and charity, has choreographed West End hits including Grease, The Wizard Of Oz and The Sound Of Music.

She became one of TV’s most familiar faces when she joined the original judging panel for the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

The mother- o f- two was appointed a CBE in 2013 for services to dance and charity.

She said: ‘I am immensely thrilled and honoured to be recognised by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to dance and charity.

‘This is truly the highest recognition I could ever have dreamed of.

Miss Wilson, 39, is one of the Britain’s most impressive acting talents and was recently on the small screen in His Dark Materials.

Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce, who will play Prince Phillip in the final two seasons of The Crown, has been awarded a knighthood for his services to drama and charity. Sir Jonathan is one of the UK’s leading character actors and received an Oscar nomination for playing Pope Francis in The Two Popes at last year’s awards.

He cultivated an illustrious stage career before his breakthrough role in Terry Gilliam’s cult hit Brazil in 1985 and has starred on the big screen in James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and in Evita.

The actor, 74, is also recognisable to TV viewers as the High Sparrow in Game Of Thrones and Cardinal Wolsey in the BBC’s adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall.

‘That the UK continues to honour those that work in the arts, acknowledges the great contribution artists make to the way we live our lives,’ he said. ‘The arts remind people to be kinder, more understanding, questioning and to be more empathetic.’

Pop crooner Humperdinck described being awarded an MBE as a ‘dream come true’ after a career which has spanned an impressive seven decades.

The singer, 85, who has been honoured for services to music, dedicated the honour to his late wife Patricia, who died following a battle with Covid in February. She had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade.

‘I never thought that I would be a success in my life but it happened,’ he said. ‘I never thought I would be honoured and it happened.

‘My wife would have been absolutely delighted. I wish she was sharing this honour with me.’

Humperdinck, known for his sideburns and deep tan, is best remembered for his ballads including Release Me and The Last Waltz in the late 1960s.

National treasure Lulu has been given a CBE for services to music, entertainment and charity. The singer, 72, who represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, received an OBE more than two decades ago in 2000.

Born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, Lulu has appeared on film, TV and stage regularly over the course of the last six decades.

Alison Moyet, who became one of the UK’s most successful singers of the 1980s, has been made an MBE for services to music. She was one half of pop act Yazoo with former Depeche Mode musician Vince Clarke before finding success as a solo artist.

She said the honour was a ‘remarkable, happy-making 60th birthday surprise’ ahead of her milestone celebration next week.

Cellist and conductor Julian Lloyd Webber, 70, has been made an OBE and said he hoped the honour would be a boost for his industry.

The brother of theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber said: ‘I think it’s great for classical music, and I have obviously been blessed to work with amazing musical collaborators over the years, and I don’t think this award would have been possible without that.’

BBC radio stalwart Mayo, 62, said of his MBE: ‘I have to admit I am totally speechless. Which is a poor show for a broadcaster really.’