Moira Stewart was awarded an honorary degree from Northumbria University, which was announced during the university’s summer graduation ceremonies held at their city campus.
When speaking about her honorary degree, Stewart said: ‘I’m so moved by this honour. And I’m deeply indebted to your (the University’s) grace and generosity.’
Stewart’s career took off in 1978, when she became BBC Radio 4’s first black announcer and newsreader. She continued to be a trailblazer, becoming the first black and Caribbean woman to read the national news on British television, before going on to present almost every type of BBC News bulletin over a 40-year period.
Media legend
Last year, Stewart picked up a CBE for services to media, having received an OBE for services to broadcasting 20 years prior, in 2001. This is not Stewart’s first honorary degree, as she holds Honorary Doctorates from the University of Edinburgh and Canterbury Christ Church University.
Stewart’s career has included presenting the news on News After Noon, Sunday AM, The Andrew Marr Show and BBC Breakfast. She has also been the newsreader on radio shows such as The Chris Evans Breakfast Show and More Music Breakfast.
Stewart also hosted an interview show on Classic FM called ‘Moira Stewart Meets…’ which she described as ‘a delicious balance of my two great loves – music and people.’
Other celebrity nods
Other celebrities with honorary university degrees include Stormzy, who received one from Exeter, Marcus Rashford, from Manchester, and Ed Sheeran, from Suffolk. Sir David Attenborough actually holds 32 honorary degrees from various universities. In one of his speeches, Attenborough said:
‘I think universities are the most important institutions in our society. They are the one place where truth has no reference to commerce or politics, and such kinds of institutions are rare and should be cherished. If one of them gives you an honour it should be an honour to be treasured.’