Khan, Thornberry and Fry recognised in first awards under Labour

Sadiq Khan and Stephen Fry received knighthoods along with the former England manager Gareth Southgate while Emily Thornberry became a dame in the first new year honours since Labour's general election win.

- Daniel Boffey

The mayor of London, who secured a record third term in City Hall this May, said he was "truly humbled" by the honour. Fry, who first made his name as one half of a double act with Hugh Laurie in the late 1980s, said he had felt "startled and enchanted" on receiving the news.

Fry, 67, a celebrated author and actor who is the president of Mind and vice-president of the conservation charity Fauna & Flora International, was given the award for his services to mental health awareness.

He said: "When you are recognised it does make you feel a bit 'crikey', but I think the most emotional thing is that when I think of my childhood, and my dreadful unhappiness and misery and stupidity, and everything that led to so many failures as a child. And for my parents, really, what a disaster. I mean every time the phone rang, they thought: 'Oh, God, what has Stephen done now?' It was a sort of joke in the family."