Yahoo News Amanda Holden ‘thrilled’ to receive honorary degree from her old drama school
Amanda Holden admitted she felt “tearful” as she was awarded an honorary doctorate from her old drama school.
The Britain’s Got Talent star, 48, graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in Peckham with a diploma in 1992.
She returned to the school to receive the special honour on Wednesday afternoon and discussing it on her Heart breakfast show on Thursday, she described the experience as “the most amazing day.”
Holden told her co-host Jamie Theakston: “27 years ago when I graduated from Mount View, which was my drama school, there was no such thing as a degree."
A post shared by Amanda Holden (@noholdenback) on Nov 20, 2019 at 12:38pm PST
“We all got diplomas but we did all the work for it and everything else that you would expect to get a degree for but I think back then drama was sort of seen as soft, you know, no one really regarded the arts as anything," she said.
"Now all those gorgeous talented students that I witnessed yesterday who’ve worked really hard over the last few years all got degrees - musical theatre, theatre, backstage - I mean absolutely everything was covered and it was such a joyful, amazing day in a huge church.”
The TV star was honoured with a Doctorate of Letters and joked that she is “now officially a Doctor!” afterwards.
“I can put it on my passport and I can put it on my credit cards,” she said.
Holden attended the ceremony with her husband Chris Hughes and her younger sister Debbie.
A post shared by Amanda Holden (@noholdenback) on Nov 20, 2019 at 7:11am PST
She admitted that she “kept getting very tearful” because she was “thinking about [her] grandparents.”
“A couple of cousins went to university, but nobody really graduated and did all of that in my family,” she explained. “I was thrilled. It was a really good day.”
Holden proudly shared photos from the special day on her Instagram account, including a portrait of her wearing ceremonial orange robes.
“Remember, always, always pursue your dreams,” she wrote alongside the picture.
“I have such fond memories of my time at Mountview, they really gave me the tools to do absolutely anything I wanted and I’ve never looked back.”
Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden airs weekdays 6.30am to 10am.
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