David Suchet's brother shares cheeky reaction to his knighthood

Sir David Suchet's brother celebrated his knighthood with a cheeky joke about his acting skills.

The 75-year-old Poirot star was knighted by Prince William at Windsor Castle on 25 January — prompting a cheeky joke from his older brother, journalist John Suchet.

Classic FM presenter John, 77, tweeted: "Congratulations brother. I watched your very first performance. 'Mummy I’ve got a tummy ache. I can’t go to school today.' You were 6."

Sir David had originally been due to receive his honour in December 2021, but was forced to miss the ceremony after testing positive for coronavirus.

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The star of stage and screen — best known for playing eccentric detective Hercule Poirot in long-running ITV drama Agatha Christie's Poirot — was joined by his wife Sheila Ferris and admitted it was the "proudest moment" of his life.

Watch: David Suchet is knighted at Windsor Castle

Sir David said: “I’ve been knighted on stage and it doesn’t compare. And no camera is going to say ‘Cut, let’s do a retake’.

“It’s the most extraordinary feeling and it’s very surreal.”

Sir David's knighthood was announced in October 2020 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, and was bestowed on him by the Duke of Cambridge.

He revealed: “My OBE was with Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace, my CBE was was Prince Charles.

“And now my knighthood is with the Duke of Cambridge, so I’ve had Her Majesty the Queen and two future kings, which is very humbling indeed and totally unexpected.”

His wife Sheila said: "I’m afraid I quite embarrassed myself by weeping because it’s just such an emotional feeling. I’m just so thrilled."

Sir David was recognised for his services to drama and charity after a career spanning more than 50 years.

He played Poirot 70 times between 1989 and 2013, bowing out after filming every single one of Christie's stories about the moustachioed sleuth, including his very final case which includes his death.

Asked what he was most proud of in his career, Sir David said: “I think it has to be Poirot for the general public.

“For myself, I’m very proud and grateful to have been given a career that has spanned all media.”

Born in London in 1946, he joined the National Youth Theatre at 16 and later trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (Lamda).

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He spent 13 years with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company and worked in theatre in the West End and around the world.