Doc Martin TV star Martin Clunes officially made chancellor at Hartpury University and Hartpury College

Doc Martin star Martin Clunes has officially been installed as Chancellor of Hartpury University and Hartpury College during a spectacular day of celebration at the College’s Prize Day. The ceremony was held on Friday, June 21, where student successes and achievements were recognised in the Hartpury Equine Arena.

Chair of Governors Edward Keene officially oversaw the installation, with Martin, 62, who also starred in hit BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly, delivering his inaugural speech to the friends and family of students who had gathered. Martin was officially announced as Chancellor earlier in the year and will represent Hartpury in a ceremonial and ambassadorial capacity.

Guests were also addressed by Vice-Chancellor, Principal and CEO of both institutions, Professor Andy Collop, who reflected on the many highlights from the past academic year across all subject areas. Among these highlights, he paid tribute to the role of staff and students in retaining Ofsted Outstanding earlier this year.

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This year’s guest speaker was Will Young aka Farmer Will, the sheep farmer, social media sensation and former ITV2 Love Island star. Will delivered a fun speech reflecting on his own farming experiences and building up an impressive 1.9 million TikTok followers by sharing his agricultural adventures.

Claire Whitworth, Deputy Principal at Hartpury College said: “Prize Day is always a joyous occasion in the calendar and it’s a great privilege for us to join friends and family in celebrating the many notable achievements of our students.

“In addition to recognising students for completing their specific course, it once again provided an opportunity to hand out awards to students for endeavour, outstanding academic achievement, outstanding progress and outstanding athlete performances, to name just a few. I want to thank the sponsors who supported these awards once again.

“We wish all students leaving us this summer the very best of luck for their future, whether that’s returning to Hartpury University, university elsewhere or into the world of work.”

Professor Andy Collop added: “It was a great honour for us to officially install Martin Clunes as Chancellor during this special event in the Hartpury calendar. His appointment marks a notable moment in our journey, and his speech underlined what a superb fit he is for the role.

“I’d like to thank all the friends and family who attended to celebrate the successes of our students, and also want to thank Farmer Will whose speech will no doubt have resonated with many.

“I also extend my congratulations and best wishes to those students leaving us this year. We look forward to following their progress in the months and years to come as they progress to university or enter the world of work.”