Geeta Guru-Murthy, Steve Saul and Gary Flintoff have been recognised by the University of Central Lancashire for their services to journalism.
BBC News Channel chief presenter Geeta Guru-Murthy and BBC Radio 5Live and BBC North West Tonight presenter and producer Steve Saul received Honorary Fellowships while Gary Flintoff, England Football Producer for BBC Radio 5Live, was rewarded with an Alumni Achievement Award.
Guru-Murthy was born in Liverpool and grew up in East Lancashire and has worked for the BBC for 25 years and the award was made to acknowledge her significant contribution made to broadcast journalism.
“It’s actually incredible, I am really honoured to be here,” she said.
“My parents moved to this country from India and we had a really happy childhood playing in the fields with the sheep and the cows in the Lancashire villages and I never thought I’d be back here receiving this sort of honour for the work that I’ve ended up doing – it’s a real privilege.
“I’ve got teenage children who are going through university right now, so I know exactly how important this stage is for students so it’s a real pleasure to be able to come and speak to some of them.”
Saul, who started out as a volunteer on hospital radio at the age of 13, had his first professional role at Red Rose Radio, before joining the BBC.
“It’s a real privilege to be given this Honorary Fellowship at the University of Central Lancashire,” he stated.
“I’m proud of Preston and Lancashire and I’m proud to be able to give something back to the students. I regularly pop in and help out the journalism students on their news days and offer advice and coaching sessions.
“It’s a real honour as someone who never graduated the first time around because I got a job offer to work at the local radio station. So I did drop out of my journalism course but I did come back to do parts of the postgraduate journalism course so it’s nice to complete the journey I started 20 years ago.”
Finally, Flintoff achieved his Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the University in 1996. Starting out at Radio Wave, then Red Rose Radio and Tower FM, he moved to the BBC in 2001.
“It’s a lovely feeling to be recognised. I have so many great memories of my time here. I still come back pretty much every year since I left to teach, coach and lecture and try to be involved with those who are following a similar path but it’s very touching to be receiving this award.
“I was brought up in Lancashire and was very fortunate that the course I wanted to do was on my doorstep so it’s a really special feeling.”
