New Year Honours List 2012: Ronnie Corbett, Helena Bonham Carter, Lorraine Kelly, Clive James Lead Entertainment Honours

New Year's Honours List 2012: Entertainers Honoured

Helena Bonham Carter and Ronnie Corbett are two of the entertainers honoured in the 2012 New Year's Honours List.

Helena Bonham Carter said that she decided to accept her CBE for services to drama "in honour" of her late father who spent the last years of his life severely disabled after a routine operation went wrong.

She said: "I am thrilled though not sure that I deserve it. I always thought my father deserved a medal for facing 25 years of chronic disability with quiet daily heroism so I am delighted to accept such a wonderful honour in his memory."

The actress made her initial breakthrough in a string of period dramas from Merchant Ivory, but broke out in a diverse range of roles - including those directed by her partner Tim Burton - and has been recognised for her versatility. She was Oscar-nominated last year for her role in The King's Speech, and is celebrated for her refusal to conform even on the red carpet, where she once sported shoes of different colours.

Veteran comedian Ronnie Corbett receives a CBE for services to entertainment and charity.

Corbett has been in show business for more than six decades and is still going strong. He is best known for starring in The Two Ronnies alongside longtime partner Ronnie Barker, which ran for more than 16 years on the BBC.

His charity efforts include work for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Comic Relief, where he teamed up with Peter Kay for an energetic music video.

Corbett isn't shy to share the stage with younger comedians, including a lauded appearance in Extras where he was seen taking cocaine at the BAFTAs.

Lorraine Kelly, a daytime favourite with her daily ITV chat show, has been awarded with an OBE for her services to charity and the armed forces - she said she was "thrilled and deeply honoured" to be recognised.

She has long supported the armed forces - being named a honorary colonel in 2009 - and this year launched UK Armed Forces Day in Edinburgh.

Other honoured figures include It's A Knockout host turned sports broadcaster Stuart Hall (OBE), writer and presenter Clive James (CBE) and actor David Harewood (MBE)

The highest award for an entertainer this year goes to Sir Peter Bazalgette, given a knighthood for services to broadcasting. Bazalgette is the brains behind a catalogue of reality TV hits such as Ground Force and Ready Steady Cook, and is the man responsible for bringing Big Brother to the UK.

Here are some of those names recognised in the New Year Honours list:

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