‘Now I need to earn my MBE’, says Rachel Riley after receiving honour

The TV presenter was recognised for services to Holocaust education and fighting antisemitism.

Rachel Riley received her MBE from the King at Windsor Castle (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)

Countdown presenter Rachel Riley has said she needs to “earn” her MBE, after being recognised for services to Holocaust education and fighting antisemitism.

Ms Riley received her honour from the King at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, joined by her parents and husband Pasha Kovalev, after being announced in the New Year Honours list.

She said more could be done to prevent the spread of antisemitic hatred online with stronger legislation, after being a vocal critic of Labour’s handling of alleged antisemitism within the party.

After receiving her honour, Ms Riley told the PA news agency: “It’s really special – now I need to earn it.

“The Holocaust Survivors’ Centre had a reception a few months ago where there were many survivors being rewarded. Compared to what they went through, my experiences are nothing.”

Ms Riley said there was a trend of antisemitism being on the rise, while knowledge of the Holocaust was in decline, and that Jewish communities were having to take precautions as a consequence.

She said: “You go into a Jewish school, organisation or charity and often they’re unmarked, they always have tight security and primary school children are taught how to hide in case there’s a terrorist attack. That’s not normal in Britain.”

Ms Riley said she would continue her work as an ambassador for the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, as she felt much antisemitism was spread online and that “legislation hasn’t kept up with the speed that social media has grown”.

The TV personality said it was nice to finally meet the King, after she missed out on a reception for British Jews that he attended while she was heavily pregnant.

“The King is a big advocate for all faiths and inter-faith relations, it’s one of his passion projects. He was genuinely interested in what I’ve done to deserve it,” she added.

Actor David Harewood was another notable name at the ceremony, as he received an OBE for his services to drama and charity.

He said: “It’s kind of surreal to think about it.

“Growing up in Birmingham, playing soccer with your mates and messing around, to suddenly have this recognition – it means a lot.”

The Homeland actor, who was previously made an MBE in 2012, described the occasion as “something quite special”, adding: “I’ve never had to take a day off filming before, so this is a first!”

Mr Harewood became a prominent voice for mental health support and against racism, and has worked closely with charities including Unicef on providing support for children.

He said he aimed to carry on his work through his production company, Fully Focused, and would “continue to make programmes that explain, explore, demystify and challenge, and bring multicultural stories to the big and small screen”.