Carol Vorderman has proved once again that she has both brains and beauty after being given an honorary degree.
The presenter, 63, was given the doctor of science degree at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol on Wednesday.
And the broadcaster was clearly emotional as she followed in her son’s footsteps, collecting the honour from the same university where Cameron had achieved his first class degree in 2020.
The star was awarded the degree in recognition of services to broadcasting and STEM education as part of the university’s autumn graduation ceremonies held at the Bristol Beacon.
After receiving the award, Carol said: ‘It really is a privilege to receive an honorary doctorate from a university which is important to my family.
‘My son Cameron was a special needs child and after two years at Filton College, where he obtained a distinction, UWE gave him a chance to read animation.
Carol Vorderman has proved once again that she has both brains and beauty after being given an honorary degree on Wednesday from the University of the West of England (UWE)
The broadcaster was emotional as she accepted the award, following in her son’s footsteps, as she collected her honorary doctorate from the same university he had graduated from four years ago
Carol explained that the honour was particularly special because her son, who has special educational needs, was ‘given a chance’ by the university
‘He graduated with a first class degree and went on to Dundee to get his masters degree. UWE gave him an opportunity and it lifted him.
‘We’ve lived in our stunning and kind city of Bristol for nearly 20 years now and UWE and its students are a huge part of the city, bringing it to life in so many ways.
‘At the graduation ceremony today, I talked about how the younger generation gives me hope. They are more tolerant, kinder, more curious and creative than my generation was brought up to be.
‘It was a delight to be among so many of that younger generation today. Thank you UWE. I feel humbled.’
Carol shares her son Cameron, 32, with her ex-husband Patrick King.
The couple were married for ten years, walking down the aisle in 1990 before parting ways in 2000.
Carole has previously spoken candidly about her son’s special needs and how proud she is of his achievements.
She told MailOnline in 2021 that she noticed something was different about him very early on and described trying to teach him the ABCs was difficult and he was often disruptive – but she never doubted his brilliance.
After receiving the award, Carol said: ‘ It really is a privilege to receive an honorary doctorate from a university which is important to my family
Carole has previously spoken candidly about her son’s special needs and how proud she is of his achievements
She said: ‘By six, this child I loved so much, that I would have done anything for, was being rejected — by the school, by the teachers, by the other pupils. It was heart-breaking, utterly heart-breaking.
‘And I was lost. Was I going to have to teach him at home, myself? How? I just wasn’t equipped. I didn’t know how to teach a child with this level of special needs.’
When Cameron was awarded a master’s degree from Dundee University, Carol congratulated him on social media.
She referenced to his learning difficulties which she had feared would hold him back in life.
‘That we are here, with him gaining a master’s is down to Cameron, and his determination,’ she said.
‘I could not be prouder of how he has done this, because frankly I didn’t know how it would be possible.
‘The gap between how I thought children learned and how he needed to learn was so vast.
‘But he has been teaching me. I’m still learning from him. There’s so much about education, about the brain, about how we learn that I simply did not know. Things that we, as a society, need to know.
She told MailOnline at the time: ‘I knew he wasn’t thick, or slow, or any of those things that he and children like him are often told. I always thought he was brilliantly bright. He is.’
Carol has previously revealed that by the age of six, her son had been rejected from main stream education for being too disrupted and at the time she felt helpless
Carol also shared how proud she was after Cameron graduated from the University of Dundee with a Masters (pictured together on This Morning in October 2021)
During the interview Cameron interjected: ‘Oh, I still think I’m an idiot, but I would now question how we define intelligence. Mum downplays her role, but I wouldn’t be here without her. She wouldn’t give up on me,’ he says.
Carol was born in 1960 and grew up in a single-parent family in poverty in North Wales, alongside her sister, brother and mother Jean.
She excelled academically at her comprehensive school where she received free school meals, before gaining admission to the University of Cambridge aged 17.
From a young age, she was passionate about mathematics – a talent that secured her a role on Countdown in 1982.
The ITV Pride of Britain Awards host is known for her political activism and was made an MBE in 2000 in recognition of her contribution to broadcasting.
The citation for her honorary degree pays tribute to Carol’s decades in the public eye as a television and radio presenter, author and champion of maths and engineering.
It adds: ‘She has worked tirelessly to break down barriers that prevent young women from studying Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
‘She funds bursaries for aspiring maths students and during lockdown her online coaching courses helped half a million primary school children to love numeracy as she does.’
Last month, Carol announced she was stepping down from her Sunday radio show on LBC after suffering ‘burn out’ from seven-day working weeks
The citation concludes: ‘Carol’s influence stretches far beyond the small screen – she believes in leading by example, speaking truth to power and using her voice to highlight causes close to her heart, from environmental awareness to mental health and social justice.’
Last month, Carol announced she was stepping down from her Sunday radio show on LBC after suffering ‘burn out’ from seven-day working weeks.
She said she was following the advice of family and friends after a health scare which resulted in her spending a night in hospital.
Carol joined LBC to front her new Sunday programme in January, two months after leaving her BBC Radio Wales show after the corporation introduced new social media guidelines.
The veteran presenter was vocal in her criticism of the previous government on social media.
She said management decided she should give up her Saturday morning show over a breach of the guidelines.
