John Torode made an MBE by ‘MasterChef fan’ William at Palace

MasterChef presenter John Torode said being made an MBE by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace was an “incredible experience”.

The 57-year-old said after having the honour bestowed on him: “I’ve been given this MBE for my contributions to food, TV and charity work and I feel very privileged.

“It’s a real honour and I feel great about it.”

Torode wrote several cookbooks and appeared on ITV’s This Morning in the late 1990s before becoming a MasterChef judge in 2005.

“The Prince of Wales was absolutely lovely. I’ve cooked for him before, many years ago, but I had never got the chance to actually speak to him,” he said.

“The good thing is he’s a MasterChef fan. He said that he and his wife watch it quite a lot and that last time he tuned in I hadn’t been presenting and he was worried that I wasn’t doing it anymore. I reassured him that I was still going.”

Torode’s co-presenter Gregg Wallace was also made an MBE in the 2022 Birthday Honours list.

Retired boxer John H Stracey and opera singer Elizabeth Llewellyn were among the other individuals made MBEs by William on Thursday.

Stracey, 72, thought to be the oldest living English boxing world champion, told the PA news agency meeting the Prince of Wales was “fantastic”.

“We spoke about my boxing career and winning championships, as well as the fundraising work that I’ve done in my retirement,” he said.

Llewellyn said she and William spoke about the importance of keeping music a part of young people’s education.

“The prince’s children seem to be developing an interest in classical music, so we talked about how parents can encourage their children not just to perform but to appreciate classical music and enjoy it,” she said.

“Music teaches focus, concentration, co-ordination, skills that help children go on to have fantastic careers.

“It was lovely to speak to Prince William about keeping the creative arts alive in this country and making sure that we have a cultural future.”

West Midlands Pc Matthew Evans received the Queen’s Police Medal for saving the life of an emergency services worker – who had been stabbed in the heart – while off-duty in London in 2019.

“People don’t often say thank you to the police and we don’t expect it, so something like this is surreal,” he said.

“I did feel quite intimidated but the Prince of Wales is lovely. He also voiced his appreciation for my beard.”

Aside from being a long-serving police officer, Pc Evans also holds several beard and moustache world championship titles. He currently holds the third-place spot for the world’s best Alaskan whaler beard.

“I work in Birmingham, which is a multicultural city, where among Sikhs and Muslims big beards are a common thing. So how I look gets people talking and, I think, makes me more approachable.

“It breaks down barriers and gives people things to talk about.”