British singer Rebecca Ferguson has thanked a new watchdog which will monitor sexual harassment and bullying in the entertainment industry, after she was named in the King’s Birthday Honours. The Liverpool-born performer, who was a runner-up on The X Factor in 2010, becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to the music industry. On Saturday, she called it a “lovely surprise”, thanking the King and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and saying she was “very grateful and honoured to be recognised with this most prestigious award”.
Ferguson also said: “I would especially like to thank the people of Liverpool – without your unwavering support I would not have been in this position. “My husband, for guiding and helping me through the tough days of campaigning, and my most loved wonderful children. Rebecca Ferguson called the honour a ‘lovely surprise’ (Ian West/PA) CIISA hopes to “uphold and improve standards of behaviour” in the world of entertainment and broadcasting and has been supported by actresses including Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley.
Ferguson, 37, also paid tribute to her grandmother, Mavis Jameson, who “taught me my history, which empowered me to be able to speak truth to power”, along with her mother and late grandmother Caroline Ferguson. The singer, who beat One Direction to second place on The X Factor before Matt Cardle triumphed, has turned to activism in the music industry in recent years. Ferguson camp.