Gloria Hunniford Receives Freedom of the City of London at Guildhall
Gloria Hunniford received the Freedom of the City of London at Guildhall Art Gallery on Wednesday, adding a civic honour to a broadcasting career that has stretched from radio to television. The 86-year-old said she was “delighted and humbled” by the recognition.
“Some of my most treasured moments in broadcasting have taken place in this city, so I am delighted and humbled to have received the Freedom of the City of London,” she said after the ceremony. The honour was awarded for her contribution to entertainment and campaigning work, including her role as a breast cancer charity ambassador.
Guildhall and a 1237 tradition
The Freedom of the City is believed to have begun in 1237 and is now offered as a tribute to outstanding contribution to London or public life. Hunniford’s admission places her among recent recipients including actor Ray Winstone and former heavyweight world boxing champion Frank Bruno.
Chris Hayward, the City of London Corporation policy chairman, said: “A consummate professional on our screens and airwaves, millions of us have been entertained, informed, and moved by Gloria Hunniford over the years.” He added: “It has been a pleasure for my colleagues to welcome Gloria to Guildhall for her admission into the Freedom today.”
1982 to 2017
In 1982, Hunniford became the first woman to have her own daily radio show on Radio 2, and she presented it continuously for 13 years. That run built the broadcast profile that later carried into television, where she became one of the first female broadcasters to host her own TV chat show.
Her credits include Pebble Mill At One, Good Evening Ulster, The Travelling Picture Show, Rip-Off Britain, Loose Women, Strictly Come Dancing, This Morning, The One Show, Piers Morgan's Life Stories, This Is Your Life, and The Masked Singer. In 2017, she was awarded an OBE for services to cancer charities through breast screening services and cancer support.
Caron Keating Foundation
Hunniford also set up the Caron Keating Foundation in memory of her daughter, who died from breast cancer in 2004. That campaigning work sits alongside the broadcasting career the City of London chose to recognise, making this more than a ceremonial title: it formally ties her public service to the city where some of her best-known work took shape.
