A FOOTBALL legend, a much-loved comedian, an Oscar winner and even a real-life Dragon.

Those are just some of the stars of the worlds of business, sport and the arts being recognised with honorary degrees from Southampton Solent University.

Terry Butcher, Jo Brand, Julian Fellowes and Theo Paphitis will join more than 2,000 students at the university’s graduation ceremonies at Southampton Guildhall next week.

Hampshire cricket chairman Rod Bransgrove and disabled sailor Geoff Holt are amongst the other famous faces picking up honorary degrees from the institution this year.

Former England captain Terry Butcher is being given the honorary degree of doctor of sport.

The current Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager, who represented his country 77 times, including when his white shirt was famously turned red by blood from a head injury, is a regular guest lecturer on Solent’s applied sport science courses.

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Rod Bransgrove is the man who, having overseen the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Rose Bowl, will become responsible for the dream of seeing Test cricket played in Hampshire finally being realised next year, when England play Sri Lanka.

Comedian Jo Brand started out as a social worker and psychiatric nurse, but has since gone on to become a regular star of TV and radio, as well as successful novelist.

Actor, writer, director and producer Julian Fellowes, who will be awarded the honorary doctor of arts, won an Oscar for his first cinema script when he wrote Gosford Park, and is the deputy lieutenant of Dorset.

Theo Paphitis is best-known for his role on the BBC show Dragons’ Den, but has built up a multi-million pound business empire covering retail, property, finance and consumer goods.

Inspirational disabled sailor Geoff Holt, from Shedfield, has already graduated from Solent once, having studied fine arts valuation at Southampton Institute, but returns to pick up his second honorary award in a month, having also been saluted by the University of Winchester this year.

Also receiving awards are the country’s most celebrated monumental typographer, Richard Kindersley, twice Michelinstarred chef Atul Kochhar, who has a restaurant at Wickham Vineyard, former Solent deputy vice-chancellor Dr John Latham and Charles Morgan, boss of the world’s oldest privately-owned car manufacturer.

In previous years, Solent has awarded honorary degrees to Craig David, Scott Mills, Shane Warne, Fiona Phillips and Charlie Dimmock, as well as Saints legends Matt Le Tissier, Mick Channon, Terry Paine and Lawrie McMenemy.