Pop's star-maker gets OBE

It will give Simon Cowell a terrible start to the new year - his Pop Idol rival Pete Waterman has been honoured by the Queen.

The record producer and TV talent show judge will receive an OBE for services to music in the New Year Honours List published today.

In the 1980s, Waterman, 56, was part of the Stock, Aitken and Waterman production trio who steered the likes of Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley to stardom.

He is behind more No.1 singles than The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

'It's a sign our industry has come of age because there's only a couple of other people in the music business who have received this type of honour,' he said.

Roger Daltrey, singer of veteran rock band The Who, is honoured with a CBE for services to music, the entertainment industry and charity.

Daltrey, 60, is patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and has raised more than £2million by organising concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.

'It is really great to be honoured by my country,' he said.

Actor Tom Wilkinson, who shot to fame in movie The Full Monty, receives an OBE.

Cries of 'lovely jubbly' were heard in Peckham, South-East London, when John Sullivan, the writer of BBC sitcom Only Fools And Horses, was awarded an OBE.

Actor Eric Sykes, 81, best-known for classic TV sitcoms with Hattie Jacques, will add a CBE to his OBE, which he collected in 1986.

Britain's Olympic heroes were also rewarded, with damehoods going to double-gold medallist Kelly Holmes and paralympic athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson, who also won two gold medals.

Rower Matthew Pinsent, one of only five athletes to win gold at four games, gets a knighthood.

His fellow rowers in the coxless four - James Cracknell (OBE), Stephen Williams (MBE) and Ed Coode (MBE) - are also honoured.

Britain's gold medal-winning quartet in the 4x100m relay - Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish, Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis - are made MBEs, as is sailor Ben Ainslie. Other sporting awards include golfer Colin Montgomerie (OBE) and commentator Barry Davies (MBE).