At the weekend, the Queen said thank you in her Birthday Honours to those who made the Diamond Jubilee and last year’s royal wedding so special.
In accordance with his involvement in the spectaculor jubilee concert, Gareth Malone was one of those that received an OBE alongside Gary Barlow. The pair were both involved in 'Sing' for the jubilee, with Gareth leading the Military Wives in the activity.
On collecting the OBE, Gareth said: "This is a great honour and one I'm thrilled about. Over the past ten years, encouraging people to sing has been a labour of love so it's wonderful to be recognised in this way. I am hugely grateful to all the people I have worked with in both television and the arts for helping me to bring music into people's lives. I'd particularly like to thank Chris Evans for helping to bring my work to a wider public and my wife for supporting me through all my challenges, especially when she joined me for a year in Devon for the Military Wives. I would not be receiving this honour if it weren't for the unstinting support of my long suffering parents through hours of piano practice and I'm indebted to them for all they have given me. It is extra special to receive an OBE during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, having just performed at the Jubilee concert. What a year."