Overview
- Meera Syal is appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature, drama and charity.
- She previously received an MBE in 1997 and a CBE in 2015, marking steady elevation through the UK honours system.
- Syal’s career spans writing and performing in Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No 42, the award‑winning novel Anita and Me, and recent screen roles.
- She has served as an Alzheimer’s Society ambassador since 2013 following support after her father’s dementia diagnosis in 2012.
- Downing Street listed 1,157 recipients this year with a focus on community service, as other honourees reported include Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo and higher‑award ethnic minority representation at 14%.