Stars of the Olympics shine in the New Year's Honours list

The New Year's Honours list is announced today, and among the winners are some of the South's brightest stars of the Olympics.

Hampshire's Ben Ainslie is already recognised as the most successful Olympic sailor of all time with four gold medals under his sails.

But now he's to be knighted.

The 35 year old says it's an "incredible honour" to receive a knighthood for services to sailing and confesses that he had never even thought of becoming Sir Ben Ainslie when he started sailing as a teenager 20 years ago.

Also honoured today is Olympic cyclist Dani King, from Hamble in Hampshire.

She gets an MBE.

Rower Katherine Grainger, from Berkshire, receives a CBE honour in the year she finally made it gold with Anna Watkins in the double sculls following three successive silvers.

And..we know she's not an Olympian, but artist Tracey Emin did carry the Olympic torch in Margate!

She receives a CBE for Services to the Arts.

She describes herself as being 'thrilled' and says she's been looking forward to seeing the look on her Mum's face.

More to follow on the heroes of our communities later....