Gloria Hunniford has received the Freedom of the City of London at Guildhall Art Gallery in recognition of her long career in entertainment and her campaigning work as a breast cancer charity ambassador.

The 86-year-old said she was “delighted and humbled” to accept the honour, adding that some of her most treasured broadcasting moments had taken place in the city. The award places gloria hunniford among a line of public figures recognised for services to London and public life.

Chris Hayward said millions of people had been “entertained, informed, and moved” by Hunniford over the years, describing her as a consummate professional on screens and airwaves. He said it had been a pleasure for colleagues to welcome her to Guildhall for her admission into the Freedom.

The ceremony recognises a career that stretched across radio and television. Hunniford hosted chat shows as well as current affairs, lifestyle and consumer rights programmes, and in 1982 became the first woman to have her own daily radio show on Radio 2. She presented it continuously for 13 years and also became one of the first female broadcasters to host her own television chat show.

Her public profile has long been tied to breast cancer awareness and support. Hunniford set up the Caron Keating Foundation in memory of her daughter, Caron Keating, who died from breast cancer in 2004. She was later awarded an OBE in 2017 for services to cancer charities through breast screening services and cancer support.

The Freedom of the City is believed to have begun in 1237 and is now offered to individuals as a way of paying tribute to their outstanding contribution to London or public life. Recent recipients include Ray Winstone and Frank Bruno, placing Hunniford in a tradition that has shifted from medieval privilege to modern recognition. For her, the honour matches a career built on familiarity, resilience and a cause that has run through much of her life.