Broadcaster Pamela Ballantine made MBE on first anniversary of cancer diagnosis

Northern Ireland broadcaster Pamela Ballantine has reflected on a “life-affirming” year after being made an MBE on the first anniversary of her breast cancer diagnosis.

The UTV star, who is recovering from cancer after surgery and treatment, said the timing of the New Year Honours List announcement made it that bit more poignant.

The well-known 65-year-old TV personality has been honoured with an MBE for her many years of charity fundraising with multiple different organisations.

“I’ve been involved in getting awards for other people, I’ve been asked to help promote and nominate other people for awards, so I know this process takes a number of years,” she told the PA news agency.

I know this award hasn't come along because I had breast cancer. It's been a long time in the making, so it's just so lovely that the two have married in together

“So it’s rather lovely that it has come at the end of the year when it was this time last year – December 29 2022 – I was told I had breast cancer.

“And then, in July, I was told that I don’t, which is fantastic.“But I know this award hasn’t come along because I had breast cancer. It’s been a long time in the making, so it’s just so lovely that the two have married in together.

“While 2023 is a year for a lot of things that I’m very grateful for, it’s not exactly how I wanted my year to pan out.

“But I can look back on this year as being sort of very much life changing and life affirming and to receive this award at the end of the year is just icing on the cake.”

Ms Ballantine said the letter informing her of her inclusion on the honours list was a “huge shock”.

“I was absolutely thrilled and very surprised as well,” she said.

The Belfast-born presenter is involved in charitable work through several roles.

She is on the boards of both the Belfast Activity Centre and Youth Action; is vice chair of multicultural organisation ArtsEkat; is regional chair of Action Medical Research in Northern Ireland; and is a patron of Bowel Cancer UK.

The horse lover is also chair of the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders.

“It’s lovely to be invited in to be asked to do these things,” she said.

“And I think being able to be approached and asked to be involved in charities is a really nice thing to do.”

The presenter is not the first member of her family to be honoured by a monarch.

Mum and dad are no longer with us, and I just know that they will now both be going, ‘Well done, dear'

On the mantelpiece of her home in east Belfast, there is a picture of herself aged 18, along with her sister Susan and her late parents Bob and Edna Rolston at Buckingham Palace in 1976.

They were there attending a ceremony where her father was made CBE for his contribution to business.

Ms Ballantine said she knew what her parents would have said if they had been alive to hear their daughter had been made an MBE.

“Mum and dad are no longer with us, and I just know that they will now both be going, ‘Well done, dear’,” she said.