British Officials Investigating New Years Honors List Leak

U.K. officials are to launch an investigation after stars including John Hurt and Joan Collins were named as recipients of Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year Honors before the list was officially announced.

The list was unveiled late on Tuesday, but a number of the recipients, including Hurt and Collins, had already been made public after the list leaked ahead of time.

It has now emerged that bosses of Britain’s Civil Service are to launch a probe to find out how the names of the high-profile recipients got out.

Sir Bob Kerslake, head of the Civil Service, says, “I can’t comment on where they (the leaks) are coming from. We will look into it, I’ll leave it at that. There have been leaks in the past but there was, on this particular occasion, a significant number and that’s the point we will look into… It’s particularly unfair when names get quoted in the papers who then subsequently aren’t on the list. In every sense it’s highly regrettable and we will look into this.”

Hurt landed a knighthood in the list, while Collins is to be made a dame. Other recipients include actresses Emily Watson and Sheridan Smith, and comedian James Corden, who will be made Officers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

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