The broadcaster, 68, who presented Trevor Phillips on Sunday in 2021 and 2022, received his knighthood from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.

Sir Trevor stood in for Sophy Ridge presenting Sky's Sunday politics show during the coronavirus pandemic.

During one programme, he fought back tears as he questioned Oliver Dowden, the Tory party chairman at the time, about lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.

He said that two days after Number 10 staff drank a suitcase of wine at a leaving party during COVID restrictions, his daughter Sushila died after a long battle with anorexia.

"We all stuck to the spirit and the letter of the rules," he told the MP.

"Does the prime minister really understand why people are angry?"

Mr Dowden, now chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, replied: "I know how much you have suffered in this period."

Rishi Sunak, who was chancellor at the time, and Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time, were both fined for attending gatherings in Westminster during restrictions.

Human rights chair

Sir Trevor was chosen as head of the Commission of Racial Equality by Tony Blair, then the prime minister, in 2003, and chairman of its successor, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, from 2007 to 2012.

He was chair of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2003 after an unsuccessful bid to be Labour's candidate for London mayor.

Among his other roles are head of current affairs at London Weekend Television, president of John Lewis Partnership's Partnership Council and head of the Runnymede Trust, an independent race equality think tank.

He had previously received an OBE in 1999 for services to broadcast journalism.

Others honoured on Tuesday were the Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty, footballer Rio Ferdinand and fantasy author Sir Ian Livingstone.