Former Sky Sports Rugby League commentator Mike Stephenson, known to Rugby League fans as Stevo, has been honoured with the award of an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for his services to Rugby League and to sports broadcasting.
And Stevo, who retired at the end of the 2016 season, told the Sky Sports website that he was thrilled to receive the award.
“I am deeply honoured and it is a huge shock. I am not the type of person who usually keeps a secret but I did on this occasion,” he told Sky Sports News HQ.
“They were chasing me because they had sent the letter of nomination to the wrong address and I was actually on a cruise out of Sydney Harbour.
“I couldn’t get too much reception or email [access], so it was a bit of a panic in the end, but we got there.
“I am just amazed and I would just like to thank all my former colleagues at Sky Sports for all their help.
“I am very, very pleased.
“I am missing all my former colleagues, especially my friend Eddie Hemmings, we’ve been together now for 28 years,” he added.
“I have a funny feeling he may have had something to do with it and to everyone at Sky I would just say, thank you for your support.”