SHAW actor Shobna Gulati has another three letters to add to her name, MBE.
For she has been named in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
Familiar to many as Sunita Alahan in Coronation Street or Anita in Dinnerladies, Shobna has been made a Member of the British Empire for services to the cultural industries.
Already a doctor of letters and a deputy lieutenant of Greater Manchester, the 57-year-old now has a third title she can include.
After appearing on TV, Shobna has showed her talents in a variety of settings, including Doctor Who and sharing recipes online following an appearance on Celebrity Best Home Cook.
She became an author, writing Remember Me? Discovering My Mother as She Lost Her Memory.
And she is appearing on stage, starring in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie since 2018.
The world premiere of new play A Tupperware of Ashes takes place at the Dorfman Theatre, part of the National Theatre in London, on September 25.
Oldham has always played a big part in Shobna’s life and she has spoken of her love
for the town.
She told a previous interview: “For a long time in my life, I didn’t know anything but Oldham.
“It’s where I grew up. It is a very special place to me. I love the brutality of the countryside, the moors. It’s my favourite place in the whole world. I will go there to gather my thoughts and my senses.
“The urban landscape is fantastic too. Some people love looking at green rolling hills, as do I.
“But the moors teamed with the backdrop of the mills is beautiful. I love the people, too. I think that is what has made it the place it is.
“Oldham forms part of my fabric. It is a part of me. I feel a part of its history.”