Cricketer Sir Ian Botham, newsreader Moira Stuart and civil rights champion Shami Chakrabati are among the diverse figures to receive honorary doctorates from the University of Exeter this year.

At a gathering of 3,000 students next month, which will be streamed live in the internet, the star-studded line up including people from the world of sport, science and business, will receive their honours.

The University of Exeter's Chancellor, Floella Benjamin OBE, praised the hard work of the students who will be receiving their degrees.

"This is a time for celebration for our students and their families, a culmination of years of hard work and an opportunity for us to send them out into the world with a valuable Exeter degree and the full backing of our staff.

"Our honorary graduands are leaders in their fields and we very much look forward to welcoming them here."

The week-long series of ceremonies gets under way on July 12 with Ms Stuart, a fixture on Chris Evans BBC Radio 2 breakfast show..

She will be joined by Botham and Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and panellist from BBC TV's Dragons' Den.

Ceremonies will be held at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter and for students at the University's Cornwall Campus, Truro Cathedral. Other figures include Chakrabati, director of Liberty; Fiona Shackleton, the lawyer who Replica watches represented Prince Charles and Sir Paul McCartney in their divorces, and Sir John Rose, chief executive of Rolls Royce.