'I'm a celebrity, get me an honorary degree!'

Academics can appear a bit out of touch but this article in the Guardian does question the whole value of awarding about honorary degrees - 'I'm a celebrity, get me an honorary degree!' In 2002, for example, the University of Wolverhampton gave honorary degrees to members of Slade. Italian referee Pierluigi Collina has one from Hull. Over-indulged bigmouth TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has one from Oxford Brookes University. Michael Douglas and Joanna Lumley just got ones from St Andrews (his is for - no really - "services to film"). The Bee Gees' Robin and Barry Gibb are honorary doctors of music at the University of Manchester, sharing their degree with their late brother Maurice.