Actress Zo� Wanamaker has spoken of how humbled she was to receive an honorary degree alongside fellow graduates at the University of East Anglia.

The My Family star, who was made a CBE in 2001, received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters today during the ceremony for graduates of the Schools of American Studies and History.

Before the ceremony, when asked about receiving the doctorate she said: 'I am thrilled and very excited. I know it is a cliche but I feel really honoured and humbled to be here. There are students here who for three years have worked really hard and studied hard, and I just feel humbled and privileged to be here with them.

'This is my third honorary degree and I am really blown away by it.'

Zo�, who has starred in more than 50 plays and 40 TV shows, has previously received honorary degrees from Richmond University and South Bank University.

She said she was particularly proud of the honorary doctorates because she has dyslexia and she spoke of how people with dyslexia may have an extra hurdle to deal with but it does not need to stop them achieving their ambitions.

'It is harder if you have got that block with numbers and letters which is like a brick wall, but if you have a passion you can do it. It is about self-belief, about passion for learning and enjoyment of languages and numbers, and hard work. It is achievable,' she said.

She also spoke of fond childhood memories of the Norfolk Broads.

'I used to go sailing on the Norfolk Broads when I was about 10 or 11. It was great fun,' she said.

'Norfolk is a beautiful part of the world.'

Zoe is the honorary president of Shakespeare's Globe in London, which her father, American actor, director and producer Sam Wanamaker, dedicated more than two decades to reconstructing.

• emma.knights@archant.co.uk