A famous face joined hundreds of students as they tossed mortarboards in the air to celebrate graduating from a Norwich university.

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

On Thursday, students from the University of East Anglia's Norwich Medical School and schools of art, media and American studies, arts and humanities, education and lifelong learning, history, law and health science donned robes for their ceremonies.

In total, about 3,900 students will graduate over the course of this week.

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Pictured with his parents Michael and Carolyn. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Pictured with his parents Michael and Carolyn. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

MORE: Ed Balls, charity founder and Star Wars actor among UEA's 2017 honorary graduates

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

For one well-known face, the ceremony was a trip down memory lane.

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

Norwich City chairman Ed Balls gathered alongside hundreds of students on Thursday, having been chosen as one of the university's 20 honorary graduates for 2017.

He attended his ceremony with his mother Carolyn and father Michael, a former lecturer in zoology at the university - and reflected on earlier years spent on the campus.

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

He revealed how an experience while at the university saw him turn down a spot on a reality television show.

He said: 'It's my dad's first time back here for 40 years so it's quite nice to have a family reunion in a place which was very special in our family all those years ago.

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

'He used to come and check his animals on a Saturday morning and get the mail and I used to come in with him as well.

'In fact, I was actually asked to do a different reality television show a couple of years ago and I had to say no.

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls is awarded an honorary degree from the UEA. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

'And the reason is when I was three-years-old coming to the university on a Saturday morning I stuck my finger in a cage and got bitten by a rat, which has instilled a lifelong fear of rats for me, which meant the ITV reality show was definitely a no no for me.'

Eastern Daily Press: Ed Balls sent out a very random invite. Picture : ANTONY KELLYEd Balls sent out a very random invite. Picture : ANTONY KELLY (Image: archant 2017)

MORE: Remarkable stories at 3,900 students prepare to graduate from UEA in Norwich

He said he was 'very proud' to be chosen as an honorary graduate, which he described as 'a special thing to come and be part of'.

Honorary graduates including Caroline Jarrold and Patrick Peal, who had a key role in setting up the East Anglian Air Ambulance and is now its chief executive, celebrated their ceremonies earlier in the week.