Yet more star names have been added to the list of celebrities lined up for our Farming Awards.

Latest additions are gold medal swimmer Rebecca Adlington, Strictly’s head judge Shirley Ballas, and Welsh weather presenter Sian Lloyd.

The awards, which recognise outstanding work in the farming community across Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, are run by this newspaper and out sister papers across the region.

Because of Covid the awards ceremony takes the form of a live online broadcast on November 26 and will be hosted by BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson.

The awards have attracted a record number of entries this year and a series of stars who will be dropping in to the ceremony with special messages.

Rebecca Adlington won two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle, breaking the 19-year-old world record of Janet Evans in the 800-metre final.

She went on to win World Championship gold in 2011, and two bronze medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Since retiring as a competitor in 2013 she has worked for BBC TV as a swimming pundit at the Olympic Games and World Aquatics Championships, and made various other media appearances.

Shirley Ballas was appointed head judge on the BBC TV show, Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 following the departure of Len Goodman

She is a champion ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and dance adjudicator who specialises in the International Latin division, earning her the nickname The Queen of Latin.

Apart from Strictly, she has also appeared in Dancing with the Stars.

Siân Lloyd, the Welsh television presenter and meteorologist, is the UK's longest-serving female weather forecaster, having appeared on ITV Weather for 24 years, from 1990 until 2014.

She started her career as a researcher for the BBC Wales Today nightly news programme, became an announcer for Welsh Language TV channel S4C, and then successfully screen tested for the ITV Weather in 1990.

She was twice voted best TV weather presenter in 2005 and 2007.

Proud of her Welsh roots, she set up SWS (which means "kiss" in Welsh, and standing for "Social, Welsh and Sexy"), a Welsh networking club.

She appeared on ITV's reality television show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, but was the shock first celebrity to be eliminated by the public vote.

For more information and details of local finalists go to https://www.herefordtimes.com/awards/tcf/