Tony Hatch ‘humbly proud’ to be made OBE

Tony Hatch has said he is “humbly proud” to be made an OBE.

The TV theme composer has been recognised for his services to music and charity in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Hatch, 81, said: “I’m humbly proud and very thrilled to receive this wonderful honour.”

The composer wrote the theme tune for ITV soaps Crossroads and Emmerdale.

However, he is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Petula Clark, the most famous of which was Downtown in 1964.

After divorcing his first wife Jean, Hatch married Jackie Trent, who he frequently worked with, in 1967 after the pair met at an audition.

The couple composed the theme tune to Australian soap Neighbours while living together in the country in the 1980s.

However, they separated in 1995 and divorced in 2002 before he later married his third wife Maggie.