The honour recognised both his achievements as an actor and his commitment to the city.

Mr Bean said: "It was a great occasion and I feel very privileged to be here amongst all the other graduates, who have done it the hard way. The fact it's here in Sheffield means more to me than anywhere else – it's better than Cambridge, isn't it?

"When I were a 15-year-old lad at Brook school, I never expected that one day I'd be here receiving this degree. It makes life extra special."

The 48-year-old was set to become a welder at his father's workshop in Sheffield before discovering acting while studying art at Rotherham College. He went on to win a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before making his professional debut as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet.

Just a few hours before receiving his Doctor of Letters, he attended a tree planting at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital to back an appeal to raise money for a new leukaemia and blood disorders ward.