Acclaimed Welsh actor awarded Honorary Fellowship

Rakie Ayola

Rakie Ayola

22 May 2026

Multi-BAFTA award winning actor Rakie Ayola, best known for roles in Kaos, Doctor Who, The Pact and Holby City, has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship from Aberystwyth University.

The Honorary Fellowship was conferred during a ceremony at Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Her career spans four decades and also includes appearances in Anthony, Shetland and ITV’s Midsomer Murders.

In 2023, she won the BAFTA Cymru Best Actress Award for her role in BBC drama The Pact, where she played a social worker and mother of three, whose life is upended by the arrival of a mysterious stranger.

At the same ceremony she also won the prestigious BAFTA Cymru Siân Phillips award, which is given to a Welsh individual who has made significant contributions to film or television.

Her other accolades include a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in 2021 for her role in the BBC film Anthony, as well as the Best Female in a Play award at the Black British Theatre Awards in 2020. Alongside her acting work, she serves as a Trustee of Welsh National Theatre and Fuel Theatre.

Speaking about her award, Rakie Ayola said:

“Diolch yn fawr iawn Prifysgol Aberystwyth. I'm truly grateful for your recognition of my work with this honour. Thank you also for such an intimate and personal conferment ceremony. The significance of this award is magnified by the kindness, warmth and generosity I received from both your faculty and students. I hope this is the beginning of a lengthy, creative and inspiring relationship.”

During her visit to the University’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television, she met students and took part in a Q&A session, sharing insights on her work across stage and screen. 

Dr Kim Knowles, Head of the Department at Aberystwyth University, said: 

“Rakie is one of the great Welsh actors of our time. Her versatility on stage and screen across a wide range of roles and genres is deeply impressive.

“She also knows the importance of giving something back, whether it is by serving as an ambassador for the Anthony Walker Foundation, a patron of the Actor’s Children’s Trust, the Childhood Tumour Trust, Collage Voices, Praxis Performing Arts, or the Black Welsh Music Awards. She is a richly deserving recipient of an Honorary Fellowship.”