Turning down the honour

Benjamin Zephaniah has publically turned down the offer of an OBE. Many of the stories mentioning this have mentioned some others who've turned it down, which reminds me of something I heard on the radio a while ago.

Tom Courtenay was being interviewed on Five Live (I believe it was by Simon Mayo) shortly after he'd received his knighthood. While discussing other actors who'd become Sirs or Dames, the conversation turned to Albert Finney who starred with Courtenay in the excellent A Rather English Marriage. Mayo expressed surprise that Finney hadn't received a knighthood to which Courtenay responded (I may be paraphrasing slightly) 'Ah, but that doesn't mean he's not been offered one'.