Coronation Street's Alex Duguid was awarded an MBE for being a sign language interpreter on the show.

Prince William thanked the ITV star for his services to deaf people and to British Sign Language Education.

The Duke of Cambridge praised the ITV star with the words "Congratulations Alex" in sign language at Buckingham Palace.

Alex is ITV's second-oldest employee and he is welcomed into millions of homes each night as British Sign Language interpreter.

The star has been praised for his amazing work on the channel's hit soaps – including Emmerdale and Coronation Street .


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An official tweet posted by Kensington Palace touched on the special moment for Alex, and fans were really pleased for the soap's veteran.

Social media was awash with high praise for Alex and many gushed over Prince William taking the time to thank the interpretor.

"How nice and thoughtful that The Duke Of Cambridge signed. Well done to Alex Duguid MBE". One fan wrote among many.


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Others added: "This is great to see the Duke took time to learn to sign something that would mean so much to Alex".

"Congratulations to Alex Duguid MBE, honoured by The Duke of Cambridge for services to Deaf People and to British Sign Language Education you should be so proud of yourself and well done".

Alex has spent the past 30 years helping hundreds of people communicate with deaf people.

His life was changed forever when he was just three years old.

Alex confessed during a day playing at the railway yard he had fallen and fractured his cheekbone and as a result he became deaf.

The star shared from that moment on his life changed as he was totally deaf in the right ear and 25% hearing in the left.

Born in South Shields during the Second World War in 1943, Alex's dad was in the Merchant Navy fighting to keep Britain supplied.

The deaf Corrie star told Chronicle Live in 2016: "I grew up in war torn South Shields and I loved to wander.

"In 1947, aged three and half years old, I was playing in the National Coal Board railway yard. Around the yard there were lots of waggons and also a Rag and Bone stable where there were a few ponies, which I and other kids often visited."

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