The award is in recognition of his work championing health and wellbeing for all, from his ‘PE with Joe’ series during the covid pandemic, fitness workouts for all abilities and hundreds of free to access healthy recipes.

Over the years Joe has grown his Body Coach brand to become one of the most followed fitness accounts on Instagram and YouTube, building a multi-million-pound international business.

Despite his entrepreneurial success Joe has always been committed to improving everyone’s health and wellbeing, giving much of his advice for free so it can be shared as widely as possible.

His dedication to improving public health matches that of Loughborough University, whose researchers champion healthy eating and movement as medicine, for everyone.

Speaking about receiving his honorary degree, Joe said: “It’s an absolute honour and a privilege to be recognised by Loughborough University in this way. The university has a great reputation in sport, health, and wellbeing so to receive an honorary degree makes me feel incredibly proud.”

 The University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sport, Professor Jo Maher, added: “It is great honour for us to recognise someone who has had such a positive impact on public health and wellbeing – a cause that is the central focus of all we do here at Loughborough University.

“Joe gets the whole family moving, turns our living rooms into gyms, and makes exercise fun, using his influence to campaign for better access to healthy spaces, healthy foods, and healthy living advice.”

Joe was made an Honorary Doctor of the University at Loughborough’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday 16 July 2024.