AN INTERNET star is to receive an honorary doctorate.

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, from Brighton, is a presenter, blogger and YouTuber.

She is being given the honour by the University of Worcester.

Her nomination came via the university’s students who put her forward among a list which also includes comedian Jo Brand, Holocaust survivor Mindu Hornick and former England women’s footballer Marieanne Spacey-Cale.

Jessica will become an honorary doctor of philosophy.

She has conditions including hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy and sometimes needs the assistance of a wheelchair.

She said: “It means so much that this honour has been chosen for me by students who feel my work has inspired them.”

The YouTube star first came into the public eye on the BBC reality TV show Britain’s Missing Top Model, about models with disabilities.

She is a strong advocate of equality for disabled people and seeks to raise awareness of the issues that they can face.

She has nearly 350,000 followers on YouTube and often vlogs about a mixture of accessibility issues, gay culture, deafness, beauty, vintage fashion and a love of old Hollywood glamour.

She has also worked with BBC Radio 1 and BBC Three to create online content.

Jessica said: “I’d never felt represented in the general media so wanted to make videos about topics that were important to me but would also hopefully educate people who hadn’t thought about these issues before.

“It’s very important to be able to have a voice and a space to show abled bodied people that disability isn’t scary and dating someone with a disability is not a terrifying prospect that they should close their minds to.”

The awards ceremony will happen at Worcester Cathedral on Friday.

Jessica will then give an address for the 3,800 students and at the conclusion of the ceremony there will be an academic procession.

A university spokesman said: “The University of Worcester is widely recognised as being one of the most inclusive in the UK with a strong commitment to ensuring all those with the ability to study have the opportunity to do so.”

To find out more about Jessica’s work visit her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/MissJessicaKH.