Ceramicist Rich Miller, best known as a judge on Channel 4's The Great Pottery Throw Down, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University for the Creative Arts (UCA).

Mr Miller, who lives in Surrey and was born in West Sussex, received an Honorary Doctor of Arts (DArt) during the university's graduation ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall on Thursday, July 9, in recognition of his contribution to ceramics and for championing the value of craft.

Accepting the award, he encouraged graduates to embrace creativity and curiosity.

He said: "I congratulate you for choosing the arts. Creativity has the unique power to communicate complex ideas, to challenge the status quo, and to stand at the forefront of shaping the society we live in. Use that power wisely."

Mr Miller graduated from UCA in 2003 with a degree in ceramics, where he was taught by internationally renowned ceramicist and UCA chancellor Dame Magdalene Odundo.

Reflecting on his time at the university, he said: "Had UCA and teachers such as Chancellor Dame Magdalene Odundo not taught me to question 'why', I wouldn't have had the tools to unpack that. Curiosity gives you perspective, so keep asking questions of everything, stay open and say yes to the things that scare you."

His career began when he founded bespoke stoneware manufacturer Froyle Tiles, which he ran for 19 years. The company worked on architectural projects including 24 Savile Row and Tate St Ives Pavilion, as well as commissions for clients including the BBC, Nando's and Marks & Spencer.

Miller joined The Great Pottery Throw Down as a technician before becoming a judge when the programme moved to Channel 4.

More recently, he staged his first solo exhibition, Fired Legacies, at Watts Gallery in Guildford, exploring themes of heritage and British colonial history through ceramics.