Oldie of the Year 2016: Germaine Greer honoured for her transgender feud

To Simpson’s-in-the-Strand for the annual Oldie of the Year awards. This year a panel including Gyles Brandeth, Libby Purves, John Lloyd, Craig Brown, Roger Lewis, James Pembroke and the magazine’s editor Alexander Chancellor were responsible for awarding the gongs. Perhaps the most controversial choice for an award was Germaine Greer. The ardent feminist made headlines last year when she claimed that transgender women could not be classed as women: ‘just because you lop off your d–k doesn’t make you a f—ing woman’. While Greer became the subject of much vitriol from the transgender community for the comments, she has now received a more positive response. The Oldie magazine awarded her the ‘Iconoclast of the year’ for her controversial opinions on transgender issues. The full list of winners is below — while Mr S will report on the gossip from the event in due course:

Oldies of the year

Olivia de Havilland, 99, and Jeremy Hutchinson, 101

Campaigner of the year

Baroness Meacher, 75

The peeress who led the Lords revolt during the tax credits debate

Jungle gourmet of the year

Lady Colin Campbell, 66

Gracefully tucked into an array of bugs using a knife and fork on I’m A Celebrity…

Longbowman of the year

Robert Hardy, 90

Star of All Creatures Great and Small, but also author of ‘Longbow’ and trustee of the Royal Armouries at Tower of London

Square eyes of the year

June, 78, and Leon, 81

Straight-talking, funny and firm favourites in the hit programme Gogglebox

Bargees of the year

Timothy West, 80, and Prunella Scales, 83

Stars of Channel 4’s Great Canal Journeys

Witness of the year

Don McCullin, 80

War photographer from Vietnam onwards.