Famous people from Leicester(shire)
Listed alphabetically by surname
David Attenborough
Born 1926 – Broadcaster & Naturalist
His career as the respected face and voice of British natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years. He is best known for writing and presenting the nine "Life" series, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, which collectively form a comprehensive survey of all terrestrial life. He is also a former senior manager at the BBC, having served as controller of BBC Two and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the younger brother of director and actor Richard Attenborough.
Lord Richard Attenborough
Born 1923 - Actor, Director & Producer
Lord Attenborough was born in Cambridge but educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester. Lord Attenborough, along with his brother Sir David Attenborough, spent a lot of their childhood exploring the collections held at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery. Lord Attenborough has been collecting Picasso ceramics since the 1950s and in 2007, a large part of his collection went on display at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery for the first time.
Julian Barnes
Born 1946 - English novelist
He worked as a journalist and a lexicographer on the Oxford English Dictionary Supplement, which explains the crisp precision of his prose in his writing. His novels include Flaubert’s Parrot (1984), A History of the World in 10½ Chapters (1989), Talking It Over (1991) and the sequel Love etc. (2000), The Porcupine (1992) and England, England (1998).
Henry Bates
Born 1825. Died 1892 - English naturalist
With his friend Alfred Wallace he set off to explore the Amazon in 1848 and did not return until 1859 bringing back 14,700 specimens including 8,000 new insect species to science. In 1861 he produced Contributions to an Insect Fauna of The Amazon Valley, which provided strong evidence in favour of natural selection.
Christopher Bruce
Born 1945 - English dancer and choreographer
Graduated from Ballet Rambert School. Established reputation in Pierrot Lunarie (1962). First piece of choreography for Rambert was George Frideric. Produced His Grinning in your Face (2001) to celebrate Rambert’s 75th anniversary. Awarded CBE in 1998.
Alistair John Campbell
Born 1957 - Director of Communications and Strategy for 10 Downing Street
He has been a controversial figure in British politics in recent years, and is often seen as one of the "architects" of New Labour. Most recently, he has been accused of manufacturing evidence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the 2003 Iraq war.
Graham Chapman
Born 1941. Died 1989 – Comedian, writer and actor
Studied medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Joined Footlights, other members include Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor. With John Cleese wrote for the BBC during the 1960s. In 1969 with Cleese he joined Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle and American artist Terry Gilliam for Monty Python's Flying Circus. Moved to Los Angeles where he appeared on many guest shows. Returned to the UK. Died of pneumonia brought about by throat cancer.
John Cleveland
Born 1613. Died 1658 - English Cavalier poet
Opposed election of Oliver Cromwell to the Long Parliament. Joined the Royalist army but had to surrender with his garrison. In 1656 published a volume of 36 poems which included satires and elegies to Charles I and Earl of Stafford.
Rosemary Conley, CBE
Born 1946
Rosemary Conley was born in Leicestershire and is an English businesswoman, author and broadcaster on exercise and health. She is the founder and president of Rosemary Conley Diet And Fitness Clubs, a franchise-based organisation that is, alongside Slimming World and Weight Watchers, one of the "big three" weight loss organisations in the UK. She has released several exercise videos and books.
Thomas Cook
Born 1808. Died 1892 - Founder of the travel agency
Founder of the travel agency that bears his name. Did you know? In 1841 Thomas Cook organised the worlds first package tour from Leicester - it went just up the road to Loughborough for a temperance meeting.
Simon de Montfort – Earl of Leicester
Born 1208. Died 1265
Simon de Montfort was the 6th Earl of Leicester and also a leader of opposition to King Henry III of England. He was regarded as a leader in parliamentary democracy as he became part of the first elected parliament in medieval Europe. De Montfort Hall and De montfort University are both named after him.
Terri Dwyer
Born 1973 – Actress
She began her career as a model and in 1995 won the part of Ruth Osborne in the British soap opera, Hollyoaks. After leaving Hollyoaks in 2001, she participated in the Channel 4 reality tv show, The Games and went on to win a gold medal. In 2003, she briefly returned to Hollyoaks and also became a regular presenter on the ITV1 programme Loose Women. In 2005, she joined the cast of Grange Hill. In June, 2006, Terri helped ITV Play launch a new show: Rovers Return Quiz Night. Dwyer left ITV Play in June 2006, after accepting the job as main presenter on ITV's 60 Minute Makeover. Dwyer also made a guest appearance on popular comedy Bo' Selecta in 2002.
Ernest Gimson
Born 1864. Died 1919 - Architect and furniture designer
Associated with the Barnsley brothers, Sidney and Ernest. Moved to the Cotswolds in 1895 where they designed and made furniture. Today he is regarded as one of the most influential designers of the English Arts and Crafts movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His designs included ladder-back chairs and cabinets and metalwork.
Lady Jane Grey
Born 1537. Died 1554 - Queen of England
Great granddaughter of Henry VII of England. Queen of England for nine days in 1553. Her status as a monarch is controversial; her succession contravened an Act of Parliament, but so October 12did the succession of several other monarchs. However, after her rule ended, her proclamation as Queen was revoked. She was also known as one of the most learned women of her day, described by the historian Alison Weir as "one of the finest female minds of the century."
Joseph Hall
Born 1574. Died 1656 - Prelate and writer
Studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Became Dean of Worcester in 1617. Was Bishop of Exeter (1627-41) and Bishop of Norwich (1641-47). Retired in 1647 to a small farm in Higham. His writings included Contemplations, Christian Meditations and Episcopacy as well as the political satires Virgidemiarum (1597-98).
Alice Hawkins
Born 1863. Died 1946
Suffragist Alice Hawkins was a working class leader of the women's suffrage movement in Leicester, and founder of the Women's Social and Political Union in 1907.
Engelbert Humperdinck
Born 1936 – Pop Singer
Born in Madras India as Arnold George Dorsey but was raised in Leicester, England and adopted the stage name Engelbert Humperdinck, after the German opera composer of the same name. Humperdinck has sold about 150 million records and has established himself as one of the world's premiere live performers in a number of sold-out tours.
Sir Alec John Jeffreys
Born 1950 – British Geneticist
Sir Alec John Jeffreys developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used all over the world in forensic science. He is a professor of genetics at the University of Leicester and an honorary freeman of the Leicester.
Kasabian - Indie Band
Band fromed in 1999, debut album released 2004
Formed by Tom Meighan (vocals), Sergio Pizzorno (guitar and vocals), Chris Edwards (bass), Jay Mehler (Keyboards and Guitar). During the recording of the band's second album, the drummer Ian Matthews became a permanent member. The band are from the Leicestershire villages of Blaby and Countesthorpe. Kasabian won the Best Live Act award at the 2007 NME Awards and are now one of the biggest indie bands in the country.
Chris Kirkland
Born 1981 – Football Goalkeeper
he is currently on loan to West Bromwich Albion F.C. from Liverpool F.C. Kirkland shot to prominence as one of the most promising young English keepers in the country in the 2000-01 season, while with his first clubCoventry City. He was bought by Liverpool for £6m on transfer deadline day at the start of the 2001-02 season, as backup for the Reds' other new signing, Jerzy Dudek.
Dominic Keating
Born 1962 – Actor
Dominic is a British television, film and theatre actor, who played Malcolm Reed on the Star Trek series.
Daniel Lambert
Born 1770. Died 1809 - Leicester's Largest Son
Daniel was a man from Leicester in England, who became famous for his obesity.
His weight at the time of his death was 739 pounds (336 kg), his height was 5 feet 11 inches, and his waist measurement was 9 feet 4 inches. Read more... Leicester's Largest Son
Lisa Lashes
Born 1985 - DJ
Lisa Lashes (real name: Lisa Dawn Rose-Wyatt) grew up in Coventry and Leicester and now lives in Leicester. She is a leading UK hard dance DJ, playing styles including hard house, hard trance and techno. An established and popular DJ in the UK hard dance scene, Lisa Lashes was one of the pioneers of UK hard house, a genre that was developed in the UK during the 1990s and is still evolving today.
Hugh Latimer
Born 1485. Died 1555 - English Protestant reformer
Converted to Protestantism. Examined legality of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Chaplain to Anne Boleyn. Later imprisioned by Henry. Under Mary I found guilty of heresy and burned at stake.
Gary Lineker
Born 1960 - English footballer and commentator
Became professional footballer with Leicester City in 1978. Made debut for England in 1984. Top scorer in 1986 World Cup. Scored 48 goals for England, one short of Bobby Charlton’s record. Footballer of the Year in 1992. Regularly presents BBC Sports programmes.
Bill Maynard
Born 1928 – Actor
Walter Frederick George Williams more commonly known as Bill Maynard is a British actor who played Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in the television series, Heartbeat, and earlier Selwyn Froggit in the sitcom Oh No! It's Selwyn Froggit. He took his professional surname from an advertising board (also known as a bill board) for Maynard's Fruit Gums, a popular British confectionery product.
Joseph Merrick aka The Elephant Man
Born 1862. Died 1890
He gained the sympathy of Victorian Britain because of his extreme deformity. Born in Leicester to mother Mary Jane Merrick, he had a younger brother and sister. He began showing signs of deformity at age two. His mother died when he was 11. According to family accounts, she too was "crippled". He then was forced to live with his father, Joseph RockleyMerrick, and stepmother, who did not want him and forced him to earn his keep by selling goods on the street. For the better part of his life he was unemployable, so as a last resort he took a job as a sideshow attraction. He was treated decently, and made a small amount of money. When sideshows were outlawed in the UK in 1886 he traveled to Belgium to find work and was mistreated and abandoned by a showman.
Mark Morrison
Born 1974 – Singer
He is a British musician from Leicester, most famous for his R&B hit 'Return of the Mack'.
Rendall Munroe
Born 1980 - English Super Bantamweight Boxer
Rendall Munroe is the current holder of the EBU super bantamweight title as well as being the current Commonwealth Super Bantamweight title holder. Munroe shot to fame when he upset the form book and defeated touted Spaniard Kiko Martinez. In May 2009, Munroe captured the Commonwealth title with a points victory over Isaac Nettty. His dayjob as a binman in Leicester is well publicised as his nickname is 'The Binman'. He and his corner men also come out wearing fluorescent yellow binman jackets.
Parminder Nagra
Born 1975 - Actress
Born in the Belgrave area of Leicester Parminder Nagra was the leading actor in the Bend it Like Beckham (2002).The success of the movie in the U.S led her to a part in America's medical drama ER.
Joe Orton
Born 1933. Died 1967 - English dramatist
Trained as actor at RADA before turning to writing. Plays included Entertaining Mr Sloane (1964), Loot (1966) and What the Butler Saw (1969). Murdered by his lover Kenneth Halliwell who then killed himself.
Jenny Pitman
Born 1946 - English National Hunt racehorse trainer
Set up training stables with her then husband Richard Pitman. Her horses have won a large number and variety of events including the Welsh National, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Hennessey Gold Cup, the Whitbread Trophy and the Grand National in 1983. Was the Piper Heidsieck Trainer of the Year on a number of occasions. Awarded OBE in 1998.
Richard III, King of England
Born 1452. Died 1485
King of England from 1483 until his death as he was defeated in the famous Battle of Bosworth which is said to have taken place near Sutton Cheney and Market Bosworth in Leicestershire.
Mark Selby
Born 1983 – Professional Snooker & Pool player
Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. In January 2008, Selby won the Masters, his first major snooker title, and followed this by winning the Welsh Open the very next month, his first ranking-tournament success. Selby still lives in Leicester and is a fan of Leicester City football club, which he has supported since childhood.
Peter Shilton
Born 1949 – Former Goalkeeper
He holds the record for playing more games than any other player. His international career earned him 125 caps, making him England's most capped player. In a 30-year career, which included eleven different clubs, three World Cups, two European Cup finals and more than 1,000 competitive matches, Shilton emerged as one of the English game's genuine legends.
Showaddywaddy
Pop Group formed in 1974
The band was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two groups, Choise and The Golden Hammers. This led to an eight member band, with the unusual feature of having two vocalists, a couple of drummers and two bassists. Their first single 'Hey Rock and Roll' (written by the band), was released in April 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. In total they had ten Top Ten singles, a solitary number one 'Under the Moon of Love' in 1976), and spent 209 weeks in the UK Singles Chart.
Tony Sibson
Born 1958 - Former professional boxer
Sibson was EBU (European) middleweight, Commonwealth (British Empire) middleweight and BBBofC British middleweight title holder. During the 1970s and 1980s he won 55 of his 63 bouts, including 31 by knockout. He fought Marvin Hagler for the WBA and WBC middleweight titles in February 1983, losing by a technical knockout in the sixth round. Five years later he challenged Frank Tate for the IBF title, this time losing by a 10th round TKO. Sibson also moved up to Light heavyweight and lost to Dennis Andries in a bout for the WBC title in 1986. Sibson currently lives and spends his time in Leicester.
C P Snow
Born 1905. Died 1980 - English novelist and physicist
Educated at Leicester and Cambridge. Civil Service commissioner from 1945 to 1960. His sequence of novels began with Strangers and Brothers (1940). Other books include Corridors of Power (1964) and The Sleep of Reason (1968). Made a life peer in 1964.
Willie Thorne
Born 1954 – Snooker Player & Commentator
A strong junior player, Thorne became national under-16 champion at both snooker and English billiards in 1970.
Sue Townsend
Born 1946 - English writer
Best known as the author of the book, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾. Other novels include The Queen and I, Ghost Children and Number 10. Has also written a number of plays and a non-fiction book.
George Villiers
Born 1592. Died 1628 - assasinated - English politician and court favourite
Favourite of James I. Knighted and raised to peerage as Viscount Villiers in 1616. Became Earl of Buckingham in 1617. Arranged marriage of Charles I with Henrietta Maria of France. Expedition against France in 1627 failed. Assassinated by John Felton, a discontented subaltern.
Gok Wan
Born 1974 - Fashion Consultant & TV Presenter
Gok Wan was born in Leicester to a Chinese father, John Tung Shing; who was born in Hong Kong and an English mother, Myra. He grew up on one of the city's council estates. Fuelled by his personality and charm, he moved in to the world of fashion and worked with many celebrities including All Saints, Damien Lewis, Erasure, Vanessa Mae, Lauren Laverne, Wet Wet Wet, and Johnny Vaughan. He also offered his opinions to magazines, becoming a fashion consultant, and his work has been published internationally in several magazines. In 2006, Wan was approached by Channel 4 and asked to present his own fashion show, 'How to Look Good Naked' and continues to present fashion advice shows today.
Young Knives - Indie Band
Broke into the music industry in 2002
An Indie band from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, originally called ‘Simple Pastoral Existence’. The band is known for its energetic live performances and trendy tweed outfits. They broke into the music industry in 2002 and were nominated for the Nationwide Mercury Prize in 2007. Their second album Superabundance entered the charts at number 28 in March 2008.
Know anybody else? Let us know - email: one@oneleicester.com
