100 Notable alumni of
University of Leeds
Updated:
The University of Leeds is 195th in the world, 68th in Europe, and 14th in the United Kingdom by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Leeds sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Chris Pine
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm directorvoice actorfilm producerfilm actor
- Biography
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Christopher Whitelaw Pine is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009–2016) and Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).
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Keir Starmer
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Graduated with Bachelor of Laws
- Occupations
- barristerjuristpolitician
- Biography
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, and was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.
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Emma Mackey
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Studied in 2013-2016
- Occupations
- film actoractormodel
- Biography
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Emma Margaret Marie Tachard-Mackey is an English and French actress. Her breakthrough performance in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education (2019–2023) earned her a British Academy Television Award nomination. Mackey has since starred in the mystery film Death on the Nile (2022) and portrayed Emily Brontë in the drama film Emily (2022). She won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2023.
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Mark Knopfler
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- 1970-1973 studied English studies
- Occupations
- record producerfilm score composerguitaristsinger-songwritermulti-instrumentalist
- Biography
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Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is one of the two members who stayed throughout the band's existence, along with the bassist John Illsley. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. After Dire Straits dissolved, he pursued a solo career and is now an independent artist.
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Leslie Cheung
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directoractorcomposerrecording artist
- Biography
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Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was a Hong Kong singer and actor. One of the biggest stars in the Sinophone world, Cheung was known for his debonair demeanor, flamboyant screen characters, and avant-garde, androgynous stage presence. Throughout his 26-year career, he released over 40 music albums and acted in 56 films.
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Holliday Grainger
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Studied English-language literature
- Occupations
- film actoractorstage actor
- Biography
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Holliday Clark Grainger, also credited as Holly Grainger, is an English screen and stage actress. Some of her prominent roles are Kate Beckett in the BAFTA award-winning children's series Roger and the Rottentrolls, Lucrezia Borgia in the Showtime series The Borgias, Robin Ellacott in the Strike series, DI/DCI Rachel Carey in the Peacock/BBC One crime drama The Capture, and Estella in Mike Newell's 2012 film adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1861 novel Great Expectations.
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Mark Gatiss
- Occupations
- film editornovelisttelevision actortelevision produceractor
- Biography
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Mark Gatiss is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. Best known for his acting work on stage and screen as well as for co-creating television shows with Steven Moffat, he has received awards including two Laurence Olivier Awards, a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Peabody Award.
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Princess Kako of Akishino
- Occupations
- aristocrat
- Biography
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Princess Kako of Akishino is the second daughter of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan and a member of the Japanese imperial family. She is a niece of Emperor Naruhito and the second-eldest grandchild of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko.
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Natasia Demetriou
- Occupations
- actorcomediantelevision presenter
- Biography
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Natasia Charlotte Demetriou is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. She is best known for her roles as Nadja in the FX comedy horror series What We Do in the Shadows and Sophie in the Channel 4 sitcom Stath Lets Flats (2018–2021).
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Chelsy Davy
- Occupations
- lawyerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Chelsy Yvonne Davy is a Zimbabwean businesswoman. She is the owner and founder of the jewellery brand Aya and the travel agency Aya Africa. She is known for being the ex-girlfriend of Prince Harry.
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Peter Morgan
- Occupations
- screenwriterwriterplaywrightshowrunnerfilm producer
- Biography
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Peter Julian Robin Morgan CBE is a British playwright and screenwriter. Known for his work for stage and screen, he often writes about history or figures such as Elizabeth II, whom he has covered extensively in all major media. He has received numerous accolades including five BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. In February 2017, Morgan was awarded a British Film Institute Fellowship.
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Naga Munchetty
- Occupations
- television presenterbusinesspersonjournalist
- Biography
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Subha Nagalakshmi Munchetty-Chendriah, known professionally as Naga Munchetty, is a British television presenter, newsreader and journalist. She is a regular presenter on BBC Breakfast, and hosts an 11am–2pm programme from Monday to Wednesday on BBC Radio 5 Live, including "Must Watch with Scott Bryan and Hayley Campbell" on Mondays.. She is also a former presenter of BBC World News and BBC Two's weekday financial affairs programme Working Lunch.
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Wole Soyinka
- Occupations
- playwrightphilosopherwritertranslatoressayist
- Biography
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Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka GCON is a Nigerian writer, playwright, and poet. He has written three novels, ten collections of short stories, seven poetry collections, twenty-five plays and five memoirs. He also wrote two translated works and many articles and short stories for many newspapers and periodicals. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "wide cultural perspective and poetic overtones fashioning the drama of existence".
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Corinne Bailey Rae
- Occupations
- singerjazz musicianguitaristartistsinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae is an English singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2006. She released her debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae, in February 2006, and became the fourth female British act in history to have her first album debut at number one. The album has sold over four million copies. In 2007, Bailey Rae was nominated for three Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards, and won two MOBO Awards. In 2008, she won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year (for her work as a featured artist in Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters).
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Anita Rani
- Occupations
- journalisttelevision presenter
- Biography
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Anita Rani Nazran, better known as Anita Rani, is a British radio and television presenter.
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Jess Phillips
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jessica Rose Phillips is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Yardley since 2015. A member of the Labour Party, she has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls since July 2024.
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Hage Geingob
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- ministerresearcherpolitician
- Biography
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Hage Gottfried Geingob was a Namibian politician who served as the third president of Namibia from 2015 until his death in February 2024. Geingob was the country's first prime minister from 1990 to 2002, and served again from 2012 to 2015.
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Ken Robinson
- Occupations
- speakerdocumentary participantwriterconferenciereducation expert
- Biography
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Sir Kenneth Robinson was a British author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts to government, non-profits, education and arts bodies. He was director of the Arts in Schools Project (1985–1989) and Professor of Arts Education at the University of Warwick (1989–2001), and professor emeritus after leaving the university. In 2003, he was knighted for services to the arts.
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Dan Smith
- Occupations
- record producercomposersinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Daniel Campbell Smith is an English singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as the founder, lead singer and primary songwriter of the English pop rock band Bastille. The band formed in 2010 and gained mass popularity in 2013 when the song "Pompeii" was released with their album Bad Blood. The band then released their second album, Wild World in September 2016. In June 2019, the band released their third album Doom Days. In February 2022, they released their fourth album Give Me the Future. In October 2024, they released a solo project by Smith called “&”.
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Alistair Brownlee
- Occupations
- triathleteathletics competitor
- Biography
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Alistair Edward Brownlee is an English former triathlete. He is the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the individual triathlon event, winning gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. He is also a four-time World Champion in triathlon being Triathlon World Champion twice (2009, 2011) and World Team Champion (2011, 2014) twice, a four-time European Champion (2010, 2011, 2014, 2019), and the 2014 Commonwealth champion. Brownlee is the only male athlete, (and one of the two athletes with Cassandre Beaugrand), to have completed a grand slam of Olympic, World, and continental championships. Brownlee is also a one-time world champion in aquathlon. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest male Triathletes ever.
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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
- Occupations
- playwrightwriteruniversity teachernovelistessayist
- Biography
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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was a Kenyan author and academic, who has been described as East Africa's leading novelist and an important figure in modern African literature.
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Jamal Suliman
- Occupations
- television actorfilm director
- Biography
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Jamal Suliman is a Syrian producer, director and actor on television, film, and stage. Suliman was born in 1959 in the Syrian capital of Damascus, then part of the United Arab Republic. Suliman studied at the acting department of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts (Damascus). He started his career acting on stage and producing television series. Suliman then continued his studies in Britain and obtained a Master's degree in theatrical studies from Leeds University. He is married to Rana Mohammad Salman, daughter of ex-minister of Syria, Mohamad Salman. They have a son named Mohammad.
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Jack Fox
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
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Jack Louis Fox is a British actor. He is part of the Fox family. He is the fourth son of James Fox and his late wife Mary. His uncles are Robert and Edward Fox. Fox began his career in television starring in the Fresh Meat (2011). Roles in the Golden Globe-nominated National Geographic series Genius, BBC One’s Privates, Upstart Crow, NBC's Dracula, ITV’s Mr. Selfridge, Lewis, Midsomer Murders, and Crackle’s Snatch followed. He played a leading Role in Sky Atlantic's Riviera (2019), which smashed records for their biggest debut series ever, making it their most downloaded show in history. He continues to play a lead role in Andrew Davies's ITV/Masterpiece (PBS) produced Sanditon (2020–present). Most recently he can be seen in the second season of BBC One's drama Cheaters (2024).
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Fiona May
- Occupations
- long jumperactortriple jumper
- Biography
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Fiona May is a retired track and field athlete who competed for the United Kingdom and later Italy in the long jump. She won the World Championships twice and two Olympic silver medals. Her personal best jump was 7.11 metres, which was her silver medal result at the 1998 European Championships.
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Richard Quest
- Occupations
- television presenterdiscussion moderatorjournalist
- Biography
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Richard Austin Quest is a British journalist and non-practising barrister working as a news anchor for CNN International. He is also an editor-at-large of CNN Business.
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Jack Straw
- Occupations
- barristerjudgepolitician
- Biography
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John Whitaker Straw is a British politician who served in the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He held two of the traditional Great Offices of State, as Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001, and Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006 under Blair. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn from 1979 to 2015.
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Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi
- Occupations
- solicitorpolitician
- Biography
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Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, Baroness Warsi, PC is a British lawyer, politician, and member of the House of Lords who served as co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012. She served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition, first as the Minister without portfolio between 2010 and 2012, then as the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (styled as "Senior Minister of State") and as the Minister of State for Faith and Communities, until her resignation citing her disagreement with the Government's policy relating to the Israel–Gaza conflict in August 2014. In September 2024 Baroness Warsi resigned the Whip and left the Conservative Party.
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Barry Cryer
- Occupations
- comedianradio personalityscreenwriter
- Biography
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Barry Charles Cryer was an English writer, comedian, and actor. As well as performing on stage, radio and television, Cryer wrote for many performers including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Ronnie Corbett, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie Howerd, Richard Pryor, Spike Milligan, Mike Yarwood, The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise.
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Georgie Thompson
- Occupations
- journalisttelevision presenter
- Biography
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Georgina Jane Ainslie, Lady Ainslie, better known as Georgie Thompson, is a British television presenter.
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Lütfi Elvan
- Occupations
- economistengineermining engineerpolitician
- Biography
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Lütfi Elvan is a Turkish politician. Elvan has served as the Minister of Finance and Treasury of Turkey from November 2020 to December 2021. He previously served as the Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication from 2013 to 2015. He has served as a Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Karaman from 2007 to June 2015, for Antalya from June to November 2015 and for Mersin since November 2015. He is a member of the Justice and Development Party (AK Parti).
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Jay Rayner
- Occupations
- presenterjournalisttelevision presenterfood critic
- Biography
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Jay Rayner is an English journalist and food critic. After editing the Leeds Student newspaper while at university, he spent time at the The Observer, The Independent on Sunday, and The Mail on Sunday before returning to The Observer in 1996. He became a restaurant critic in 1999 and developed a reputation for acerbity in his columns, with several going viral including a takedown of Paris restaurant Le Cinq. Rayner has also been published in Esquire, Granta and Cosmopolitan, the last as a sex columnist. He left The Observer in 2025 and is currently working at the Financial Times.
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William Lawrence Bragg
- Occupations
- chemistcrystallographeruniversity teacherNobel Prize winnermathematician
- Biography
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Sir William Lawrence Bragg was an Australian X-ray crystallographer who uniquely shared a Nobel Prize with his father William Henry Bragg – the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics "for their services in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays", an important step in the development of X-ray crystallography.
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Jenni Falconer
- Occupations
- television presenter
- Biography
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Jenni Falconer is a Scottish radio and television presenter. She appears on the ITV daytime show This Morning as a regular travel reporter and was a regular presenter of the National Lottery Draws on BBC One. Falconer was also a radio presenter on Heart FM until December 2019, and since 2020 has been host for Smooth London breakfast and Saturday mid-mornings.
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Peter Robinson
- Occupations
- novelistpoetwriter
- Biography
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Peter Robinson was a British-born Canadian crime writer who was best known for his crime novels set in Yorkshire featuring Inspector Alan Banks. He also published a number of other novels and short stories, as well as some poems and two articles on writing.
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Matthias Maurer
- Occupations
- materials scientistscientistastronaut
- Biography
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Matthias Josef Maurer is a German ESA astronaut and materials scientist, who was selected in 2015 to take part in space training.
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Rafizi Ramli
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Mohd Rafizi bin Ramli is a Malaysian politician who served as the Minister of Economy from 2022 until his resignation in 2025. A member of the People's Justice Party, he represented Pandan in the Parliament of Malaysia from 2013 to 2018 and again since 2022.
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Kathleen Stock
- Occupations
- university teacherphilosopherwriter
- Biography
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Kathleen Mary Linn Stock OBE is a British philosopher and writer. She was a professor of philosophy at the University of Sussex until 2021. She has published academic work on aesthetics, fiction, imagination, sexual objectification, and sexual orientation.
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Fink
- Occupations
- record producerguitaristdisc jockeysongwritersinger
- Biography
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Fin Greenall, known professionally as Fink, is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and disc jockey born in Cornwall and currently based in Berlin and London. From 1997 to 2003, he focused on electronic music and DJ'd internationally, releasing in 2000 his debut album Fresh Produce on Ninja Tune. Since the 2006 release of his album Biscuits for Breakfast, the name Fink has also referred to the recording and touring trio fronted by Greenall himself, completed by Guy Whittaker and Tim Thornton (drums/guitar).
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Jonathan Brownlee
- Occupations
- triathlete
- Biography
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Jonathan Callum Brownlee is an English professional duathlete and triathlete. He is a six-time World champion (once World Triathlon Series, twice World Sprint Triathlon, three-time World Triathlon Mixed Relay), and one-time Olympic champion (mixed relay) in triathlon.
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Mohamed Muizzu
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- engineerpolitician
- Biography
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Mohamed Muizzu is a Maldivian politician who is the 8th president of the Maldives, serving since 2023. He served as housing minister from 2012 to 2018, making him the longest-serving housing minister in Maldivian history. He was mayor of Malé from 2021 to 2023. Muizzu is the leader of the People's National Congress since 2023.
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Barry John
- Occupations
- actortheatrical director
- Biography
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Dr. Barry John is an Indian theatre director, actor, and acting coach. Some of his students became Bollywood actors including Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Sujitabh, Manoj Bajpayee, Varun Dhawan, Dulquer Salmaan, Kunal Kapoor, Rana Daggubati, Samir Soni and Shiney Ahuja, and actresses, such as Jacqueline Fernandez, Richa Chadha, Dia Mirza, and Plabita Borthakur, as well as Hollywood actors including Freida Pinto and one of the top 10 US media companies CEO Samir Arora. He has been based in India since 1969. After moving to Mumbai his acting school was opened in Mumbai as 'The Barry John Acting Studio'. He continues to train actors at his institute, ‘The Free Birds Collective’ situated in Andheri, Mumbai.
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Alistair McGowan
- Occupations
- television actoractorcomedianentertainer
- Biography
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Alistair Charles McGowan is an English impressionist, BAFTA award winning comic, actor, pianist, poet, and writer. He starred in The Big Impression (formerly Alistair McGowan's Big Impression). He has also worked in theatre and appeared in the West End (for which he received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 2008. He also provided voices for the original Spitting Image.
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Jeremy Dyson
- Occupations
- television writerfilm directoractortelevision producerwriter
- Biography
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Jeremy Dyson is a British author, musician and screenwriter who, along with Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, is one of the League of Gentlemen. He also created and co-wrote the West End show Ghost Stories and its film adaptation.
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Harry Triguboff
- Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
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Harry Oskar Triguboff AO is an Australian billionaire real estate developer, and one of Australia's richest people. He is the founder and managing director of Meriton and is known as "high-rise Harry".
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Andrew Leung
- Occupations
- justice of the peacepolitician
- Biography
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Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen GBM GBS MBE JP is a Hong Kong politician who was the President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong between 2016 and 2025.
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Alan Yentob
- Occupations
- editing stafftelevision presenterproducertelevision producercreative director
- Biography
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Alan Yentob was a British television executive and presenter. He held senior roles at the BBC, including head of music and arts, controller of BBC1 and BBC2, and was the corporation's creative director from 2004 until 2015. He was also chairman of the board of trustees of the charity Kids Company from 2003 until its collapse in 2015.
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Hamid-Reza Sadr
- Occupations
- university teacherfilm criticwriterjournalisttranslator
- Biography
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Hamid Reza Sadr was an Iranian football and film critic, journalist, author, university professor, historian, and economist. Sadr earned a Ph.D. in urban planning after studying at both the University of Tehran and the University of Leeds in England. He was well known for his publications on various subjects such as football, cinema, and non-fiction based on history and social studies.
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Clare Short
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Clare Short is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 to 2003.
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Kamal Ahmed
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Kamal Ahmed is a British journalist, who was Editorial Director of BBC News. He was Economics Editor at the BBC until November 2018, and Business Editor from March 2014, until Simon Jack was appointed as his successor in February 2016.
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Daisy Cooper
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Daisy Cooper is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for St Albans since 2019. She has served as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020, as well as the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson since 2024.
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Will Buxton
- Occupations
- television presentersports commentatorsports journalistjournalistactor
- Biography
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William Thomas Buxton is a British motorsport journalist, commentator and presenter who is currently the lead commentator for Fox Sports' coverage of the IndyCar Series beginning with the 2025 season. He is best known for his coverage of Formula One with the Formula One Group from 2018 to 2024.
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Tengku Amir Shah
- Biography
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Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj is a member of the Selangor royal family who is the Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Selangor and heir apparent to the Selangor throne. He is the youngest child and only son of Sultan Sharafuddin of Selangor.
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José Ángel Gurría
- Occupations
- diplomateconomistpolitician
- Biography
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José Ángel Gurría Treviño, also known as Ángel Gurría, is a Mexican economist and diplomat. From 1 June 2006 to 31 May 2021, he was the secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
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Little Boots
- Occupations
- singerpianistsinger-songwriterrecording artistrecord producer
- Biography
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Victoria Christina Hesketh, known professionally as Little Boots, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ. She was previously a member of the band Dead Disco. Since performing as a solo artist, she has released four albums: Hands (2009), Nocturnes (2013), Working Girl (2015) and Tomorrow's Yesterdays (2022), and a number of associated EPs and remixes. Hesketh has toured internationally both as a DJ-only act as well as with a full band. Hands reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and the singles "New in Town" and "Remedy" became top twenty hits.
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Nus Ghani
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Nusrat Munir Ul-Ghani is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Sussex Weald since 2024, having represented the predecessor constituency Wealden from 2015 to 2024. She has served as Chairman of Ways and Means, the senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons since 2024.
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Herbert Edward Read
- Occupations
- criticphilosopherpoetliterary criticart historian
- Biography
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Sir Herbert Edward Read, DSO, MC was an English art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher, best known for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. Read was co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Arts. As well as being a prominent English anarchist, he was one of the earliest English writers to take notice of existentialism. He was co-editor with Michael Fordham and Gerhard Adler of the British edition in English of The Collected Works of C. G. Jung.
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Gavin Esler
- Occupations
- television presenterwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Gavin William James Esler is a Scottish journalist, television presenter and author. He was a main presenter on BBC Two's flagship political analysis programme, Newsnight, from January 2003 until January 2014, and presenter of BBC News at Five on the BBC News Channel. From 2014 to 2023 he served as the Chancellor of the University of Kent. On 11 March 2017, Esler confirmed via his Twitter profile that he would be leaving the BBC at the end of the month to concentrate on his writing activities. He returned to the BBC later that year as host of Talking Books.
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Wizard of New Zealand
- Occupations
- teachercomedianpoliticianmagician
- Biography
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The Wizard of New Zealand QSM is a British-born New Zealand educator, comedian, illusionist, and politician. He is also known by his shorter name, The Wizard.
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Piers Sellers
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Studied in 1981
- Occupations
- ecologistastronautclimatologistmeteorologist
- Biography
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Piers John Sellers OBE was a British-American meteorologist, NASA astronaut and Director of the Earth Science Division at NASA/GSFC. He was a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions. Sellers attended Cranbrook School, Cranbrook, Kent, United Kingdom, until 1973, and achieved a bachelor's degree in ecological science from the University of Edinburgh in 1976. In 1981 he gained a doctorate in biometeorology from the University of Leeds. In 2011, Sellers retired from the NASA Astronaut Corps.
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Ilan Eshkeri
- Occupations
- film score composercomposermusician
- Biography
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Ilan Eshkeri is a British composer known for his concert music, films scores and artist collaborations.
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Kenton Cool
- Occupations
- mountaineer
- Biography
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Kenton Edward Cool is an English climber and mountain guide. He is one of Britain's leading alpine and high altitude climbers. He has reached the summit of Mount Everest 19 times—the most of any non-Nepali. His ascents of Everest include leading Ranulph Fiennes' 2008 and 2009 Expeditions.
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Liz Kershaw
- Occupations
- radio personalitybroadcaster
- Biography
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Elizabeth Marguerita Mary Kershaw is an English radio broadcaster. She is one of the longest serving female national radio DJs in the UK, celebrating 30 years on national BBC Radio in 2017.
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Andy Kershaw
- Occupations
- television presenterdisc jockeyrecord collector
- Biography
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Andrew J. G. Kershaw is an English broadcaster and disc jockey, predominantly on radio, and known for his interest in world music.
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Nambaryn Enkhbayar
- Occupations
- writerpolitician
- Biography
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Nambaryn Enkhbayar is a Mongolian politician. He served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Mongolia from 2000 to 2004, as Chairman of the State Great Khural from 2004 to 2005, and as the 3rd President of Mongolia from 2005 to 2009. He is the first person to have held all of the top three positions in the Mongolian government. He was the chairman of the Mongolian People’s Party from 1997 to 2005 and head of Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party from 2010 to 2021. His eldest son, Batshugar Enkhbayar is a member of the State Great Khural from Mongolian People's Party. Due to his corruption scandal he is regarded as the godfather of corruption in Mongolian politics by the public media.
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David Cox
- Occupations
- university teachermathematicianstatistician
- Biography
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Sir David Roxbee Cox FRS FBA FRSE FRSC was a British statistician and educator. His wide-ranging contributions to the field of statistics included introducing logistic regression, the proportional hazards model and the Cox process, a point process named after him.
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Saeid Zibakalam
- Occupations
- philosopher
- Biography
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Saeid Zibakalam is an Iranian academic and conservative political activist who self-identifies as a justice-seeker."
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Thom Sonny Green
- Born in
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United Kingdom - Occupations
- drummermusician
- Biography
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Thomas Stuart Green, known professionally as Thom Sonny Green, is an English drummer and electronic music producer.
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Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ahmad Samsuri bin Mokhtar is a Malaysian politician, aerospace engineer and lecturer who has served as the 15th Menteri Besar of Terengganu, Member of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Ru Rendang since May 2018, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kemaman since December 2023, and Group Chairman for Terengganu Incorporated (TI Group). He is a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. He has served as the 2nd Chairman of PN since February 2026 and the Vice President of PAS since June 2019.
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Daniel Steiner
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Daniel Steiner is a German actor and film director.
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Alyn Smith
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Alyn Edward Smith is a Scottish politician. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stirling from 2019 until 2024 when he unsuccessfully stood for the Stirling and Strathallan seat. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Scotland from 2004 to 2019. He has been serving as SNP Spokesperson for Europe and EU Accession since December 2022.
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Tony Harrison
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Studied classics
- Occupations
- film directorwriterplaywrighttranslatorpoet
- Biography
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Tony William Harrison was an English poet, translator and playwright. He was one of Britain's foremost verse writers and many of his works have been performed at the Royal National Theatre. He is noted for controversial works such as the poem "V", as well as his versions of dramatic works such as the tragedies Oresteia and Lysistrata from ancient Greek, Molière's The Misanthrope from French, and The Mysteries from Middle English.
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Chris Leslie
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Christopher Michael Leslie is a British business executive and former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shipley from 1997 to 2005 and Nottingham East from 2010 to 2019. A former member of the Labour Party, he defected to form Change UK and later became an independent politician.
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Khalid Abdul Samad
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Khalid bin Abdul Samad is a Malaysian politician who has served as Chairman of Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA) since December 2024. He had served as the Minister of Federal Territories in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad from July 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration in February 2020 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shah Alam from March 2008 to November 2022. He is a member, Communications Director and State Chairman of the Federal Territories of the National Trust Party (AMANAH), a component party of the PH coalition and was a member of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a former component party of the former Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Alternatif (BA) coalitions. He is also the younger brother of Shahrir Abdul Samad, former Minister and MP of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Before PH and BN established political cooperation and formed the federal coalition government in November 2022, they were opposing politically as both of them were in opposing political sides.
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Jon Trickett
- Occupations
- politiciancouncil member
- Biography
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Jon Hedley Trickett is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Normanton and Hemsworth, previously Hemsworth, since 1996. He was Shadow Lord President of the Council from 2016 to 2020 and served as Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office from 2011 to 2013 and 2017 to 2020. He was the Labour Party National Campaign Coordinator under Jeremy Corbyn from 2015 to 2017.
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Alison Saunders
- Occupations
- barrister
- Biography
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Dame Alison Margaret Saunders, DCB is a British barrister and a former Director of Public Prosecutions. She was the first lawyer from within the Crown Prosecution Service and the second woman to hold the appointment. She was also the second holder of this office not to be a Queen's Counsel. She was previously the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London. Her term of office ended on 31 October 2018. She is now a Partner at the Magic Circle law firm Linklaters.
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Alan Campbell
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sir Alan Campbell is a British politician who has served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council since 2025. He previously served as Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from 2024 to 2025. A member of the Labour Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tynemouth since 1997.
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Hallie Rubenhold
- Occupations
- historiancuratorwriter
- Biography
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Hallie Rubenhold is an American-born British popular historian and author. Her work specializes in 18th- and 19th-century social history and women's history. Her 2019 book The Five, about the lives of the women murdered by Jack the Ripper, was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize and won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction. In 2025, her book, Story of a Murder; the wives, the mistress and Dr Crippen won a Clue Award for True Crime Book of the Year. Clue Awards seek to recognise "excellence and responsible story telling in true crime". Rubenhold's focus on the victims of murder (frequently women), rather than on the identity or the acts of the perpetrator, has been credited with changing attitudes to the proper commemoration of such crimes and to the appeal and function of the true crime genre.
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Alex Sobel
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Alexander David Sobel is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds Central and Headingley, previously Leeds North West, since 2017. He served as Shadow Minister for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment from 2021 to 2023.
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George Porter
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- university teacherchemistpolitician
- Biography
-
George Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham, OM, FRS, FRSE was a British chemist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967.
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Csaba Kőrösi
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Studied in 1991
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
-
Csaba Kőrösi is a Hungarian diplomat who served as President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly. He was previously Director of Environmental Sustainability in the Office of the President of Hungary.
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Paul Scoon
- Occupations
- school teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Sir Paul Godwin Scoon GCMG GCVO OBE was a Grenadian politician who served as governor-general of Grenada from 1978 to 1992. His tenure is notable for the hectic events related to the rise and fall of the People's Revolutionary Government, as well as his personal involvement in and support of the invasion of Grenada.
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Louise Doughty
- Occupations
- playwrightnovelistjournalistliterary criticwriter
- Biography
-
Louise Doughty is an English novelist and screenwriter. She is best known for her bestselling novels, including Apple Tree Yard. She has also worked as a cultural critic for newspapers and magazines. Her weekly column for The Daily Telegraph was published as A Novel in a Year in 2007. Doughty was the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 programme A Good Read in 1998 to 2001.
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Nicola Mendelsohn
- Occupations
- business executive
- Biography
-
Nicola Sharon Mendelsohn, Baroness Mendelsohn, CBE, is a British advertising executive. Active in the advertising industry since 1992, Mendelsohn serves as the head of global advertising relationships for Facebook, and also sits on the board of Diageo. The Daily Telegraph has called her "the most powerful woman in the British tech industry".
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Julian Beever
- Occupations
- painter
- Biography
-
Julian Beever is a British sidewalk chalk artist who has been creating trompe-l'œil chalk drawings on pavement surfaces since the mid-1990s. He uses a projection technique called anamorphosis to create the illusion of three dimensions when viewed from the correct angle. He preserves his work in photographs, often positioning a person within the image as if they were interacting with the scene.
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Peter Hendy, Baron Hendy of Richmond Hill
- Years
- 1953-.. (age 73)
- Biography
-
Peter Gerard Hendy, Baron Hendy of Richmond Hill, CBE, is a British transport executive and politician who has served as Minister of State for Rail since July 2024.
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Irvine Laidlaw, Baron Laidlaw
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Irvine Alan Stewart Laidlaw, Baron Laidlaw is a Scottish businessman, and a former member of the House of Lords. In the Sunday Times Rich List 2012 ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK he was placed 105th with an estimated fortune of £745 million. In the 2020 edition, he was ranked the 180th wealthiest person in the UK, with an estimated net worth of £787 million, a decrease of £4 million from the previous year.
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Steve Bell
- Occupations
- caricaturist
- Biography
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Steven William Maclean Bell is an English political cartoonist, whose work has appeared in a number of publications, notably The Guardian from 1981 to 2023. He is known for his left-wing views.
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Andrew Percy
- Occupations
- teacherpolitician
- Biography
-
Andrew Theakstone Percy is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brigg and Goole from 2010 to 2024. He was an active member of many groups in Parliament, including All Party Parliamentary Groups on Financial Education for Young People, Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire as well as being a member of the anti-European Union Better Off Out Group.
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David Coburn
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
David Adam Coburn is a Scottish politician and businessman who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Scotland from 2014 to 2019. A former member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Coburn was the leader of UKIP Scotland from July 2014 until December 2018.
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Mohd. Redzuan Md. Yusof
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Mohd Redzuan bin Md Yusof is a Malaysian politician who served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Special Functions in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to August 2021, the Minister of Entrepreneur Development in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration under former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad from July 2018 to the collapse of the PH administration in February 2020 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Alor Gajah from May 2018 to November 2022. He is a member of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component party of the PN coalition and formerly PH coalition.
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David Kramer
- Occupations
- singersongwritercomposer
- Biography
-
David Kramer is a South African singer, songwriter, playwright, and director, notable for his musicals about the Coloured communities in the Cape, and for his early opposition to apartheid.
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Ahmad Shabery Cheek
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Yang Berbahagia Dato' Sri Ahmad Shabery bin Cheek is a Malaysian politician who has served as Chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) since July 2023. He served as Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Minister of Youth and Sports and Parliamentary Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak as well as former Minister Rais Yatim from 2006 to the collapse of the BN administration in May 2018. He also served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kemaman from March 2004 to May 2018. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition and was a member of the Parti Melayu Semangat 46 (S46), a component party of the Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU) and Gagasan Rakyat (GR) coalitions. He was also Member of the Supreme Council of UMNO.
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Bagrat Galstanyan
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Studied in 1998-2000
- Occupations
- priest
- Biography
-
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is an Armenian prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church who is currently serving as bishop of the Diocese of Tavush. He also served as primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada based in Montreal from May 2003 to May 2013. As the bishop of a border region affected by the cession of villages to Azerbaijan, he led protests against the Armenian government in 2024. As of June 2025, he is detained for allegedly planning a putsch.
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David Gedge
- Occupations
- guitaristsongwriter
- Biography
-
David Lewis Gedge is an English musician and songwriter, most notable as a founder, vocalist, and only remaining original member of The Wedding Present and the main songwriter and vocalist in Cinerama.
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Amanda Blanc
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Graduated with Master of Business Administration
- Occupations
- business executive
- Biography
-
Dame Amanda Jayne Blanc DBE is a Welsh businesswoman, who has been the group chief executive of Aviva since July 2020.
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Chris Harman
- Years
- 1942-2009 (aged 67)
- Enrolled in the University of Leeds
- Studied in 1962-1965
- Occupations
- editorjournalistphilosophersociologisteconomist
- Biography
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Christopher John Harman was a British journalist and political activist, and a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Workers Party. He was an editor of International Socialism and Socialist Worker.
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Jonathan Clements
- Occupations
- science fiction writerscreenwriterwritertranslatornovelist
- Biography
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Jonathan Michael Clements is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shi Huang, as well as monthly opinion columns for Neo magazine. He is also the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.
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Gervase Phinn
- Occupations
- teacherwriter
- Biography
-
Gervase Phinn is an English author and educator. After a career as a teacher he became a schools inspector and, latterly, Visiting Professor of Education at the University of Teesside. He graduated from Leeds Trinity University in 1970 with a degree in Education.
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Inaya Folarin Iman
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Inaya Folarin Iman is a British journalist, commentator, a panelist on the BBC Radio show Moral Maze, and television presenter who has presented for GB News. She is also the director and founder of the Equiano Project (named after abolitionist Olaudah Equiano), which describes itself as "a debate, discussion and ideas forum" that "focus on race, culture and politics".
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Niyi Osundare
- Occupations
- playwrightacademicpoetliterary critic
- Biography
-
Niyi Osundare Listen is a Nigerian poet, dramatist, linguist, and literary critic. Born on 12 March 1947, in Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria, his poetry is influenced by the oral tradition of his Yoruba culture, which he hybridizes with other poetic traditions of the world, including African-American, Latin American, Asian, and European.
