# List of people from Leicester and Leicestershire

This is a list of notable people born in Leicester, England, or in the county of Leicestershire, educated there, or otherwise associated with the city or county.

## Academia (except scientists)

* Graham Barnfield (sociologist)
* Caroline Ashurst Biggs (suffragette & academic)
* James Densley (sociologist)
* Mark Fisher (21st century cultural theorist and philosopher)
* W. G. Hoskins (landscape historian)
* Jack Simmons (historian esp. of British railways)

## Architecture

* John Breedon Everard (architect and civil engineer)
* Ernest Gimson (architect, craftsman)
* Henry Goddard (architect)
* Stockdale Harrison (architect)
* John Johnson (architect)
* William Keay (architect and civil engineer)
* Samuel Perkins Pick (architect)
* Arthur Wakerley (architect)

## Arts and entertainment
### Acting, film, and comedy

* Richard Armitage (actor, North and South, Robin Hood, The Hobbit)
* Richard Attenborough (actor, Jurassic Park; director, Gandhi)
* Patrick Barlow (actor, comedian and playwright)
* Lydia Rose Bewley (stage and movie actor, The Inbetweeners Movie)
* Norman Bird (actor, The Lord of the Rings, Cash on Demand)
* Jeremy Bulloch (actor, Star Wars)
* Graham Chapman (comedian, Monty Python)
* Selina Chilton (actress, Doctors)
* Amanda Drew (actress, EastEnders)
* Betty Driver (singer and actress, Coronation Street)
* Terri Dwyer (actress, Hollyoaks)
* Sheila Fearn (actor, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, George and Mildred)
* Stephen Frears (film director, Dangerous Liaisons)
* Rosemary Harris (actress, "Spider-Man film trilogy")
* Tom Hopper (actor, Merlin, Doctor Who)
* Colin Hurley (Shakespearean actor)
* Dominic Keating (actor, Star Trek: Enterprise)
* Alison King (actress, Coronation Street)
* Michael Kitchen (actor, Foyle's War)
* John Leeson (actor, voice of K-9 in Doctor Who and Bungle in Rainbow and narrator for the children's hospital radio series, The Space Gypsy Adventures)
* Barry Letts (actor, television director, writer and producer)
* Bill Maynard (actor, Coronation Street, Heartbeat)
* Parminder Nagra (actor, Bend It Like Beckham, ER)
* David Neilson (actor, Coronation Street)
* Andy Nyman (actor)
* Vincenzo Nicoli (actor)
* Kate O'Mara (actress, Howards' Way)
* Steve Oram (actor, Sightseers, A Dark Song)
* Rachel Parris (actor, comedian, and television presenter)
* John Payne (Canadian voice actor who was born in town and raised in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire but moved to Vancouver, British Columbia)
* Helen Pearson (actress, Hollyoaks)
* Adrian Scarborough (actor, The Madness of King George, Gosford Park)
* Josette Simon (actress, Blakes 7)
* Una Stubbs (actress, Till Death Us Do Part, Sherlock)
* Rakhee Thakrar (actress, EastEnders)
* Kraig Thornber (actor, The Rocky Horror Show, etc.)
* Mark Wingett (actor, The Bill)

### Broadcasting and journalism

* David Attenborough (broadcaster and naturalist)
* Karl Beattie (Living TV presenter, Most Haunted and Most Haunted Live)
* Biddy Baxter (editor, Blue Peter)
* Manish Bhasin (BBC sports presenter, Football Focus)
* O.J. Borg (radio and TV presenter)
* Martine Croxall (TV newsreader, BBC)
* Julie Etchingham (TV newsreader, Sky News, ITN)
* Derrick Evans (TV fitness instructor, Mr Motivator)
* Martin Gillingham (sports commentator and journalist)
* Clare Hollingworth (foreign correspondent)
* David Icke (conspiracy theorist)
* Oliver Kamm (Times leader writer and columnist)
* Kevin Myers (journalist, Irish Independent)
* Sir Henry Norman, 1st Baronet (journalist and politician who revealed the truth about the Dreyfus affair)
* Jon Tickle (Leicester University graduate, Brainiac: Science Abuse presenter)
* Tony Wadsworth (broadcaster, BBC)
* Gok Wan (fashion stylist and presenter of How to Look Good Naked, Channel 4)
* Arlo White (broadcaster, BBC)

### Music

* Aetherfx (Jacob Tugby, industrial electronic musician)
* Laurel Aitken (singer, the "godfather of ska"; born in Cuba, lived on the St. Mark's Estate 1971–2005)
* Sam Bailey (winner of The X Factor 2013)
* Frank Benbini (drummer, Fun Lovin Criminals)
* Blab Happy (band)
* Black Widow (band)
* Blitzkrieg (band)
* Hannah Boleyn (singer-songwriter)
* The Bomb Party (band)
* Mahalia Burkmar (singer)
* Grace Burrows (English violinist and orchestra conductor)
* Felix Buxton (half of Basement Jaxx)
* Scott Xylo (multi-genre Music Producer & Songwriter)
* Cornershop (band)
* Crazyhead (band)
* Brian Davison (drummer, The Nice, Refugee, Gong)
* John Deacon (bassist, Queen)
* The Deep Freeze Mice (band)
* Diesel Park West (band)
* Disco Zombies (band)
* Easy Life (band)
* Family (band)
* Gaye Bykers on Acid (band)
* Gemini (DJ)
* Robert Gotobed (drummer, Wire)
* Davy Graham (folk musician)
* Ric Grech (violinist, bassist, writer, producer, member of Blind Faith, Traffic)
* H "Two" O (band who produced the 2008 song "What's It Gonna Be?")
* Kevin Hewick (singer)
* Engelbert Humperdinck (singer, Release Me, Misty Blue and 2012 Eurovision entrant.)
* The Hunters Club (band)
* John Illsley (bassist, Dire Straits)
* Kasabian (band)
* KAV (former Happy Mondays guitarist, solo artist, musician, co-launched UK festival Getloaded in the Park)
* Tony Kaye (keyboard player, Yes)
* Sharron Kraus (folk singer)
* Lisa Lashes (DJ)
* Jon Lord (organist, Deep Purple)
* Paul Martinez (bassist, guitarist, writer)
* Tom Meighan (vocalist, Kasabian)
* Mark Morrison (singer, "Return of the Mack")
* Perfume (band)
* Sergio Pizzorno (musician, Kasabian)
* Po! (band)
* Prolapse (band)
* Scum Pups (band)
* Oliver Sean
* Showaddywaddy (band)
* Molly Smitten-Downes (2014 Eurovision entrant)
* DJ SS (DJ and producer)
* Stunt (band)
* Nancy Whiskey Folk singer most famous for "Freight Train". Lived in Leicestershire from 1958 and died in Leicester in 2003.
* David Wise (composer)
* Yeah Yeah Noh (band)
* The Young Knives (band)

### Painters

* Lemuel Francis Abbott (portrait artist)
* Duncan Fegredo (comic book artist)
* John Flower (artist)
* Edith Gittins (artist and social reformer)
* John T. Kenney (artist and illustrator of The Railway Series)
* Benjamin Marshall (artist)
* Tom Marshall (artist and photo colouriser)
* Jemisha Maadhavji (portrait painter)

### Writing (except journalism)

* Lemuel Abbott (clergyman and poet)
* James Allen (author)
* Elizabeth Arnold (children's writer)
* Anna Barbauld (writer and poet)
* Julian Barnes (author)
* David Campton (playwright, actor)
* John Cleveland (poet)
* Thomas Cooper (poet)
* J. T. Edson (author)
* Anne Fine (author)
* Martin Goodman (novelist, biographer and travel writer)
* Hal Iggulden (author)
* E. Phillips Oppenheim (prolific author, inventor of "Rogue Male" genre)
* Joe Orton (playwright)
* Lynda Page (author)
* Jessie Pope (writer and poet)
* Bali Rai (author)
* C. P. Snow (author)
* Nina Stibbe (author)
* Sue Townsend (author, Adrian Mole books)
* Ruth Wills (poet)
* Colin Wilson (author)

### Others

* Gothy Kendoll (drag queen, DJ and OnlyFans creator)
* Mary Linwood (needlewoman)
* Danica Taylor (television personality)

## Business

* Charles Bennion (shoe machinery manufacturer, philanthropist, bought Bradgate Park for the 'quiet enjoyment of the people of Leicestershire')
* Harold Berridge (civil engineer and mechanical engineer)
* Thomas Cook (travel agent)
* Nathaniel Corah (textile manufacturer)
* Henry Curry (founder of Currys)
* Thomas Fielding Johnson (worsted spinner, philanthropist, founding benefactor of Leicester University)
* William Inman (shipping company owner)
* Frank Jessop (In 1935 founded The Jessop Group Limited, photographic retailers and suppliers. "Jessops of Leicester")
* Harry Peach (furniture manufacturer and social campaigner)
* Henry Walker (founder of Walkers Crisps)
* Thomas White (merchant, philanthropist)
* William Wyggeston (merchant, philanthropist)

## Exploration

* Henry Bates (naturalist and explorer)
* Ed Stafford (explorer and author)
* Alfred Russel Wallace (naturalist, explorer, evolutionist and author, who briefly taught at Collegiate school)

## Military

* Nicholas Alkemade Lancaster tail gunner who jumped 18000 feet without a parachute and survived.
* General Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson, former Vice-Chief of Defence Staff
* M. E. Clifton James, actor trained to impersonate Bernard Montgomery in World War II
* Johnnie Johnson, World War II's top Allied fighter ace

## Politics and royalty

* Alastair Campbell (journalist and political advisor)
* Sir Arthur Haselrig, 2nd Baronet (MP for Leicestershire 1640–1653 & Leicester 1653 – 1659)
* Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (founder of the English Parliament)
* Lady Jane Grey ("Queen for Nine Days")
* Kelvin Hopkins (MP)
* Greg Knight (Former MP)
* Greville Janner (MP and barrister)
* Richard III of England
* Peter Soulsby (Mayor of Leicester, former MP)
* Claudia Webbe (Labour Party MP)

## Religion

* John Brown, famous evangelical preacher
* William Carey (missionary and translator)
* Charles Henry Carter (Baptist missionary and translator of the first English-Singhalese dictionary)
* George Davys (Bishop and tutor to Queen Victoria)
* George Fox (founder of the Religious Society of Friends, otherwise known as Quakers)
* Robert Hall (Baptist minister and preacher)
* Arthur Colborne Lankester (doctor and missionary)
* Hugh Latimer (Protestant Bishop and Martyr)
* John Wycliffe (Theologian, Church reformer, translator of the Bible, Rector of Lutterworth)

## Science

* Alf Adams (physicist, inventor of the strained quantum-well laser)
* William Henry Bragg (physicist, chemist and mathematician)
* William Lawrence Bragg (physicist)
* Harold Hopkins
* Harold Edwin Hurst (Hydrologist whose study of the Nile led to a better understanding of statistics with applications in dam design and finance.)
* Sir Alec Jeffreys (geneticist and developer of genetic fingerprinting) (DNA)
* Roger Mason
* Benjamin Ward Richardson (physician)
* Cedric Smith (statistician and geneticist)

## Sport
### Boxing

* George Aldridge (born 1936) (former British middleweight champion; grew up in Market Harborough)
* Pat Butler (1913-2001) (former British welterweight champion; born in Rothley)
* Errol Christie (1963-2017) (former European middleweight champion; born in Leicester)
* Albert Cocksedge (1884-1928, early 20th century English champion at various weights; born in Leicester
* Shaun Cummins (1968-2012) (fought for British and European titles at super-welterweight and middleweight; born in Leicester)
* Jack Gardner (1926–1978) (British, British Empire, and European heavyweight champion)
* Tony McKenzie (born 1963) (former British light welterweight champion; born in Leicester)
* Rendall Munroe (born 1980) (EBU and Commonwealth super bantamweight boxing champion; born in Leicester)
* Louis Norman (born 1993) (British flyweight challenger; lives in Shepshed)
* Chris Pyatt (born 1963) (former World Champion middleweight boxer)
* Tony Sibson (born 1958) (former European and Commonwealth middleweight champion; born in Leicester)
* Len Wickwar (1911-1980) (holds the record for highest number of professional fights, 470; born in Leicester)
* Tim Wood (1951-2010) (former British light heavyweight champion; grew up in Leicester)

### Chess

* Henry Ernest Atkins (chess master, nine-time British champion; the H.E. Atkins tournament is run annually in Leicester)
* Mark Hebden (chess grandmaster)
* Glenn Flear (chess grandmaster)

### Cricket

* James Barnfather (played first-class cricket for Essex in 1924)
* Samit Patel (England international cricketer)
* M. J. K. Smith (England cricket captain)

### Cycling

* Lucy Garner (twice Junior World Champion)
* Bert Harris (first professional cycling champion of England)
* Fred Wood (multi World Cycling Champion, 1880s)

### Football

* Ian Baraclough (football manager)
* Harvey Barnes (English footballer)
* Ashley Chambers (English footballer)
* Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (English footballer)
* Dion Dublin (England International footballer)
* Kevin Friend (football referee)
* Emile Heskey (England international footballer)
* Chris Kirkland (England international footballer)
* Norman Leet (English former footballer)
* Gary Lineker (England international footballer, World Cup 1986 Golden Boot Winner, sports presenter)
* Joe Mattock (English footballer)
* Holly Morgan, (English footballer, captain of Leicester City W.F.C.)
* Norman Plummer (Leicester City footballer, captain 1949 FA Cup Final, decorated World War II veteran)
* Levi Porter (English footballer)
* Michael Robinson (footballer, Spanish TV presenter)
* Peter Shilton (England's most capped footballer)
* Luke Varney (footballer)

### Rugby Union

* Dan Cole (rugby union footballer for Leicester Tigers and England)
* Martin Corry (former rugby union footballer, former Leicester captain and former England captain)
* Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers captain, England International)
* Martin Johnson (rugby union footballer, Leicester and England's World-Cup winning captain; grew up in Market Harborough)
* Steve Redfern (rugby union footballer, Leicester Tigers walk of legends)
* Dean Richards (rugby union footballer and coach, Leicester Tigers and England captain)
* Ollie Smith (Rugby Union international)
* Harry Thacker (Leicester Tigers)
* John Wells (Leicester Tigers captain, head coach and England Forwards coach)

### Snooker

* Tom Ford (snooker player)
* Shailesh Jogia (snooker player)
* Joe O'Connor (snooker player)
* Mark Selby (snooker player; the 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021 world snooker champion and eight ball pool world champion 2007)
* Willie Thorne (snooker player and commentator)
* Ben Woollaston (snooker player)

### Speedway

* Geoff Bouchard
* Ivor Brown
* Cyril "Squib" Burton
* Bruce Forrester
* David Howe
* Paddy Mills
* Graham Plant
* Fred Wilkinson
* Len Williams (Sheffield, Leicester and England)
* Stan Williams (Sheffield, Coventry and England)

### Others

* Chris Adcock (English and Great Britain badminton player)
* Tony Allcock (fourteen-time bowls world champion, now chief executive of Bowls England)
* Andrew Betts (Great Britain basketball player)
* Katie Boulter (professional tennis player)
* Jamie Caven (darts player)
* Roger Clark (rally driving champion)
* Mark Cox (English professional tennis player)
* Jennie Fletcher (Olympic gold medallist in swimming)
* Bob Gerard (racing driver)
* Jamie Green (race car driver in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters championship)
* Tamsin Greenway, former English netball player and coach
* Phelan Hill (Rowing cox Olympic Gold medalist 2016 and Olympic Bronze medalist 2012)
* John Arthur Jarvis (swimmer, 1900 Olympic medallist)
* Ken Johnson (Olympic athlete)
* Charlie Christina Martin hill climb and Le Mans Cup racing driver
* John Merricks (sailor, 1996 Olympic medallist)
* James Wilks (UFC fighter)
* Roger Williamson (Formula One driver)

## Miscellaneous

* Donald Hings (1907–2004), inventor of the Walkie-Talkie
* Daniel Lambert (1770–1809), heaviest man in England
* Sydney Lucas (1900–2008), last soldier to serve in both World Wars
* Ian McAteer, Scottish-born former gangster
* Kim McLagan, model and cosmetologist
* Joseph Merrick (1862–1890), "The Elephant Man"
* Charles Killick Millard (1870–1952), Medical Officer for Health and founder of the Voluntary Euthanasia Legalisation Society
* Phil Shaw, inventor of extreme ironing
* Anick Soni, intersex activist and creative consultant.