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)

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)

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

 * 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)
 * 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)

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 (CBE, 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.