• Home
  • About
    • CONTACT
    • WORK WITH BE-LAVIE
    • TESTIMONIALS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • AFRICA
    • ASIA
    • CARIBBEAN
    • CENTRAL AMERICA
    • EUROPE
    • NORTH AMERICA
    • OCEANIA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
    • LEICESTER, UK
    • TYPE 1 DIABETES TRAVEL
  • HOTELS
    • ASIA
    • CENTRAL AMERICA
    • EUROPE
    • NORTH AMERICA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
    • OCEANIA
  • FOOD & DRINK
    • AFTERNOON TEA
    • CAFES, COFFEE & CAKE
    • CASUAL RESTAURANTS
    • BARS
    • BRUNCH
    • COOKERY CLASSES
    • FINE DINING
    • GASTRO PUBS
    • INTERNATIONAL FOOD GUIDES
    • MICHELIN STAR
    • PLANT-BASED & VEGETARIAN
    • RECIPES
  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • THE BE-COLLECTIVE
  • TRAVEL RESOURCES

Be-lavie

The Town hall Square Fountain in Leicester

21 OF THE MOST FAMOUS PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH LEICESTER

22nd April 2020

Last Updated on 13th February 2025 by Bejal

Leicester has a fabulously rich and varied history, making this heritage and giving it a place in the past, present and future are some very famous people who have associations with the city. Read on to learn all about 21 of the most famous people associated with Leicester, past and present and why they are so well known not just nationally but also globally.

In This Article

Toggle
  • Pin & Save
  • 21 Famous People Associated with Leicester
  • #1 Alice Hawkins
  • #2 Lady Jane Grey
  • #3 Martin Johnson
  • #4 Gary Linekar
  • #5 Gok Wan
  • #6 Joe Orton
  • #7 Engelbert Humperdink
  • #8 Joseph Merrick (The Elephat Man)
  • #9 Geoffrey Chaucer
  • #10 Sir Alec Jeffreys
  • #11 Sue Townsend
  • #12 Sir David & Richard Attenborough
  • #13 King Richard III
  • #14 Cardinal Wolsey
  • #15 Jeffrey Hoffman
  • #16 Kasabian
  • #17 Daniel Lambert
  • #18 Parminder Nagra
  • #19 Mark Selby
  • #20 Kate O’ Mara
  • Kwoklyn Wan
  • Related Articles To Famous People Associated with Leicester
  • Planning a Trip to Leicester?
  • À bientôt
  • Pin & Save
Leicester Cathedral in the springtime surrounded by tulips and wild flower bushes

Affiliate Links Disclosure: Be-lavie participates in various affiliate marketing programs If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For further information, read our Disclosure Policy

Pin & Save

Short of time? No Problem, Pin & Save this article to read at your leisure later!

Famous Associated with Leicester Pinterest Pin with 9 images overlaid with text

From performers, writers, sportsmen and even a scientist, here are some of the famous men and women who have associations with my hometown.

21 Famous People Associated with Leicester

#1 Alice Hawkins

Starting off with a spot of girl power, Alice Hawkins, ladies and gents went to prison five times for acts committed as part of the Women’s Social and Political Union militant campaign. Alice was a leading suffragette among the boot and shoes machinists of Leicester where she started working at the age of 13. The city of Leicester commemorates the brave and selfless efforts of Alice with a statue of her by Sean Hedges-Quinn, standing tall in Market Square where she often spoke at rallies in the corn exchange to support the Suffragette movement. One of the most famous people to come out of Leicester and girl power!

Famous People Associated with Leicester,  Alice Hawkins

#2 Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey was the great grand-daughter of Henry VII and spent her childhood living at the family home, Bradgate House located on the outskirts of Leicester. Henry VIII named her heiress to the throne after his death however only if his three children, died without issue. Jane was crowned queen on 10 July 1553 for nine nine days until she was banished to the tower of London by Mary Tudor (“Bloody Mary”) and later was executed as Mary intended to be queen.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Lady Jane Grey painting
Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

#3 Martin Johnson

One of Leicester’s greatest Rugby union heroes who represented Leicester Tigers and captained England in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, in a career spanning 16 years. He moved to the city as a child and is regarded as one of the greatest locks to have ever played and one of England’s greatest ever players. Personally, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Martin Johnson a number of times as he regularly carries out engagements at the hospitals.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Martin Johnson carrying Rugby World Cup
photo Courtesy: BBC

#4 Gary Linekar

Gary Lineker is a household name as a sports broadcaster but started life in Leicester where he played for Leicester City Football Club and then moved onto playing for England. As a child I would go to Leicester Market with my parents and shop at Gary’s parents’ fruit and veg stall called Linekars! Gary Linekar is known to be England’s third highest scorer, scoring 48 goals over an eight-year career. For Lestonians Gary deserves. a place in teh famous people of Leicester line-up.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Gary Linekar
PHOTO COURTESY: ESQUIRE.COM

#5 Gok Wan

Leicester born Gok Wan started life working at his parent’s Chinese restaurant but later went on to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He has written for popular fashion magazines and his TV shows have been a household name encouraging others to boost their confidence edging from his own experience.

Famous People Associated with Leicester,  Gok Wan
PHOTO COURTESY: THE INDEPENDENT

#6 Joe Orton

Joe Orton was born in Leicester to later become a playwright and diarist. Albeit pretty controversial in his time, Joe produced some cracking comedies including ‘What the Butler Saw’ and even had The Beatles calling on him to write a script for a new film in 1967. It’s no surprise that Joe Orton has been recognised as having a special skill for writing for theatre with a paved plaque outside the Cultural Quarter in Leicester.

Famous People Associated with Leicester,  Joe Orton
PHOTO COURTESY: THE GUARDIAN: Joe Orton

#7 Engelbert Humperdink

Born in the Madras and of Anglo-Indian descent, Englebert’s (actual name, Arnold Dorsey) family moved to Leicester and he became a pop singer at his peak in the 60’s and 70’s. Unfortunately the only song I know is ‘Please Release Me’, which apparently topped the UK music charts back in 1967!

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Engelbert Humperdink
PHOTO COURTESY: PARADE.COM: Engelbert

#8 Joseph Merrick (The Elephat Man)

John Merrick suffered severe deformities in the first few years of his life and following being neglected by his family was moved to London. Here he was exhibited at a freak show as the “Elephant Man’  and subsequently went on to live at a London Hospital, which led him to become quite the figure in London society. He died at the age of 27 of asphyxia and subsequently had a film and screenplay produced about his life.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Joseph Merrick
photo coutrsey: Joseph Merrick Photo

#9 Geoffrey Chaucer

The author of the famous Canterbury Tales frequented at Leicester Castle and the Earl’s Court, who incidentally was his patron. Rumour has it that the tales written in the medieval times, may even have been inspired by some of the goings on at the castle during Chaucer’s stay.

Famous People Associated with Leicester,  Geoffrey Chaucer
PHOTO COURTESY: THEFAMOUSPEOPLE.COM

#10 Sir Alec Jeffreys

In 1984, at the university of Leicester, the now knighted Sir Alec Jeffreys introduced the world to the technique of Genetic Fingerprinting. He changed the course of police investigations in the world as forensic science is used for all kinds of disputes. Having met with Sir Jeffreys and attended many of his lectures, he is a true inspiration in the field of Science. Sir Jeffreys currently is professor of Genetics at Leicester University.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Sir Alex Jeffreys
PHOTO COURTESY: LEICESTER UNIVERSITY

#11 Sue Townsend

Most of you may know the Leicester born writer Sue Townsend by the fictional character she created, Adrian Mole and his diaries in the 1980s. It was well known that Sue faced financial hardship well into her thirties and often used this experience in her work. The writer had great success with many of her writings, but the Diaries of Adrian Mole went onto become a well-known television series.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Sue Townsend
PHOTO COURTESY: NYCTIMES.COM

#12 Sir David & Richard Attenborough

The Attenborough brothers spent their childhood in Leicester at the university campus where their father was appointed principal. This is where Sir David found his love for nature, infact he supplied the Zoology department with newts, he’d go pond-dipping for the amphibians, which he sold to them. I recently witnessed Sir David speak so fondly of Leicester at the Armistace Day remembrance service in November 2018.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Sir David & Richard Attenborough
PHOTO COURTESY: THE INDEPENDENT

#13 King Richard III

The famous medieval king who fought in the great Battle of Bosworth and whose remains were found in the Grey Friars car park in Leicester really has put the city in the limelight. His remains lie in his final resting place in an impressive tomb in Leicester Cathedral. The medieval king’s life and archaeological discoveries have been charted in conjunction with the University of Leicester at the King Richard III Visitor Centre, a couple of minutes’ walk from where he was discovered. When is comes to famous people, King Richard III definitely tops the list.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, King Richard III

#14 Cardinal Wolsey

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII’s right-hand man and Archbishop of York, died in Leicester in the winter of 1530 and was buried in Leicester Abbey in the modern-day Abbey Park. His fate has remained a mystery for centuries and despite numerous digs having taken place at Abbey Park, his remains have never been located.   

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Cardinal Wolsey
Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

#15 Jeffrey Hoffman

Jeff Hoffman is a NASA astronaut and currently visiting Professor of Astronomy at University of Leicester at the only Physics and Astronomy department in the UK that offers taught modules by someone who has been to space. Jeff first came to Leicester after completing his PhD in Astrophysics at Harvard and has flown into space five times on four different Shuttle orbiters, becoming the first astronaut to log more than 1,000 hours in space.

Famous People Associated with Leicester,  Jeffrey Hoffman
PHOTO COURTESY: WIKIPEDIA

#16 Kasabian

If you’re a Kasabian fan, you probably know the indie-rock group formed in 1997 and are from Leicester. Having released six studio albums and the Q Awards and NME awards in 2014 and 2016 for ‘Best Live Act’ these guys are quite the talk if the city!

one of teh most famous people to come out of Leicester, Kasabian’s ] live performances have received much acclaim including headlining at Glastonbury in 2014.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Kasabian
PHOTO COURTESY: NME.COM

#17 Daniel Lambert

The Leicester Gaol (prison) keeper was best known for his unusually large size. This was made even more unusual due to his relatively healthy lifestyle and a cause had never been found to his extreme obesity. However the medical profession’s theory is that Daniel gained all his weight after he became a gaol keeper and the relatively sedentary lifestyle made him pile on the weight!

Famous People associated with Leicester, Daniel Lambert
Photo Courtesy: simontopping.com

#18 Parminder Nagra

Shooting to stardom in the UK after her role as Jess in ‘Bend it like Beckham, Leicester born Parminder Nagra got a big break stateside as Dr Neela Rasgotra in ER. Parminder’s working class background is true testament that hard work achieves success. She was a member of a Leicester based theatrical company, which is still going strong, before she moved to London to study theatre.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Parminder Nagra
Photo Courtesy Max Morse/Getty Images

#19 Mark Selby

If you love Snooker then you’ll know professional snooker Mark Selby, or ‘the jester from Leicester’ as he’s known to his fans. He has been World Snooker Champion three times and was number one in the world rankings for over four years continuously. He has won 17 ranking titles, which puts him in joint seventh place by ranking tournament wins in history to Judd Trump.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Mark Selby playing snooker
Photo Courtesy: Leicester Mercury

#20 Kate O’ Mara

Leicester born Kate O Mara was known for being a fantastic English stage and film actress as well as a writer. As well as appearing on many stage productions such as The Merchant of Venice, Anthony & Cleopatra she was also famed for her TV roles in Howard’s Way, Absolutely fabulous and a number of horror films to name a few.

Famous People Associated with Leicester, Kate o' Mara
Photo Courtesy: Telegraph

Kwoklyn Wan

Leicester born Kwoklyn (brother to Gok Wan) Wan started life working at his parent’s Chinese restaurant and has later gone on to be one of the most authentic Cantonese cuisine chefs. With a number of cookery books under his belt as well as TV shows, he still lives and works in the city. In his Chinese Takeway cookbooks he teaches us to make food at home which tastes you guessed it, just like a Chinese takeout!

Kwoklyn Wan at JohnLewis in Leicester doing Chinese Food demonstrations

Related Articles To Famous People Associated with Leicester

  • A Local’s Historic Guide to Leicester
  • The Ultimate Local’s Guide to Leicester
  • The most beautiful hotels in Leicestershire
  • The best independent places for brunch in Leicester City Centre
  • Street Art in Leicester

Planning a Trip to Leicester?

Enjoyed this article and want to take a trip down to Leicester, to see the sights? Click the links in the graphic below for all your travel planning needs from flights, hotels to best tours and insurance.

Beautiful villages to visit in Provence: Bejal sitting on stone step in Vaison La Romaine

Flights: Search & Book the best flight options through SKYSCANNER

Travel Insurance: An absolute must-have! Check rates on SAFETYWING

Hotels: Choose from a wide range of accommodation with BOOKING.COM

Trains: Get the best available options with TRAINLINE & rail passes in Europe with OMIO

Buses: Scope out the best coach travel deals in Europe with OMIO

Car Hire: Compare, search & secure the best vehicle to suit your needs with RENTALCARS.COM

Activities: Personalise your travel with top destination experiences with GET YOUR GUIDE & VIATOR

Shopping & Reading: A one-stop online shop for all your travel shopping needs, including travel guides AMAZON

Traveller Reviews: Check unbiased reviews for accommodation, tours and restaurants at TRIPADVISOR

Travel Resources: Access Be-lavie’s full-list of tried and tested PARTNERS

eSIM: Keep roaming charges low with an eSIM from Airalo

À bientôt

Pin & Save

Famous Associated with Leicester Pinterest Pin with 4images overlaid with text
Famous Associated with Leicester Pinterest Pin with 3 images overlaid with text

8 Comments
Share
Bejal

I’m Bejal aka Be, an ex-scientist turned travel writer and digital content creator. I have travelled to 6 continents, visited 70 plus countries, including an around the world trip, making me quite the expert in crafting intricate itineraries. I love to discover some of the world's more remote destinations and stay in some incredible hidden location eco-hotels. My aim is to transport you, my audience, to inspirational and cultural global spots that are less visited and allow you to see the 'real' and authentic side of destinations through detailed guides with a sprinkling of luxury. The spotlight is on eco-friendly responsible experiential travel with lifelong memories.

You May Also Like

INDULGE IN A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON TEA AT KNIGHT & GARTER, LEICESTER

4th September 2022

A BEAUTIFUL RELAXING LEICESTERSHIRE STAY AT SYSONBY KNOLL,

18th July 2018

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CHERRY BLOSSOM FROM AROUND THE WORLD

28th February 2021
  • Mostlyfoodandtravel
    23rd April 2020

    A great read and love that we have so many celebrities with connections to Leicester. We sure have a good mixture. Now I want to watch Bend it like Beckham.

    Reply
    • Bejal
      Mostlyfoodandtravel
      23rd April 2020

      Thanks Neha for reading! I know I was quite surprised how many there are and there’s lots more! Haha, I actually want to watch Bend it like Beckham too when I was writing this!

      Reply
  • the Curious Pixie
    23rd April 2020

    Engelbert and the Attenborough brothers I had no idea about!

    Reply
    • Bejal
      the Curious Pixie
      23rd April 2020

      I know you just wouldn’t know! Kate O Mara was my big surprise!

      Reply
  • Aaron (@1dish4the4road)
    23rd April 2020

    Love this, Bejal! And you do such a great job to champion Leicester, they should give you the keys to the city!..

    Reply
    • Bejal
      Aaron (@1dish4the4road)
      24th April 2020

      Thanks so much Aaron! That is super kind of you. I love writing about my home city Leicester and showing off its diversity, culture and history of course!

      Reply
  • Rasha
    25th April 2020

    As a football fan, I knew Gary Lineker would be on the list somewhere 🙂 Jeff Hoffman – it must be pretty damn cool being taught by someone who actually went to space!

    Reply
    • Bejal
      Rasha
      25th April 2020

      Yes Gary is most definitely one of the most famous ones in the city! The Space Centre in Leicester is amazing and Jeff is definitely an amazing guy indeed!

      Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
THE COOKING LAB: A COOKERY SCHOOL WITH A VIEW IN FLORENCE
Next Post
20 FINE DINING EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD
Hi, I'm Bejal aka Be
Lets get acquainted

Lets get acquainted

Hello, I'm Be, an ex-scientist turned travel writer and digital content creator having travelled to 70 plus countries, all over the globe. My aim is to transport you to less visited inspirational and cultural global spots showing off the 'real' authentic side of destinations through detailed guides with a sprinkling of luxury. The spotlight is on eco-friendly responsible travel with lots of coffee spots and veggie food thrown in!

Jump to these here

Reads That May Interest You

About Be-lavie

Travel Destinations

UK Travel

Leicester Local

Food & Drinks

Beautiful World Hotels

Sustainable Travel & Eco-living

Join The Members only Community

Recommended Travel Resources

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Be-lavie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com.

Looking for Something?

Current Location

Current Location

Leicester, UK

Book Your Next Stay

Booking.com

Always Travel With Insurance

Safety Wing Travel Insurance Graphic

Follow These Little Squares @be_lavie

Be-lavie Home page instagram-like grid

Travel Resources

Travel Resources Side bar Banner

Search For Your Flights Now

Book Tours

Powered by GetYourGuide

eSIM

Recent Posts

  • Cappuccino in a grey cup at Kanela, Chicago.

    THE BEST COFFEE SHOPS IN CHICAGO FOR VEGETARIANS & VEGANS

    14th May 2025
  • The Tina Turner Musical, Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy (Tina Turner) singing on stage with lead guitar player.

    THEATRE SPOTLIGHT: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL AT CURVE LEICESTER

    12th March 2025
  • The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe at Curve with the white witch adn the lion infront of a starry night sky backdrop

    THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE AT CURVE LEICESTER

    30th January 2025
  • Sustainability at The Datai Langkawi: Green tree frog in the lily pond

    PLEDGES OF SUSTAINABILITY AT THE DATAI LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA 

    28th January 2025
  • Sustainability at The Datai Langkawi: The Datai Bay with its powedery white sand, turquise blue sea and Tarutao Island in the distance

    6 BEAUTIFUL ECO-FRIENDLY HOTELS IN LANGKAWI & THEIR SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

    28th January 2025
  • The lily pond at The Datai Langkawi with pink lilies, green lily pads and the lobby lounge in the distance

    STAY AT THE SUSTAINABLE LUXURY DATAI LANGKAWI RESORT: A REVIEW

    25th January 2025
  • Things to do in Langkawi: The Datai Beach & rainforest with Tarutao Island. jpg

    20 AMAZING & UNIQUE THINGS TO DO IN LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA: A GUIDE

    16th January 2025
  • Vegan and Vegetarian food in Langkawi: Amuse Bouche at The Dining Room at The Datai, Langkawi

    A GUIDE TO BEST VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN FOOD IN LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA:

    14th January 2025
  • Sustainable Guide to Houston: Buffalo Bayou Park with Downtown Skyline in the background

    SUSTAINABLE HOUSTON GUIDE: 7 WAYS TO BE MORE GREEN

    9th December 2024
  • Photo locations in Houston: Houston Love Mural

    BEAUTIFUL PHOTO LOCATIONS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

    6th December 2024

Travel Resources

Affiliate Links Sidebar Widget

Search Categories

BE-LAVIE'S WORDS TO LIVE BY

'Travel the World, Experience the Culture, Feed your Curiosity, Enrich your Soul, Tell the Story'

More About Be-lavie

Instagram static images banner with 7 images
  • CONTACT
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • WORK WITH BE-LAVIE
  • COOKIE POLICY
  • DISCLOSURE POLICY
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright © 2025 Be-lavie. All Rights Reserved. | Site Powered by Pix & Hue.

Be-lavie is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. Site Powered by Pix & Hue.