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)
Architecture
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)
- Oliver Bayldon (production designer and writer)
- 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, ')
- 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, ' 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 1971âÂÂ2005)
- 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)
- The Voom Blooms (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)
- Moscow Circus (band)
Painters
Writing (except journalism)
Others
Business
Exploration
Military
Politics and royalty
Religion
Science
Sport
Boxing
Chess
Cricket
Cycling
Football
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
Speedway
Others
Miscellaneous
References