10 famous inspirational women you had no idea studied at Durham

In honour of International Women’s Day on the 8th March, it feels only right to celebrate some of the incredible women who once walked Durham’s cobbled streets and frequented the same college bars as today’s students. From actors and journalists to politicians, content creators, lawyers and sporting legends, Durham University has produced its fair share of inspiring women.

So, here are 10 famous and influential women you might not have realised once studied in Durham.

1. Sophia Smith Galer

Kicking off the list is someone you may already recognise from your phone screen, whether that’s on Instagram, TikTok, or even on TV during University Challenge. If you’re a linguistics fan, this one might be especially familiar. Sophia Smith Galer is a digital journalist, author and social media creator whose engaging videos on language, culture, and misinformation have earned her a huge online following.

Her work has gained widespread recognition. In 2022 she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in the marketing and media category, and was also shortlisted by British Vogue as one of the UK’s 25 most influential women.

But before the awards and viral videos, she was a student at St Mary’s College, Durham University, studying Spanish and Arabic and making the most of university life. One of her favourite memories from her time at Durham University was performing with the Durham Opera Ensemble: “Every year I was in Durham I sang as part of the Durham Opera Ensemble, and in fourth year I got to play Carmen in Carmen at the Gala Theatre. It was an incredible opportunity and wholly unforgettable. It changed my life.”

Read more about Sophia Smith Galer here. 

2. Ambika Mod

Another famous St Mary’s alumnus is actor and comedian Ambika Mod, who you have almost certainly seen on your screens in recent years.

She starred as Shruti Acharya in the acclaimed BBC medical drama This Is Going to Hurt (2022), before landing the lead role in One Day, Netflix’s hugely popular adaptation of the beloved novel. If you watched it, chances are it emotionally ruined you just like it did the rest of us. Her performance earned widespread praise and even led to her being awarded the 2024 Women in Film and TV Award for Emerging Talent.

Before all the red carpets and streaming success, Ambika studied a BA in English Literature from 2014 – 2017. Her path into acting wasn’t entirely straightforward, though. After struggling to land roles in student plays, she turned instead to comedy, joining Durham’s famous sketch comedy group, the Durham Revue. What started as a backup plan quickly turned into a passion, so much so that she ended up running the Revue in her final year.

Read more about Ambika Mod here.

3. Gabby Logan MBE

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A post shared by Gabby Logan (@gabbylogan)

If you’ve watched sport on the BBC at any point in the last decade, chances are you’ve seen Gabby Logan presenting.

A familiar face on BBC Sport since 2009, she is now one of the UK’s most respected sports broadcasters. Over the course of her career she has been named Sports Presenter of the Year four times and was awarded an MBE in 2020 for her services to sports broadcasting and charity. Before her media career took off, however, Logan was an elite athlete, representing Wales and Great Britain as a rhythmic gymnast.

She later studied law at Durham University and was a member of St Hild and St Bede College,  arguably the best college in Durham (no bias here…).

During her time at university she remained heavily involved in sport, playing netball and competing in the high jump. Durham also played a key role in launching her broadcasting career, as she began gaining media experience through part-time radio work in Newcastle upon Tyne while studying.

Logan has often spoken about her affection for Durham’s unique collegiate system, praising the tight-knit community and supportive environment it provided during her student years.

Read more about Gabby Logan here.

4. Biddy Baxter MBE

Another alumna of St Mary’s College, Durham University – Mary’s really seems to be on a roll here – is someone you might not recognise by name, but whose work you almost certainly know. Biddy Baxter was a pioneering television producer, among the earliest female editors at the BBC, best known for shaping the beloved children’s programme Blue Peter, the iconic BBC children’s show famous for wholesome chaos and ambitious craft projects.

Baxter studied social sciences at Durham University before going on to play a key role in defining the format of the show during her time as producer. Many of the programme’s most recognisable features were developed under her guidance, including the introduction of the famous Blue Peter badge, a tradition that remains a rite of passage for impressive children across the UK to this day.

Read more about Biddy Baxter here.

5. Sophie Hosking MBE

Another of Durham’s standout female alumni is sporting icon Sophie Hosking MBE, who many will remember from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where she won gold in the lightweight double sculls and cemented her place among Britain’s top Olympic rowers.

Before her Olympic success, Hosking studied chemistry and physics at Durham and was a member of Trevelyan College. She has often credited her time there with helping shape her into an elite athlete, describing Durham as a welcoming and supportive environment. Although she initially focused on football, she returned to rowing while at university and soon joined the highly competitive Durham University Boat Club (DUBC), where she developed the skills that would eventually take her all the way to Olympic gold.

Read more about Sophie Hosking here.

6. Lady Black of Derwent (Jill Black) DBE

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Another notable alumna of Trevelyan College is Jill Black, Baroness Black of Derwent DBE, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. She read law as an undergraduate at Durham and was notably the first lawyer in her family.

Specialising in family law, she built a distinguished legal career, becoming a Queen’s Counsel in 1994 before being appointed to the High Court in 1999, when she was also made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). She later served as Family Division Liaison Judge to the Northern Circuit from 2000 to 2004. In 2010 she was appointed a Lady Justice of Appeal and sworn into the Privy Council.

In 2017, she made history as only the second woman to be appointed to the UK’s highest court, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. In recognition of her remarkable career, Durham later awarded her an honorary Doctor of Law degree in 2022.

Read more about Lady Black of Derwent here.

7. Holly Colvin

Continuing the trend of impressive Durham athletes is former Holly Colvin, an England women’s national cricket team cricketer and double World Cup winner. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler and right-handed batter, Colvin made her international debut at just 15, becoming the youngest player ever to represent England at senior level.

During her international career between 2005 and 2013, she appeared in five Test matches, 72 One Day Internationals and 50 Twenty20 Internationals for England. Alongside her cricketing career, she studied at St Mary’s College between 2009 and 2012, making her yet another notable alumna from Mary’s.

Read more about Holly Colvin here.

8. Mo Mowlam

One of Durham’s most influential political alumni is Mo Mowlam, a prominent Labour Party (UK) politician who became known as the “people’s peacemaker” for her role in one of the most significant moments in modern British politics.

Mowlam served in the Cabinet of Tony Blair as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, as well as Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. She played a crucial role in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement, the landmark peace deal that helped bring an end to decades of violence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Before her political career, Mowlam studied Natural Sciences at Durham and was a member of Trevelyan College. Her time at Durham proved formative: she joined the Labour Party in her first year and quickly became involved in student politics. In 1969 she served as Secretary of the Durham Union Society and later went on to become Vice-President of the Durham Students’ Union, early signs of the influential political career that lay ahead.

Read more about Mo Mowlam here.

9. Carla Denyer

Our penultimate entry on this list of inspiring Durham women is political trailblazer Carla Denyer. She studied mechanical engineering at Durham University and was a member of St Chad’s College. Even during her student years, Denyer was deeply committed to environmental activism, serving as an environmental representative for her college and championing sustainability initiatives on campus.

She has described her time at Durham as crucial for meeting people from diverse backgrounds and shaping her worldview. It was also at university, during her third year, that she had a “climate epiphany”, realising that climate change was the defining issue of our time and pivoting her focus toward environmental action. Denyer went on to co-lead the Green Party of England and Wales alongside Adrian Ramsay from October 2021 to September 2025 and, since 2024, has served as the Member of Parliament for Bristol Central, UK, continuing her fight for a sustainable future on the national stage.

Read more about Carla Denyer here.

10. Sabrina Bahsoon aka ‘The Tube Girl’

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Before wrapping up, one final honourable mention has to go to viral sensation Sabrina Bahsoon, better known online as “Tube Girl”. Her dance videos on the London Underground turned ordinary commutes into full-on main-character moments, quickly becoming a global social media trend.

Originally from Malaysia, she moved to the United Kingdom to study law at Durham University, graduating in 2023. During her time at Durham she was also involved with the Durham University Charity Fashion Show (DUCFS) in her final year. Since then, she’s become something of a Gen Z internet icon, proving that sometimes all it takes is a bit of bold energy on your daily commute to take over the internet. Bassoon gives main character energy, and we are here for it!

Read more about Sabrina Bassoon here.

Walking in their footsteps – who’s next?

So next time you’re wandering down The Bailey or grabbing a pint at The Swan, take a moment to reflect about the incredible footsteps you’re walking in, and maybe, even imagine blazing your own.

Who knows? The next big alumna could be sitting in the lecture hall right next to you. And if this list, released in honour of International Women’s Day, proves anything, it’s that Durham women have a knack for breaking barriers, achieving remarkable things, and leaving their mark on the world.

Here’s to the next generation of trailblazers: I for one thing, can’t wait to see what they’ll achieve!

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Featured image via Unsplash and Instagram @sabrinabahsoon and @gabbylogan