Here’s all the famous people you didn’t know went to uni in Leeds

Other than London, Leeds is joint with Manchester and Birmingham for having the greatest number of universities per city: the University of Leeds, Leeds Trinity, Leeds Beckett, Leeds Conservatoire, and Leeds Arts, among others.

Each of these universities have had some very notable alumni, and here are some of them! 

Sir Keir Starmer 

via Wikimedia Commons

Former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer graduated from the University of Leeds in 1985, receiving a Bachelor of Civil Law degree. He also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the university in 2012 after opening its School of Law in 2011. 

In an interview with Leeds Magazine in 2023, he said: “I absolutely fell in love with Leeds, and I’ve been in love with it ever since. It absolutely formed me, and changed my life.” 

Emma Mackey 

via Flickr under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

Actress Emma Mackey, famous for her role as Maeve Wiley in Sex Education, graduated from the University of Leeds in 2016, studying a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature.

According to a 2018 Tab article, Emma lived near Hyde Park on Burley Road. 

David Olusoga 

via BBC

BAFTA-winning writer, historian, broadcaster, and filmmaker David Olusoga graduated with a postgraduate degree from Leeds Trinity University in 1996, studying Broadcast Journalism. 

David highlighted Leeds in Series 4, Episode 1 of BBC Two’s A House Through Time, where he looked at the history of a house in Headingley. 

According to the Headingley website, David said: “Leeds has always been a city I’m fond of. Roundhay was a wonderful place to live and I have a lot of night-time memories of socialising in Headingley.” 

Dan Smith

via YouTube

Dan Smith, the lead singer of the band Bastille, graduated from the University of Leeds in 2007, studying a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature. 

During his time at the university, he wrote for the Leeds Student (now renamed The Gryphon) and was musically supported by the Leeds City Council’s Bright Young Things competition. 

Most Read

It’s been three weeks since Christa Pike’s botched lethal injection – this is how she is today

I knew about Sebastian, but I didn’t realise that four of The Celebrity Traitors cast are queer

RIP Traitors, a murdered Faithful has clocked their critical mistake that I totally missed

In an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post in 2022, Dan said: “I have Leeds to thank entirely for my music career.” 

English Teacher 

via YouTube

The band English Teacher, winners of the 2024 Mercury Music Prize, met in 2018 at Leeds Conservatoire, then called Leeds College of Music.

In a 2024 interview with Notion, bassist Nick Eden praised the financial support and mentorship they received from Music Leeds, a grassroots organisation that supports local up and coming artists. 

Nick also said playing Brudenell Social Club felt like playing their “hometown show.” 

Damien Hirst 

via Flickr under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

Artist Damien Hirst studied a Foundation Diploma Course at Leeds Arts University in the 1980s, then called Jacob Kramer College. He had previously applied to the course but was only successfully admitted after his second attempt. 

Other famous artist alumni from Leeds Arts University include Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. 

Honourable Mentions – Mel B and Chris Pine  

via Flickr and Melanie B under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0

Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B or Scary Spice from the Spice Girls, received an Honorary Doctorate in 2024 from Leeds Beckett University for her services to the city of Leeds. 

During her acceptance speech, Mel also announced that she had enrolled as a student on the university’s Trauma Informed Care course. 

While studying a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of California, Berkley, actor Chris Pine (famous for his roles as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot films, and Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman films) was an exchange student at the University of Leeds for a year. 

In a 2022 interview with Capital X, Chris said he lived on Brudenell Road, and that although he doesn’t remember much of it, he did the Otley Run. 

For more of the latest news, guides, gossip and memes, follow The Leeds Tab on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 

Featured image via Unsplash, YouTube and BBC iPlayer