From bigots to Bloc Party – the secret lives of King’s alumni

The facts they really, really, didn’t want you to find out.


All very well and good having them displayed on our buildings, but who actually are the alumni representing us? I attempt to dish the dirt on some of their not so public activities.

The Duke of Wellington

The 19th century Tiger Woods, old Art was quite the womaniser. The Irish stallion had a little black book full of the most expensive courtesans and loveliest society ladies in Paris, London and Amsterdam (definitely room to inspire a Kanye lyric there). Suddenly the nickname the ‘Iron Duke’ doesn’t seem so innocent…

Florence Nightingale

Florence’s spotless reputation may have been due to the ‘Lady of the Lamp’ nightly patrols she made. The Victorian stereotype ran deep with Flo, she was as prim and proper as they came. Her nightly rounds of the wards, according to her biographer, had far more to do with maintaining the ladylikeness of her young nurses than caring for the Crimean-battered soldiers in her charge – shirking responsibilities, who’d have thought?

Martin Bashir

News broadcaster Martin has a long history of making some pretty dodgy comments. Apart from ‘resigning’ after suggesting someone should shit in Sarah Palin’s mouth live on air (debatable), he also (at the Asian American Journalist Association dinner) remarked, “I’m happy to be in the midst of so many Asian babes. I’m happy that the podium covers me from the waist down.” Oops. Worth a listen however, is his debut reggae album Bass Lion – actually less cringe-worthy than you’d imagine. Not.

Kele Okereke

Not one bad word to say about my personal tween hero, Kele, except his dubious recent foray into house music – what was he thinking? But I doubt he would want many people seeing this shocker he had on live TV: Kele has a shocker

Katherine Grainger

Olympic rowing gold medallist. PhD and Fellow of our alma mater. Fan of the Archers. Nancy Drew fanatic. Zorro enthusiast (Antonio Banderas obvs). Whitney Houston devotee. With the big exception of the Archers – disgraceful, Katherine – none of those are anything to be embarrassed about. Dr Grainger is one of Great Britain’s most decorated sportswomen, as well as being damn clever. She also refrains from (public) bigotry, which is more than we can say for some other famed alumni…

Lord Carey of Clifton

Who can forget Lord Carey’s infamous comments last May about how same-sex marriage could set a “dangerous precedent” that could lead to sibling marriage or polygamy? Or how gay relationships should not “be put on the same level” as heterosexual relationships? He was ever so happy to make those comments public, but would prefer we ignored his comparison between Nazism and opponents of same-sex marriage reform being called bigots. The sound bite master said: “Let us remember the Jews in Nazi Germany. What started against them was when they started to be called names”. Carey added: “And that was the first stage towards that totalitarian state. We have to resist them.” Because that’s a totally fair comparison to make.