These are the people you didn’t know went to Liverpool Uni

While we might be bottom of the Russell Group, Liverpool do boast some interesting alumni. So next time your smug friend at UCL reminds you of Liverpool’s dismal place in the table, tell them to stick these names in their pipe and smoke it. Here’s a rundown of Liverpool Uni’s top alumni:

Dame Carol Ann Duffy

Photo: Maggie Hannan

Everyone’s favourite Scottish poet and playwright, and the first LBGT Poet Laureate, studied Philosophy at the uni. If you haven’t studied her work in English Lit, did you even go to school? You know, the one about love being an onion.

Peter Kay

Photo: University of Salford Press Office

The beloved Bolton born baby-faced comedian and garlic bread connoisseur lied about his qualifications in order to get a place here, to study Theatre Studies and Drama, American Studies and IT. Unfortunately he transferred to the University of Salford shortly afterwards. So what if he didn’t graduate here? He still attended, and that’s the main thing.

Steve Coppell

Former English footballer Steve Coppell played for Tranmere and Man United, before going on to coach teams such as Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Portsmouth. Proving he’s got brains too, Coppell gained a degree in Economics from the the uni.

Andy Brown

Photo: Andrew Randall Photography

Liverpool lad and lead singer of the boy band ‘Lawson’ also attended Liverpool uni. Whilst studying for his degree in Computer Science he undertook surgery to remove a non-cancerous yet dangerous tumour in his brain. Despite his trauma, he still managed to get a 2:1. Andy’s band ‘Lawson’ are apparently named after the brain surgeon who performed the surgery on him.

Nick Grimshaw

Photo: James Cridland

Returning to DJ at freshers recently, the BBC Radio 1 presenter studied Communications and Business at UoL, but after failing his final year was awarded a ‘Diploma in Higher Education’ rather than a BA Degree. It still counts, hun.  If you’re ever in the radio studio keep an eye out for the letters that still arrive addressed to him.

Jon Snow

The award-winning journalist, not the Game of Thrones character. Snow studied Law in Liverpool until he was kicked out for his part in an anti-apartheid student protest, he told BBC Merseyside year later: “it was a massive event in which huge numbers of people were involved, thousands.  It was sublime to be alive, it was sublime to be in Liverpool” While some who were expelled were invited back, Snow did not return and couldn’t complete his degree.

Dame Rose Heilbron DBE QC

Home grown talent. Born in Liverpool in 1914, Heilbron studied Law at the uni and went on to be the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey. What a gal.

Beth Tweddle MBE

Photo: TwoWings

Another local lass, Tweddle was the first female gymnast from Team GB to win an Olympic medal. As if that wasn’t enough she’s three time World champion, six time European champion and seven time British champion. After graduating from JMU she completed a degree in Physiotherapy at Liverpool Uni.

Edward Snowden

Competing for the title of world’s biggest snitch with Julian Assange. Former CIA employee Snowden is famous for leaking classified information from the NSA in 2013 that revealed that the American government had been spying on, well, everyone. He didn’t physically attend the uni, but worked towards an MA. That totally still counts.

Matt Taylor

This guy actually managed to land a spacecraft on a comet. No biggie. And there’s no way he would have been able to do it without his degree in Physics from the Uni of Liverpool.

Victoria Derbyshire

Journalist and broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire got her degree in English Language and Literature from the uni. Last year she announced via Twitter that she has breast cancer and would be having a mastectomy. She has recently finished her chemotherapy.

Patricia Routledge

Actress Patricia Routledge, best known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket in the sitcom ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ studied English Language and Literature at the uni, and began her acting career at the Liverpool Playhouse.

Stuart Bennett (aka Wade Barrett)

After completing his degree in Marine Biology at Liverpool Uni, Bennett really made the most of his education by going on to become a WWE wrestler.

Whether it be broadcasting or WWE, this is everywhere you can go with a degree (or not) from Liverpool.