List of Open University people explained

This is a partial list of alumni and staff of the Open University.

Alumni

The OU has over two million alumni, including:

Politicians

• Fleur Anderson, Labour MP
• Ian Byrne, Labour MP^[1]
• Laurie Bristow, British diplomat^[2]
• Aimee Challenor, British politician and transgender activist^[3]
• Barbara Follett, Labour MP
• Gerald Gardiner, Baron Gardiner, former Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, completed his degree whilst serving as Chancellor of the Open University
• Bill Henderson, member of the House of Keys (Isle of Man)
• David Heyes, Labour MP
• Adam Ingram, Labour Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office
• Andrea Jenkyns, Conservative MP^[4]
• Marat Khusnullin – Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
• Peter Law, Welsh politician and Independent Member of Parliament for Blaenau Gwent^[5]
• John McFall, Labour MP and Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
• Wendy Morton – Conservative MP and former Chief Whip of the House of Commons
• Chris Pond, former Labour Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions
• John Reid – Former Labour Home Secretary and Minister.
• Graham Smith, CEO of Republic
• Meles Zenawi, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia^[6]

Entertainers

• Joan Armatrading, singer/songwriter^[7]
• Steve Backshall, naturalist and television presenter
• Connie Booth, actress^[8]
• Katy Cavanagh, actress^[9]
• Julie Christie, actress
• Lisa Coleman, actress and volunteer occupational therapist
• Micky Dolenz, formerly of The Monkees
• Lionel Fanthorpe, priest, entertainer, television presenter, author and lecturer^[10]
• Romola Garai, actress^[11]
• Hubert Gregg, radio presenter
• Jerry Hall, model/actress^[7]
• Frank Hampson, creator of Dan Dare^[12]
• Sheila Hancock, actress^[8]
• Lenny Henry, entertainer^[7]
• Nadiya Hussain, chef, author, television presenter^[13]
• Matthew Kelly, television presenter^[8]
• Mylene Klass, actress, singer, model, pianist and media personality^[7]
• Clare Nasir, meteorologist and television presenter

• David Neilson, actor
• Talulah Riley, actress
• Dave Rowntree, drummer, politician, solicitor and composer^[14]
• Julia Sawalha, actress^[7]
• Graeme K Talboys, writer
• Susan Tully, television producer and director; former actress
• Holly Willoughby, television presenter^[7]
• Daisy Edgar-Jones, actress^[15]

Scientists and engineers

• Colette Henry, social scientist and Head of Department of Business Studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology
• Nigel Roberts, computer scientist
• Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England
• Robin Wilson, mathematician

Law

• Nigel Bridge, Lord Bridge of Harwich, retired Law Lord
• Trevor Pearce, QPM CBE. Former director of the National Crime Agency.

Sport

• Craig Brown, football manager
• Ben Davies, footballer
• Helen Richardson-Walsh, hockey player
• Ran Sagiv (born 1997), Israeli Olympic triathlete
• Frank Turner, three-times Olympic gymnast

Military

• Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge, Royal Air Force officer^[16]
• Peter Cottrell, author, historian and former Royal Navy and British Army officer

Religion

• Eric Nash Devenport, Bishop of Dunwich
• Zerbanoo Gifford, author, human rights campaigner and President of World Zoroastrian Organisation

Miscellaneous

• Elizabeth Arnold, children's writer
• Nigel Benson, author and illustrator
• Bobby Cummines OBE, charity chief executive and reformed offender.^[17]
• J. Colin Dodds, President of Saint Mary's University (Halifax)
• Christine Grosart, cave diver and explorer
• Rose Hanbury, peeress, model and political staffer
• Jeanette Henderson, author, academic, Specialist Lay Mental health Tribunal judge, social worker, radio broadcaster
• Myra Hindley, convicted murderer and prisoner^[18]
• Air-Vice Marshal David Anthony Hobart, Royal Air Force officer
• Gerry Hughes, sailor, first single-handed crossing of the Atlantic by a deaf person.^[19]
• Natalya Kaspersky, co-founder and co-owner of Kaspersky Lab
• Paul Marsden, writer, businessman and former Labour/Liberal Democrat MP.^[20]
• Ian Rankin, Scottish writer
• Ken Robinson, educationalist
• Gwyn Singleton, dyslexia educationalist^[21]
• Mary Stuart, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lincoln^[22]
• Peter Ventress, businessman

Honorary graduates

• Sir David Attenborough – British broadcaster and naturalist (honorary graduate)
• Tim Berners-Lee – engineer, computer scientist and inventor of the World Wide Web; recipient of OU honorary doctorate^[23]
• Mary Beard – classicist and television presenter (honorary graduate)
• Gordon Brown – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (honorary doctorate)
• Cerrie Burnell – actress, author and former television presenter (honorary graduate)
• Sharon Corr – singer-songwriter and musician (honorary graduate)
• Brian Cox – physicist (honorary doctorate)
• Richard Dawkins – British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author (honorary doctorate)
• Edward Heath – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975 (honorary doctorate)
• Prue Leith – restaurateur, television presenter and writer (honorary graduate)
• Judy Murray – tennis coach (honorary graduate)
• Terry Pratchett – English fantasy author
• Benjamin Zephania – poet and author (honorary graduate)

Staff

• Katharine Ellis, music historian
• John Fauvel, historian of mathematics
• Derek S. Pugh, Professor Emeritus for International Management
• Robin Wilson, mathematician

Notes and References

1. @IanByrneMP . 1194303292253360131 . 12 November 2019 . "One of my proudest achievements...".
2. Web site: The UC Interview Series: Sir Laurie Bristow. 2021-08-17. uc.web.ox.ac.uk. en.
3. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/06/aimee-challenor-theresa-may-lgbt-inequality-transgender-green-party Aimee Challenor: Yes, I'm trans, but I'm a Green party politician and proud of it’| Alfie Packham | Society | The Guardian
4. News: Andrea Jenkyns: 'There's not much that really floors me' . Sebastian . Whale . totalpolitics . 29 May 2015 . 23 April 2021.
5. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2006/apr/25/obituaries.uk Peter Law: 1948-2006 | Politics | The Guardian
6. Web site: Why the West backed Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi . BBC News. Martin . Plaut . 21 August 2012 . 23 April 2021.
7. Web site: From insomniacs to iTunes: rise of the Open University . The Independent. Richard . Garner . 23 October 2011 . 23 April 2021.
8. Web site: The Open University . The Independent. 13 August 2013 . 23 April 2021.
9. Web site: Corrie star Katy is better by degree . The Bolton News . 9 June 2009 . 23 April 2021.
10. http://www.literaturewales.org/writers-of-wales/i/129650/ Fanthorpe on The Writers of Wales Database
11. News: 25 March 2010 . Passed/Failed: An education in the life of the actor Romola Garai .
12. Web site: Frank Hampson 1918 – 1985 . 30 April 2020 . Tameside Tourist Information Office . Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.
13. Web site: About me · Nadiya Hussain . 2023-08-21 . Nadiya Hussain . en-GB.
14. News: Rogers . Jude . 2023-01-15 . Blur’s Dave Rowntree: ‘I still wake at 3am thinking I’ve frittered my life away’ . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-08-21 . 0261-3077.
15. Web site: Little . Harriet Fitch . 2020-03-16 . Meet the Charismatic Stars of the Highly-Anticipated Normal People Adaptation . 2024-09-21 . Vogue . en-US.
16. http://www8.open.ac.uk/business-school/news/archive/military-leader-and-mba-graduate-pays-tribute-ou-business-school?samsredir=1301546053 News | The Open University Business School
17. News: 10 January 2017 . Youngest armed robber: 'University changed my life' . BBC News .
18. News: 2002-11-15 . Obituary: Myra Hindley . . 2014-04-10.
19. Web site: Gerry Hughes . 30 April 2020 . University of Glasgow.
20. News: 16 October 2002 . Paul Marsden . BBC News .
21. Web site: Singleton . Clare . 2021-10-31 . Gwyn Singleton obituary . 2023-01-27 . the Guardian . en.
22. http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/vc/coreexec/mary_stuart.htm Professor Mary Stuart, Vice-Chancellor University of Lincoln
23. Web site: BBC News EDUCATION Open University's online graduation . 2020-12-08 . news.bbc.co.uk.