University Of Exeter Notable Alumni

Discover the notable alumni of University Of Exeter. The list includes people like J. K. Rowling, Mark Labbett, Thom Yorke, Katie Hopkins & Al-Waleed bin Talal. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as film & theater personalities, writers, singers, musicians and media personalities etc.
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 1 
J. K. Rowling
(Author of Children's Fantasy Series, 'Harry Potter')
J. K. Rowling
296
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 31, 1965
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Yate, England

JK Rowling’s story is that of rags-to-riches. She is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which have sold more than 500 million copies and is the best-selling book series in history. She also writes crime fiction albeit under a pen name. Rowling supports many charities and has founded Lumos, an international NGO, working for children.

 2 
Thom Yorke
(Singer, Musician, Songwriter)
Thom Yorke
27
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: October 7, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wellingborough

English musician, Thom Yorke, is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He is a multi-instrumentalist as well. Active in the music industry for over 35 years, he performs both as part of his band and as a solo artist. He is a human rights activist and also supports animal rights, environmental and anti-war causes.

 3 
Vanessa Kirby
(British Actress Known for Her Role as ‘Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon’ in the TV Series ‘The Crown')
Vanessa Kirby
44
Birthdate: April 18, 1988
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Wimbledon, London, England

English actress, Vanessa Kirby, catapulted to fame as Princess Margaret in the Netflix historical drama series The Crown. The success brought her big films like Mission: Impossible –Fallout. However, Venessa has been a known stage and screen actress for quite some time. Her profile include A Streetcar Named Desire (play), The Frankenstein Chronicles (television series) and Great Expectations (BBC miniseries).

 4 
Mark Labbett
(English Quizzer and Television Personality)
Mark Labbett
11
Birthdate: August 5, 1965
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Tiverton, England, United Kingdom
Mark Labbett gained fame as the “chaser” on the game show The Chase and its subsequent versions. He is known by his nickname “The Beast” on these shows. He has also appeared on several other shows, such as Mastermind, Countdown, SUDO-Q, Celebrity Juice, and The Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
 5 
Steve Backshall
(British Naturalist, Explorer and Presenter Known for His Wildlife Documentary Program ‘Deadly 60’)
Steve Backshall
31
Birthdate: April 21, 1973
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bagshot, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Two-time BAFTA-winning naturalist and explorer Steve Backshall soared to fame with the BBC program Deadly 60. He has also worked with the Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel. He has written The Falcon Chronicles, a series of children’s novels, among other books, and loves mountaineering and martial arts.

 6 
Stephen Dillane
(British Actor)
Stephen Dillane
4
Birthdate: March 27, 1957
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kensington, London, United Kingdom
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 7 
Zara Tindall
(British Equestrian and the Eldest Granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II)
Zara Tindall
17
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 15, 1981
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paddington, London, England

Zara Tindall is a British equestrian who won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. She excelled at many sporting activities as a young girl and represented her schools in hockey, athletics, and gymnastics. She eventually chose to pursue an equestrian career. 

 8 
Al-Waleed bin Talal
(Business magnate)
Al-Waleed bin Talal
37
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: March 7, 1955
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Riyadh
Saudi Arabian businessman and philanthropist Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud is part of the Saudi royal family. Son of The Red Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz, he founded the conglomerate Kingdom Holding Company. Named by Time as the Arabian Warren Buffett, he was also arrested for corruption once.
 9 
Ben Collins
(Racing Driver and Winner of the 2003 ASCAR Championship)
Ben Collins
5
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 13, 1975
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bristol, England

British racing-driver Ben Collins has competed in several categories including Formula Three and has won the 2003 ASCAR Championship. He has worked as precision-driver in many films including driving James Bond's car in Casino Royale and appeared in shows like Top Gear. He was revealed to be Stig from the Top Gear show during a court-battle over his impending autobiography.  

 10 
Katie Hopkins
(Media Personality)
Katie Hopkins
18
Birthdate: February 13, 1975
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Barnstaple
Reality star Katie Hopkins is known for her far-right and controversial opinions, which have led her into quite a few legal hassles. She soared to fame with her appearance on The Apprentice (UK). She later hosted Katie Hopkins Ruled the World and finished as the runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother.
 11 
Rhod Gilbert
(Welsh Comedian and Television & Radio Presenter)
Rhod Gilbert
2
Birthdate: October 18, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Carmarthen, Wales

Perrier Best Newcomer Award-nominated comedian Rhod Gilbert is also a writer and producer, known for his shows such as Rhod Gilbert vs. Kilimanjaro and Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience. Named to the list of the Top 50 Comedians by The Times, he is also an avid badminton player.

 12 
Sajid Javid
(Politician)
Sajid Javid
7
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 5, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rochdale, England
 13 
Frank Gardner
(British Journalist, Author and Retired Army Reserve Officer)
Frank Gardner
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 31, 1961
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England
 14 
Steven Culp
(Actor)
Steven Culp
1
Birthdate: December 3, 1955
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: La Jolla, California, USA
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 15 
Will Young
(Singer, Actor)
Will Young
3
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: January 20, 1979
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Wokingham
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 16 
Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi
(Member of the Federal Supreme Council)
Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi
6
Birthdate: July 2, 1939
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
 17 
Carol Shields
(Novelist)
Carol Shields
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 2, 1935
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, United States
Died: July 16, 2003
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Canadian novelist Carol Shields was known for capturing and highlighting domesticity in her writings. Most of her writings centred around the lives of women, the genesis of art, notions of gender, etc. Her seventh novel, The Stone Diaries, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction (1995), and was shortlisted for a Booker Prize.
 18 
Julian Richings
(Actor)
Julian Richings
2
Birthdate: September 8, 1956
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Oxford, England
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 19 
Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo
(First Child, Elder Daughter of King Juan Carlos I of Spain)
Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: December 20, 1963
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 20 
Santa Montefiore
(Writer)
Santa Montefiore
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 2, 1970
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Winchester, Hampshire, England
 21 
Caroline Lucas
(Political Leader)
Caroline Lucas
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: December 9, 1960
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Malvern, Worcestershire, England, UK
 22 
Drew Pearce
(British Screenwriter, Director and Producer)
Drew Pearce
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 24, 1975
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Fife, Scotland
 23 
Robert Bolt
(Playwright and a two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter)
Robert Bolt
0
Birthdate: August 15, 1924
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sale, Cheshire, England
Died: February 20, 1995
 24 
Samantha Smith
(English Former Professional Tennis Player)
Samantha Smith
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 27, 1971
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Loughton, Essex, England

Samantha Smith is a British retired professional tennis player. She has eight ITF career titles, including three singles titles, under her belt. A former British No. 1, Smith also represented Britain in the European Cup and Fed Cup on several occasions. After retiring as a player, Samantha Smith started working as a commentator for various sports networks.

 25 
Christ Tshiunza
(Rugby union player)
Christ Tshiunza
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 9, 2002
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
 26 
James Brokenshire
(Politician)
James Brokenshire
3
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 8, 1968
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom
Died: October 7, 2021
 27 
Daphne Fowler
(British TV Personality)
Daphne Fowler
2
Birthdate: January 5, 1939
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Warwick, Warwickshire, England
 28 
Sigrid Kaag
(Politician, Diplomat)
Sigrid Kaag
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 2, 1961
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rijswijk, Netherlands

Though a pianist’s daughter, Sigrid Kaag grew up studying Middle East studies and international relations. Initially a Dutch diplomat to places such as Beirut and Vienna, she later worked for the UN and then joined Democrats 66. She now leads her country as its First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

 29 
Stanley Donwood
(Artist, Writer)
Stanley Donwood
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: October 29, 1968
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Essex
 30 
Peter Philips
(Composer)
Peter Philips
0
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: November 15, 1977
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Devonshire or London,England
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 31 
Fiona Shackleton
(Solicitor)
Fiona Shackleton
1
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: May 26, 1956
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England
 32 
Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
(Author)
Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: August 28, 1920
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bethlehem
Died: December 12, 1994
 33 
Thurston Dart
(Musicologist)
Thurston Dart
1
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: September 3, 1921
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kingston upon Thames, England
Died: March 6, 1971
 34 
Iwona Blazwick
(Art critic known for Director of the Whitechapel Art Gallery since 2001)
Iwona Blazwick
1
Birthdate: October 14, 1955
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: United Kingdom
 35 
Shahd Alshammari
(Kuwaiti Writer)
Shahd Alshammari
0
Birthplace: Kuwait
 36 
Gerardo Vera
(Director)
Gerardo Vera
0
Birthdate: March 10, 1947
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain
Died: September 20, 2020
 37 
Linah Mohohlo
(Banker and university chancellor)
Linah Mohohlo
1
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: February 13, 1952
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ramotswa, Botswana
Died: June 2, 2021
 38 
Ahmad Thomson
(Barrister)
Ahmad Thomson
0
Listed In: Lawyers & Judges
Birthdate: April 23, 1950
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chipata, Zambia
Tracing its roots back to the mid nineteenth century, the University of Exeter is a public research university located in Exeter, South West England. With four campuses across Exeter and Cornwall, the University of Exeter is considered the as one of the 12 most elite universities in England, as per The Daily Telegraph. The university comprises of over 70 research centers and institutes and admissions into the university are regarded as highly competitive. The University of Exeter offers programs in areas such as Business, Humanities, Environmental Science, Medicine, Engineering and so on. Over time, the University of Exeter has gained immense global acclamation and has gone on to climb the ladder of national and international university rankings. Having been ranked 9th place among the British Universities by The Guardian and 7th place by The Times in 2016, the university is living up to the name of being one of Britain’s finest research institutions. The University of Exeter has also been rated among Britain’s top 10 universities in higher education as per the QS and Times Higher Education rankings. Bounded by values and innovation in a challenging environment, the university comprises of almost 22,000 students who are given the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. Representing over 130 countries, the student body is as diverse as it comes by merging the best of various cultures. The university has produced various celebrated individuals in the past such as J.K. Rowling, Frank Gardner, Caroline Lucas and Thom Yorke. Here is the complete list.