Five people you probably didn’t know went to RoHo

Do you ever wonder if there are any successful or famous people who studied at Royal Holloway?  You might often find yourself wondering what we RoHo goers can go on to achieve. Fear not, some famous and successful actually went to Holloway. And here’s a few you might not have known about.

KT Tunstall

She might be your mum’s favourite singer – but I bet you didn’t know she went to Royal Holloway. And she’s graced the very buildings we work and live in today – hair raising stuff.

Example

Perhaps slighly cooler is the chart-topping Example, formally known at Holloway as Elliot Gleave, who studied film directing. After graduating he went on to work in the props departments of films such as Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (simply a really cool job). From there, he built his career and is now the chart sensation we know today and is regularly played at the Student Union.

Lenny Henry

Not stopping there, famous funny man Lenny Henry is a postgraduate research student and continues to work for the BBC, writing sitcoms and working as a comedian. And he recently said: “Royal Holloway has opened up a huge door for me with regard to screenplay writing and other kinds of creativity”.

Mark Strong

Another face we recognise on our TV sets is the well-known actor Mark Strong who studied English and Drama. He has since appeared in films such as Sherlock Holmes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Kick-Ass, (seriously good films) films that have made millions and have shaped the way we see motion pictures today.

Professor David Bellamy

Professor David Bellamy OBE graduated in 1960 from Bedford College, when both Bedford and Royal Holloway were admitted as Schools of the University of London. Today, he is a broadcaster, scientist and environmental activist, producing science programmes such as Bellamy’s Britain and Botanic Man for the BBC and ITV.

This without doubt, shows that Royal Holloway has sustained a reputation for producing graduates of world-renowned work. So who knows, our roommate could be the next pop star or film director? Or maybe even you could be successful one day. Keep on the look out Holloway…