- Alan Smith
Alan Smith (born 28 October 1980 in Rothwell, West Yorkshire) is an English professional football player,. He has played centre-forward for most of his career. He formerly played for Leeds United, and now plays for Manchester United.
- Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor noted for his work, his boyish appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent.
- Aaron Lennon
Aaron Justin Lennon (born April 16, 1987 in Chapeltown, Leeds) is an English footballer currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur.
- Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae (born February 26, 1979) is an English singer-songwriter from Leeds who released her eponymous debut album "Corinne Bailey Rae" in February 2006. Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC poll of music critics. The poll's predictions subsequently came true, as she became only the fourth female British act in history to have her first album debut at number one.
- Jane Tomlinson
Jane Tomlinson, CBE is a British campaigner and fund raiser for cancer charities. She is a graduate of Sheffield Hallam University with a postgraduate certificate in medical imaging practice in 2002, and works as a radiographer at Leeds General Infirmary. As of June 2007 she suffers from advanced metastatic breast cancer; the disease was diagnosed incurable on 31 August 2000. In the last six years she has had four courses of chemotherapy.
- Ricky Wilson
Ricky Wilson (born Charles Richard Wilson, 17 January 1978) is the lead singer of English band Kaiser Chiefs. Noted for his over the top fashion and intense "pogo" on stage while playing the cowbell and tambourne, Wilson will often jump into the crowd during a performance. Wilson, who was originally in a Rolling Stones tribute band has made a variety of television appearances including the BBC show "Never Mind the Buzzcocks"
- Mohammad Sidique Khan
Mohammad Sidique Khan (October 20, 1974 - July 7, 2005) was the oldest of the four men responsible for the 7 July 2005 London bombings, in which bombs were detonated on three London Underground trains and one bus in central London suicide attacks that killed 52 people and injured over 700. Khan bombed the Edgware Road train in which seven people died, including himself. On September 1, 2005, a videotape emerged in which Khan gave his reasons for the attack.
- Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles (born February 22, 1974 in Leeds) is an English disc jockey. He currently hosts the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, entitled "The Chris Moyles Show".
- Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter was an English professional snooker player. His media profile developed swiftly and he became known as the ’Beckham of the Baize’ for his glamorous image
- David Harvey
David Harvey (born February 7 1948 in Leeds, England) was for many years the reserve goalkeeper for Leeds United during their glory era of the 1960s and 1970s and yet is more fondly remembered than the man who blocked his path for so long. Born locally to an English mother and Scottish father, Harvey signed professional forms for Leeds as a 17 year old and made his debut later the same year.
- David Batty
David Batty (born December 2, 1968 in Leeds, England) was a professional football (soccer) player who played in a defensive midfield position. He is most famed for playing for Leeds United F.C, as well as being capped for the England national football team.
- Nick Hodgson
Nicholas David James Hodgson (born October 20, 1977) is the drummer and principal song-writer of English indie band Kaiser Chiefs. On stage he provides the backing vocals, the beat and the banter. He attended St Mary's School in Menston with Nick "Peanut" Baines and Simon Rix. He then went onto Trinity & All Saints University Colleage in a town called Horsforth just outside Leeds.
- Ralph Thoresby
Ralph Thoresby (16 August 1658 - 16 October 1724), born in Leeds and is widely credited with being the first historian of that city. He was besides a merchant, non-conformist, fellow of the Royal Society, diarist, author, common-councilman in the Corporation of Leeds, and museum keeper. Ralph Thoresby was the son of John Thoresby, a Leeds merchant who for a time was an officer under Fairfax during the English Civil War, …
- Dead Disco
Dead Disco are a British indie girl group whose style has been likened to that of Gwen Stefani and Alison Goldfrapp.
- John Smeaton
John Smeaton, <small>FRS</small>, (June 8, 1724 - October 28, 1792) was a civil engineer - often regarded as the "father of civil engineering" - responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a more than capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. He was associated with the Lunar Society. He was the first self-proclaimed civil engineer.
- John Pearson
John Pearson VC (19 January 1825--18 April1892) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth forces.
- Leslie Silver
Leslie Silver, OBE was Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University from 1999 to 2005. Born in London in 1925, he moved with his family to Leeds in 1940 and in 1943, he joined the RAF for training as Air Crew. For the rest of the war, Leslie served operationally in Europe and the Farast.
- David Gedge
David Gedge (born David Lewis Gedge, 23 April 1960 in Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England) is an English musician and songwriter. He is the main songwriter and vocalist in the bands The Wedding Present, and Cinerama.
- Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards (born June 24, 1988 in Birmingham) is a football player with Manchester City and England. Richards, a right full back, made his professional debut when he was 17 as a substitute against Arsenal in October 2005.
- Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is a British BBC journalist, news and TV presenter and author from England. He is best known for his abrasive and forthright style of interviewing on the BBC's "Newsnight" programme, which has often been praised as tough and incisive or criticised as aggressive and irreverent. Any kind of tough questioning is routinely described as "Paxmanesque" in recognition of his style.
- Nell McAndrew
Nell McAndrew (born as Tracey McAndrew on November 6, 1973, in Leeds) is an English glamour model. She started her career as a Page Three girl at the "Daily Star", before becoming the official Lara Croft model for the computer game "Tomb Raider". Nell was also recognised as a Forces Sweetheart. She has continued to model since, and has also had a mildly successful television career, …
- Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE, KCSG (born 31 October 1926), commonly known as Jimmy 'Now Then, Now Then, Hows About That Then, Jingle Jangle Jewellery Jewellery' Savile, is an English DJ, actor and television personality. He is best known for his BBC television show "Jim'll Fix It", in which he made the wishes of members of the public (mainly children) come true, …
- Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White (born 11 December, 1961) is a leading English chef and restaurateur. He is regarded as one of the most creative and talented chefs of his generation, known as much for his quick temper as for his exceptional skill as a chef. Although the chain-smoking White is variously described as the first celebrity chef, the "enfant terrible" of the UK restaurant scene or the Godfather of modern cooking, …
- Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (born Leeds, 1959) is an English artist. Educated at Jacob Kramer College of Art and the University of East London, he trained with iconographer Guillem Ramos Poqui. Murphy uses traditional techniques from medieval altar painting, including egg tempera paint and gilding with gold leaf. He is a member of The Society of Tempera Painters and runs courses teaching these traditional techniques.
- Brian Deane
Brian Christopher Deane is a former English footballer. Signed for £40,000 from Doncaster Rovers in the close season of 1988, Deane first played and scored for Sheffield United in an 8-1 victory against Skegness Town. His first league goal came in the Third Division in the opening game of the season against Reading but his hero status did not really start until September 17, when both he and Tony Agana hit hat-tricks in a 6-1 victory over Chester City.
- Vic Reeves
James "Jim" Roderick Moir, more commonly known by the pseudonym Vic Reeves, (born January 24, 1959) is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer (see Vic and Bob). He supposedly derived the name Vic Reeves from two of his favourite singers Vic Damone and Jim Reeves. He, his father and grandfather are all called Jim Moir, and nearly all shared the same birthday (Vic was born one day earlier).
- Julian Turner
Julian Turner (born 1955) is a British poet and mental health worker. Julian Turner was born in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, then in Cheshire, in 1955. He now lives in Otley, West Yorkshire, with his partner and their daughter. He was educated at New College, Oxford (matriculated 1974) and Goldsmiths College, University of London. He is the Chief Executive of Mind in Leeds and a Trustee of Survivors' Poetry, an organisation "Promoting poetry by survivors of mental distress".
- Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE (born May 10, 1933) is an English novelist Her 1979 debut, A Woman of Substance ranks as one of the top-ten bestselling novels in history, with more than 30 million copies in print. She is also the first author in publishing history to record 22 consecutive bestselling novels in both the US and the UK. Bradford was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire as the only child of Freda and Winston Taylor.
- Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus O'Toole (Peter James O'Toole) (b. August 2 1932 (accepted but presumed date) is an eight-time Academy Award-nominated Irish actor. He has received three Golden Globes and an Emmy Award. He was also awarded an honorary Oscar for his body of work (2003). Despite eight nominations, he has yet to win a Best Actor Oscar.
- Jonathan Howson
Jonathan 'Jonny' Howson (born May 21 1988) is a young English footballer who currently plays for Yorkshire team Leeds United. He was born in the city of Leeds and attended Morley Victoria Primary School and Bruntcliffe High School before starting his professional career. Howson is primarily a central midfielder but is also able to play at right wing and as a striker. Former manager, Kevin Blackwell noted that Howson's speciality is passing and finishing.
- Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine Brown (born May 29, 1975 in Leeds) (aka Mel B) is an English pop singer and songwriter turned actress and television personality best known as one of the members of the girl band the Spice Girls, one of the most successful female groups of all time. She was given the nickname "Scary Spice" by the British media because of her outrageous, "in-your-face" attitude, 'loud' Leeds accent, throaty laugh, …
- Tony Harrison
Tony Harrison (born April 30, 1937) is an English poet. He was born in Leeds and educated at Leeds Grammar School and the University of Leeds; where he read Classics and took a diploma in Linguistics. For some years he has lived in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2004 he was the third winner of the Northern Rock Foundation Writer's Award. The material of much of his poetry is provided by the memories of his working-class childhood.
- Colin Burgon
Colin Burgon (born April 22, 1948) is a British politician. He is the Labour member of Parliament for Elmet. Colin Burgon was born in Leeds and was educated at St Charles School, Leeds; St Michael's Catholic College, Leeds; Carnegie College, Leeds; and Huddersfield Polytechnic. His was a local government and teacher for sixteen years before he was elected to Westminster. He was also a research officer with the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union.
- Matthew Hoggard
Matthew James Hoggard MBE (born 31 December 1976, Leeds, Yorkshire) is an English cricketer. The 6' 2" Hoggard is a right arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman. He plays county cricket for Yorkshire and was first selected for the England cricket team in 2000, playing both Test cricket and One-day international cricket. However, in recent years he has been mainly viewed as a Test specialist by the England selectors, getting few opportunities in the shorter format.
- Iorworth Hoare
Iorworth Hoare (born 1951/2) is a convicted rapist from Seacroft Gate, Leeds, England. He gained much negative media attention after his gambling made him a prison millionaire.
- John Craven
John Craven OBE (born in Leeds, England on 16 August 1941) is a BBC television presenter and former news anchor, best known for his pioneering work in the field of children's news programmes. He was educated at Leeds Modern School. He started his professional life in print journalism as a junior reporter on a local newspaper, the "Harrogate Advertiser", before working for the "Yorkshire Post" and as a freelance correspondent and writer for national newspapers.
- Paul Woolford
Paul Woolford is a UK dance music producer and DJ who also uses alias Bobby Peru, such as on the underground hit "Erotic Discourse". Woolford grew up in Leeds where he was inspired by legendary club night Back to Basics, eventually becoming a resident there. He was also a sometime resident of Space in Ibiza.
- Keith Waterhouse
Keith Waterhouse (born 6 February 1929 in Leeds, England) is a novelist, newspaper columnist, and the writer of many television series. In February 2004 he was voted Britain's most admired contemporary columnist by the British Journalism Review. His credits, many with life-long friend and collaborator Willis Hall, include satires such as "That Was The Week That Was", "BBC-3" and "The Frost Report" during the early 1960s, …
- Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell (born June 13, 1943) is an English actor. He was born Malcolm John Taylor in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
- Kay Mellor
Kay Mellor (born 1951) is an English actress, scriptwriter, and director best known for her work on several successful television drama series.