It’s been Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry Polytechnic and Coventry University, but no matter the name, the institution has taught some brilliant people. Coventry University has produced a load of famous people and has lots of notable alumni everyone should know about. So check out our list of the most famous celebrities who went to Coventry University to date.
1. Andrea McLean
Profession: TV presenter
About: McLean has been a fixture of daytime television since joining GMTV as a weather reporter in 1997. From there she has gone on to host GMTV Today and Loose Women and was a contestant on Dancing On Ice and the gymnastics series, Tumble. McLean read modern studies at Coventry University and is one of the most famous celebrities who went to the uni.
2. Ghostpoet
Profession: Musician
About: Obaro Ejimiwe, better known by his stage name Ghostpoet, got off to a flyer with his debut album, Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam. The Mercury-nominated record cemented his place as a heavyweight in the music industry. Since that time he has gone on to create three more records, the latest being Dark Days + Canapés in August last year. Ghostpoet graduated from Coventry University in 2004 in media production and went on to work at Warwick University as a bouncer.
3. Emma McGann
Profession: Musician and YouTube star
About: McGann is one of the many talented musicians finding fame through YouTube. In 2010, she released her first album, Start The Show, and released the track, Cherry On Top, in 2014. In 2017, she released her latest album B.R.A.V.E. She also puts out popular educational videos on how to create music, which has seen her gather hundreds of thousands of hits. She graduated from Coventry University in 2012 with a degree in music composition and professional practice.
4. Niall Aslam
Profession: Reality TV star
About: Aslam is (at this very moment) making a name for himself on the hit reality TV show, Love Island. The part-time construction worker who studied at Coventry Uni at the time of the show. He dropped out out of the show due to mental health problems and it’s unclear what he got up to next.
5. Pauline Black
Profession: Musician
About: Black was undoubtedly at the forefront of the 2-tone ska revival, fronting one of the genre’s biggest bands, The Selecter. With her band, she scored a number of hits including On My Radio, Three Minute Hero and Missing Words. She studied science at Lanchester Polytechnic, working for the NHS for five years before becoming a music star. She’s one of the most famous celebrities who went to Coventry University, when it had another name.
6. Jimmy Doherty
Profession: Farmer and TV presenter
About: Jimmy came into the public conscience through one of his school time buddies, chef Jamie Oliver. Together the pair have featured in a number of shows together including Jamie & Jimmy’s Food Fight Club and Jamie & Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast. Doherty studied for a PhD in entomology in the zoology department at Coventry University. For those of you who don’t know, entomology is the study of insects. He’s one of the most notable celebrities who went to Coventry University – and celebrities who have studied insects at degree level!
7. Hannah Cockroft MBE
Profession: Sportsperson
About: Crockroft is truly one of Great Britain’s greatest current athletes. The Paralympian holds world records in (big breath) the 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 meters and 1,500 metres in the T34 classification. One of the biggest moments in her career came on home soil — the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Cockroft secured two gold medals and a place in history. She went on to claim another three, four years later, at the Rio 2016 games. Cockroft joined Coventry University in 2013 (unsurprisingly) as a sports scholar, studying journalism and media.
Curious to see where other famous alumni went? Why not read about the notable alumni from MMU, which includes Dragon’s Den stars to famous actors.
