Celebrity picks for Derby Dead Pool 2025: W

 

Waalkes, Otto
Born 22 July 1948  (Emden, Germany)
German comedian, actor, musician, writer, and comic book artist.
[Picture of Otto Waalkes]

 

Wade, Abdoulaye
Born 29 May 1926  (Kébémer, Senegal)
Senegalese politician. President of Senegal from 2000-2012.
[Picture of Abdoulaye Wade]

 

Wade, Virginia
Born 10 July 1945  (Bournemouth, Hampshire, England)
The last British tennis player to win a singles championship at Wimbledon, which she did in 1977.
[Picture of Virginia Wade]

 

Waggoner, J. T.
Born 8 January 1937  (Birmingham, AL, USA)
Alabama State Senator who was Majority Leader for a while
[Picture of J. T. Waggoner]

 

Wagner, Chuck
Born 20 June 1958  (Nashville, Tennessee, USA)
Broadway veteran who also starred on TV in the short-lived Tron rip-off "Automan".
[Picture of Chuck Wagner]

 

Wagner, Robert
Born 10 February 1930  (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Hollywood actor of 'The Longest Day' fame, who went on to play Jonathan Hart in the TV series 'Hart to Hart'. Younger viewers may know him as Number Two out of the 'Austin Powers' films (as pictured here). He did not, repeat not, push his wife Natalie Woo
[Picture of Robert Wagner]

 

Wainwright, Hilary
Born 1 March 1949  (United Kingdom)
British sociologist and journalist, co-editor of Red Pepper magazine
[Picture of Hilary Wainwright]

 

Waits, Tom
Born 7 December 1949  (Pomona, California, USA)
Singer, songwriter, composer & actor.
[Picture of Tom Waits]

 

Wakabayashi, Akiko
Born 26 August 1941  (Ota, Tokyo, Japan)
Japanese actress, portrayed the Bond girl Aki in 'You Only Live Twice'.
[Picture of Akiko Wakabayashi]

 

Wakeham, John
Born 22 February 1932  ()
Cabinet minister who's wife was killed in the Brighton bombing of 1984.
[Picture of John Wakeham]

 

Waldegrave, William
Born 15 August 1946  (London, England)
Health secretary in Margaret Thatcher's cabinet and held a number of posts under John Major but lost his seat in 1997 and was elevated to the house of lords.
[Picture of William Waldegrave]

 

Waldo, Elisabeth
Born 18 June 1918  (Yakima, Washington, USA)
Composer and ethnomusicologist.
[Picture of Elisabeth Waldo]

 

Walesa, Lech
Born 29 September 1943  (Popowo, Poland)
Former Trade Unionist and electrician who later became President of Poland and a noted peace activist.
[Picture of Lech Walesa]

 

Walken, Christopher
Born 31 March 1943  (Queens, New York, USA)
Quirky film and stage actor and dancer who first came to fame in 1978 in 'The Deer Hunter'. Also known for his role of Bruce Dickinson (Yes, the Bruce Dickinson) in 'Saturday Night Live'.
[Picture of Christopher Walken]

 

Walker, Amanda
Born 29 November 1935  (Scotland)
Highly busy TV bit actress, but also some side parts on movies The English Patient and Cloud Atlas
[Picture of Amanda Walker]

 

Walker, April
Date and place of birth unknown
Actress, mostly as a guest star in classic 70s sitcoms such as 'Fawlty Towers'. Was also the actress originally poised for the now-beloved companion role of Sarah Jane Smith in 'Doctor Who', which ultimately went to Elisabeth Sladen. Born 1941.
[Picture of April Walker]

 

Walker, Billy
Born 3 March 1939  (Stepney, London, United Kingdom)
British boxer, and later also actor
[Picture of Billy Walker]

 

Walker, Jim
Born 10 June 1947  (Northwich, England)
Footballer most prominently with Chester.
[Picture of Jim Walker]

 

Walker, Jimmie
Born 25 June 1947  (The Bronx, New York, USA)
Actor and comdedian, best known as J.J. Evans in the U.S. 1970s sitcom 'Good Times'.
[Picture of Jimmie Walker]

 

Walker, John
Born 12 January 1952  (Papakura, New Zealand)
Gold medal winning New Zealand middle-distance runner who was first person to run sub 3:50 for a mile
[Picture of John Walker]

 

Walker, John E.
Born 7 January 1941  (Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, England)
Chemist and Nobel laureate.
[Picture of John E. Walker]

 

Walker, Ray
Born 16 March 1934  (Centreville, Mississippi, USA)
American singer apart of the Jordanaires.
[Picture of Ray Walker]

 

Walker, Roy
Born 31 July 1940  (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Comedian and presenter of the popular gameshow 'Catchphrase' from 1986-2002. If he doesn't croak it this year, then this pick would be guud but naht ryeet...
[Picture of Roy Walker]

 

Walker, Rudolph
Born 28 September 1939  (Trinidad, West Indies)
Actor, best known for 'Love Thy Neighbour', 'The Thin Blue Line' and now on 'EastEnders' as Patrick Trueman.
[Picture of Rudolph Walker]

 

Wallace, Danny
Born 21 January 1964  (Greenwich, London, England)
Former footballer for Southampton, Manchester United & England, who now suffers from MS.
[Picture of Danny Wallace]

 

Wallace, Julie T.
Born 28 May 1961  (London, England)
Tall actress still best known for her breakthrough role in the BBC TV adaptation of 'The Life and Loves of a She-Devil' in 1986.
[Picture of Julie T. Wallace]

 

Wallace, Sean
Date and place of birth unknown
College-level, Yahoo gambit American football coach with pancreatic cancer.
[Picture of Sean Wallace]

 

Wallace, Willie
Born 23 June 1940  (Kirkintilloch, Glasgow)
Celtic Lisbon Lion who scored over 250 Scottish league goals.
[Picture of Willie Wallace]

 

Wallace (football), Ian
Born 23 May 1956  (Glasgow, Scotland)
Scottish forward, partiularly successful at Coventry City (despite injury in a car accident). Was top scorer for three consecutive seasons (a feat he repeated after moving to Nottingam Forest), and winning all 3 of his Scotland caps.
[Picture of Ian Wallace (football)]

 

Wallach, Brian
Born in Washington DC, USA  (exact date unknown)
ALS patient and advocate. Former Obama staffer.
[Picture of Brian Wallach]

 

Walliams, David
Born 20 August 1971  (Banstead, Surrey, England)
One half of the Little Britain comedy sketch show duo.
[Picture of David Walliams]

 

Wallis, Shani
Born 14 April 1933  (Tottenham, London, United Kingdom)
British actress and all around entertainer, mostly known for playing Nancy in Oliver!
[Picture of Shani Wallis]

 

Walsh, Joe
Born 20 November 1947  (Wichita, Kansas, USA)
Prolific rock guitarist who joined the Eagles in time for "Hotel California".
[Picture of Joe Walsh]

 

Walsh, Louis
Born 5 August 1952  (Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland)
Music manager, producer & judge on the X Factor.
[Picture of Louis Walsh]

 

Walsh, Tommy
Born 18 December 1956  (South Hackney, London, UK)
Builder and garden renovator with a flair for TV presenting hence his success on televisions Groundforce and other shows.
[Picture of Tommy Walsh]

 

Walters, Julie
Born 22 February 1950  (Birmingham, England)
Actress who achieved international recognition for her appearance alongside Michael Caine in 1983's 'Educating Rita'. British viewers are also familiar with her work as a sidekick of the middle-of-the-road comedienne Victoria Wood.
[Picture of Julie Walters]

 

Waltz, Christoph
Born 4 October 1956  (Vienna, Austria)
Austrian-born actor who won acclaim (and Best Supporting Actor Oscar) for his subtle portrayal of SS officer Colonel Lander in the Quentin Tarantino film 'Inglourious Basterds'.
[Picture of Christoph Waltz]

 

Walz, Tim
Born 6 April 1964  (West Point, Nebraska, USA)
American politician who has served as the governor of Minnesota since 2019. He was also the Democratic nominee for vice president in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019.
[Picture of Tim Walz]

 

Wamala, Emmanuel
Born 15 December 1926  (Lwaggulwe Masaka, Uganda)
Former Cardinal and Archbishop of Kampala, Uganda.
[Picture of Emmanuel Wamala]

 

Wanamaker, Zoe
Born 13 May 1949  (New York City, New York, USA)
Versatile stage and screen actress, daughter of Sam Wanamaker, appeared in everything from 'My Family' through 'Doctor Who' & 'Harry Potter' to 'Prime Suspect'. Married to actor Gawn Grainger.
[Picture of Zoe Wanamaker]

 

Wants, Hannah
Born 19 June 1986  (Birmingham, United Kingdom)
British DJ & ex pro footballer. Passes the Toast test of notability.
[Picture of Hannah Wants]

 

Wap, Fetty
Born 7 June 1991  (Paterson, New Jersey, USA)
Rapper of "Trap Queen" fame, gets into legal trouble for typical rapper reasons.
[Picture of Fetty Wap]

 

Ward, Bill
Born 5 May 1948  (Birmingham, England)
Drummer with the legendary heavy metal progenitors Black Sabbath.
[Picture of Bill Ward]

 

Ward, Burt
Born 6 July 1945  (Los Angeles, California, USA)
Actor, best remembered as Robin in the 1960s 'Batman' TV series.
[Picture of Burt Ward]

 

Ward, Lalla
Born 28 June 1951  (London, England)
Aristocratic actress most famous for her portrayal as Romana's second incarnation in 'Doctor Who'. Formally married to Tom Baker now married to Richard Dawkins. Raises money for Denville Hall. Born The Honourable Sarah Ward.
[Picture of Lalla Ward]

 

Ward, Lyman
Born 21 June 1941  (Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada)
Canadian actor who portrayed Ferris's dad in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'.
[Picture of Lyman Ward]

 

Ward, Sophie
Born 30 December 1964  (London, England)
Actress, best known for roles in "The Nanny", "Heartbeat", and "Holby City"
[Picture of Sophie Ward]

 

Warman, Bob
Born 11 October 1946  (Walsall, Staffordshire, England)
TV presenter in the midland region for aeons. I must stop saying aeons….
[Picture of Bob Warman]

 

Warner, Jack
Born 26 January 1943  (Rio Claro, Trinidad and Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago politician, better-known now as a corrupt FIFA Vice president.
[Picture of Jack Warner]

 

Warnes, Jennifer
Born 3 March 1947  (Seattle, Washington, USA)
Pop singer best known for her 80s movie duets. Will she be up where she belongs this year?
[Picture of Jennifer Warnes]

 

Warren, Annette
Born 11 July 1922  (Cleveland, Ohio, USA)
popular jazz singer with frequent TV appearances in the 50s and 60s
[Picture of Annette Warren]

 

Warren, Diane
Born 7 September 1956  (Van Nuys, California, USA)
Prolific songwriter with many a pop chart hit from the mid 80s to early aughts, penning for Cher and Celine Dion among dozens of others.
[Picture of Diane Warren]

 

Warwick, Dionne
Born 12 December 1940  (East Orange, New Jersey, USA)
Legendary soul singer, famous for her renditions of Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs.
[Picture of Dionne Warwick]

 

Wash, Martha
Born 28 December 1953  (San Francisco, California, USA)
Former singer with the Weather Girls and Black Box, although you wouldn't of known about the latter at the time…
[Picture of Martha Wash]

 

Watanabe, Sadao
Born 1 February 1933  (Utsunomiya, Japan)
Japanese jazz saxophonist.
[Picture of Sadao Watanabe]

 

Waterhouse, Matthew
Born 19 December 1961  (Hertford, Hertfordshire, England)
Actor who played Adric in 'Doctor Who' in the early eighties, one of the few companaions to be killed off.
[Picture of Matthew Waterhouse]

 

Waters, Roger
Born 6 September 1943  (Great Bookham, Surrey, England)
Guitarist & singer, best remembered for his time with Pink Floyd.
[Picture of Roger Waters]

 

Waterston, Sam
Born 15 November 1940  (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)
Veteran actor best known for his long-standing portrayal of Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy on 'Law & Order'.
[Picture of Sam Waterston]

 

Waterstone, Tim
Born 30 May 1939  (Glasgow, Scotland)
Businessman and founder of his namesake book retailer.
[Picture of Tim Waterstone]

 

Watkins, Ian
Born 30 July 1977  (Merthyr Tygfil, Glamorganshire, Wales)
Singer with noughties metallers Lost Prophets. Faces trial for sexual abuse of children.
[Picture of Ian Watkins]

 

Watson, Dr James
Born 6 April 1928  (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Molecular biologist, one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA. Recently in a spot of bother over racial comments he made.
[Picture of Dr James Watson]

 

Watson, John
Born 4 May 1946  (Belfast, UK)
Former F1 driver, finished third in the 1982 Drivers' Championship. Took to commentary after retirement.
[Picture of John Watson]

 

Watson, June
Born in Edinburgh, UK  (exact date unknown)
Character actress who tends to take matronly roles. Pops up on Sky comedies a lot. Born 1935.
[Picture of June Watson]

 

Watson (defender), Dave
Born 5 October 1946  (Stapleford, England)
Great English defender of the 60s and 70s, now with the all-too-well-known neurological problems
[Picture of Dave Watson (defender)]

 

Watts, Bill
Born 5 May 1939  (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA)
Former professional wrestler known as "Cowboy Bill".
[Picture of Bill Watts]

 

Way, Steve
Born 28 December 1990  (New Jersey, USA)
American actor and disability rights activist.
[Picture of Steve Way]

 

Wayne, Lil'
Born 27 September 1982  (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
American rapper, born Dwayne Carter.
[Picture of Lil' Wayne]

 

Wayne, Ronald
Born 17 May 1934  (Cleveland, Ohio, USA)
The less-remembered third of the trio that founded Apple, along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
[Picture of Ronald Wayne]

 

Weaving, Hugo
Born 4 April 1960  (Ibadan, Nigeria)
Australian actor who has had a large number of roles in blockbuster films including The Matrix Trilogy, 'LOTR', 'V for Vendetta' and 'Transformers'. Diagnosed with epilepsy aged 13.
[Picture of Hugo Weaving]

 

Webb, Betty
Born 13 May 1923  (place of birth unknown)
British code breaker involved with the mission at Bletchley Park during WWII.
[Picture of Betty Webb]

 

Webb, Laurie
Date and place of birth unknown
Actor, played Mr. Ollis in the 'Doctor Who' serial 'The Three Doctors'. Born 1925.
[Picture of Laurie Webb]

 

Webb Walker, Nikhil
Born in Trelawny, Jamaica  (exact date unknown)
US football player.
[Picture of Nikhil Webb Walker]

 

Webber, Peggy
Born 15 September 1925  (Laredo, Texas, USA)
Former actress of Film, TV and radio, Dragnet, the Waltons, the Smurfs.
[Picture of Peggy Webber]

 

Weck, Peter
Born 12 August 1930  (Vienna, Austria)
Actor best known for Otto Premingers The Cardinal.
[Picture of Peter Weck]

 

Weeknd, The
Born 16 February 1990  (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Canadian singer-songwriter, one of the most prominent figures in the current musical landscape.
[Picture of The Weeknd]

 

Weiner, Bernard
Born in Chicago, Illinois, USA  (exact date unknown)
Born 1935. American social psychologist known for developing a form of attribution theory which seeks to explain the emotional and motivational entailments of academic success and failure. Sounds a bit like the Derby Dead Pool
[Picture of Bernard Weiner]

 

Weinfeld, Andre
Born 6 April 1947  (Paris, France)
French film producer & director who has worked in both France and the U.S., was married to Raquel Welch.
[Picture of Andre Weinfeld]

 

Weinstein, Harvey
Born 19 March 1952  (Flushing, New York, USA)
Hollywood honcho, co-founder of Miramax. Something of a provocative figure in the industry due to his history of tantrums and his overtampering with the foreign films he distributes.
[Picture of Harvey Weinstein]

 

Weir, Bob
Born 16 October 1947  (San Francisco, California, USA)
Founding member of and rhythm guitarist for the Grateful Dead who had a somewhat fractious relationship with Jerry Garcia.
[Picture of Bob Weir]

 

Weiss, Betty
Born 27 November 1946  (Queens NY, USA)
Was meant to be the lead singer of The Shangri-la s but fell pregnant at the wrong time. Now the last surviving band member.
[Picture of Betty Weiss]

 

Weitz, Bruce
Born 27 May 1943  (Norwalk, Connecticut, USA)
Actor best known as the scruffy Sgt Mick Belker in the classic 1980s police series 'Hill Street Blues'.
[Picture of Bruce Weitz]

 

Welby, Justin
Born 6 January 1956  (London, England)
Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013, has a lot of strong opinions on payday lenders.
[Picture of Justin Welby]

 

Welch, Bruce
Born 2 November 1941  (Bognor Regis, England)
Rhythm guitarist for The Shadows, also served as the songwriter for many of Sir Cliff's early hits.
[Picture of Bruce Welch]

 

Welch, Denise
Born 22 May 1958  (Tynemouth, United Kingdom)
quintessential british TV actress and panelist on Loose Women
[Picture of Denise Welch]

 

Weld, Dermot
Born 29 July 1948  (Ireland)
Irish jockey.
[Picture of Dermot Weld]

 

Welker, Frank
Born 12 March 1946  (Denver, Colorado, USA)
Veteran voice actor, the go-to guy in the industry if you need someone to mimic animal noises. Has also voiced meddling kid Fred in nearly all of the umpteen 'Scooby-Doo' incarnations.
[Picture of Frank Welker]

 

Wells, Stanley
Born 21 May 1930  (Kingston-Upon-Hull, England)
Shakespearean scholar editor of the Oxford Shakespeare series. Was formally married to 'Woman In Black' author Susan Hill.
[Picture of Stanley Wells]

 

Wells, Vernon
Born 31 December 1945  (Rushworth, Australia)
Actor who was "Bennett" in "Commando"
[Picture of Vernon Wells]

 

Welsby, Elton
Born 28 May 1951  (St. Helens, Merseyside, England)
English television sports presenter and match commentator. He is best known as being one of only two people that most of us have heard of named Elton (Scholars of Elton Mayo's experiments into workplace motivation at the Hawthorne plant in the 1920s need
[Picture of Elton Welsby]

 

Wenders, Wim
Born 14 August 1945  (Düsseldorf, Germany)
Artistic german director and a favourite of the critics, for example for Wings of Desire
[Picture of Wim Wenders]

 

Wendt, George
Born 17 October 1948  (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
TV actor - plays the part of Norm in 'Cheers'.
[Picture of George Wendt]

 

Wenner, Jann
Born 7 January 1946  (New York City, New York, USA)
Founder of Rolling Stone magazine and the man behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Doesn't like The Monkees.
[Picture of Jann Wenner]

 

West, Anita
Born 18 April 1905  (Lambeth, England)
Co-host of Blue Peter for just under 5 months in 1962
[Picture of Anita West]

 

West, Delonte
Born 26 July 1983  (Washington, D.C. USA)
Basketball player.
[Picture of Delonte West]

 

West, Gladys
Born 27 October 1930  (Sutherland, Virginia, USA)
Mathematician whose precise calculations of the Earth's shape formed the foundations of GPS.
[Picture of Gladys West]

 

West, Kanye
Born 8 June 1977  (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
Increasingly self-important rap artist and musician.
[Picture of Kanye West]

 

West, Norma
Born 19 November 1943  (Cape Town, South Africa)
TV actress ("The Prisoner", "The Shadow of the Tower")
[Picture of Norma West]

 

West, Rose
Born 29 November 1953  (Devon, England)
Born Rosemary Letts, in 1972 she married Fred West, with whom she committed a series of murders at the now infamous 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, during the 1970s. In 1995 her husband hanged himself in prison while awaiting trial; she is serving a life
[Picture of Rose West]

 

Westbrook, Daniella
Born 5 November 1973  (Walthamstow, London, England)
EastEnders actress of yore who is better remembered for her cocaine habit which destroyed the septum in her nose.
[Picture of Daniella Westbrook]

 

Weston, Kim
Born 20 December 1939  (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Motown singer best known for dueting on It Takes Two with Marvin Gaye.
[Picture of Kim Weston]

 

Weston, Simon
Born 8 August 1961  (Nelson, Wales)
Badly burnt in the Falklands War, when his ship Sir Galahad was bombed. Has used his misfortune in a positive way & is now patron & campaigner for many charities.
[Picture of Simon Weston]

 

Westwood, Tim
Born 3 October 1957  (Lowestoft, Suffolk)
Radio DJ, TV presenter; criticised for adopting a "Black British" accent for his radio presenting; subject of multiple sexual allegations, currentyly under investigation.
[Picture of Tim Westwood]

 

Wexner, Les
Born 8 September 1937  (Dayton, OH, USA)
Billionaire businessman who expanded one clothing store to an empire that included Victoria's Secret & Abercrombie & Fitch
[Picture of Les Wexner]

 

Wexton, Jennifer
Born 27 May 1968  (Washington D.C., USA)
Virginia Congresswoman, a prominent defender of LGBT rights
[Picture of Jennifer Wexton]

 

Whale, James
Born 13 May 1951  (Ewell, Surrey, England)
Right-wing radio 'Shock Jock'.
[Picture of James Whale]

 

Whalley, David "Heavy"
Born 17 December 1972  (Burghead, Scotland)
Mountain Rescuer with the RAF for 37 years who got an MBE for it
[Picture of David

 

Wheatle, Alex
Born 3 January 1963  (London, England)
British novelist who was imprisoned for participated in the Brixton Riot of 1981.
[Picture of Alex Wheatle]

 

Whelan, Gloria
Born 23 November 1923  (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
American poet, short story writer, and novelist known primarily for children's and young adult fiction
[Picture of Gloria Whelan]

 

Whelan, Jim
Date and place of birth unknown
Actor appearing in numerous British soaps.
[Picture of Jim Whelan]

 

Whelan, Michael J.
Date and place of birth unknown
Former Production Executive VP for HBO and The Golf Channel.
[Picture of Michael J. Whelan]

 

Whitaker, Chico
Born in   (exact date unknown)
Brazilian architect and liberation theologist, heavily involved with the Wikileaks organisation. Born 1931.
[Picture of Chico Whitaker]

 

Whitaker, Johnny
Born 13 December 1959  (Van Nuys, California, USA)
US child actor who did the expected thing and sank into the drink/drugs mire.
[Picture of Johnny Whitaker]

 

Whitby, Joy
Born 27 July 1930  (England)
Notable British TV executive for the BBC and commercial channels
[Picture of Joy Whitby]

 

White, Angela
Born 4 March 1985  (Sydney, Australia)
32GG-breasted adult actress, arguably Australia's greatest ever contribution to the industry.
[Picture of Angela White]

 

White, Arthur
Born in London, England  (exact date unknown)
Elder brother of Sir David Jason and his co-star in 'A Touch of Frost'. Born 1933.
[Picture of Arthur White]

 

White, Edmund
Born 13 January 1940  (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA)
Gay writer and literary critic.
[Picture of Edmund White]

 

White, Jack
Born 9 July 1975  (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
US rock musician and muso darling, first with The White Stripes, and then successfully solo
[Picture of Jack White]

 

White, Jacqueline
Born 27 November 1922  (Beverly Hills, California, USA)
RKO leading lady of the 40s and 50s, most notably in "The Narrow Margin".
[Picture of Jacqueline White]

 

White, Lenny
Born 19 December 1949  (New York City, New York, USA)
Jazz fusion drummer, considered a founding father of the genre.
[Picture of Lenny White]

 

Whitehead, Naomi
Born 26 September 1910  (Georgia, USA)
Oldest living American since 2024.
[Picture of Naomi Whitehead]

 

Whitehurst, G. William
Born 12 March 1925  (Norfolk, Virginia, USA)
Former US Representative from Virginia.
[Picture of G. William Whitehurst]

 

Whitlock Jr., Isiah
Born 13 September 1954  (South Bend, Indiana, USA)
Tv actor, played Senator Clay Davis in the Wire.
[Picture of Isiah Whitlock Jr.]

 

whittaker, jim
Born 10 February 1929  (Seattle, Washington, USA)
US mountaineer, and first US american on the Mount Everest
[Picture of jim whittaker]

 

Whitver, Jack
Born 4 September 1980  (Knoxville, Iowa, USA)
Iowa state senator and businessman, who revealed he was diagnosed with a brian tumour, in May 2024.
[Picture of Jack Whitver]

 

Widdecombe, Anne
Born 4 October 1947  (Bath, Somerset, England)
Tory politician, former cabinet minister. Also a novelist & TV presenter.
[Picture of Anne Widdecombe]

 

WIESEL, Torsten
Born 3 June 1924  (Uppsala, Sweden)
Neurophysiologist, co-recipient of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his studies of the visual system.
[Picture of Torsten WIESEL]

 

Wight, Peter
Born 3 May 1905  (Worthing, Sussex, England)
English actor with various bit-parts across TV and film over the years.
[Picture of Peter Wight]

 

Wilcox, Liz
Born 18 March 1988  (Orlando, Florida, USA)
Another fecking 'Survivor' contestant.
[Picture of Liz Wilcox]

 

Wilde, Marty
Born 15 April 1939  (London, England)
Rug-toting '60s pop star, and father of '80s pop star Kim.
[Picture of Marty Wilde]

 

Wilder, Douglas
Born 17 January 1931  (Richmond, Virginia, USA)
Virginia Governor from 1990 to 1994.
[Picture of Douglas Wilder]

 

Wilder, Matthew
Born 24 January 1953  (New York City, New York, USA)
American musician and producer best known with his one hit 'Break My Stride'. All together now: "Last night I had the strangest dream, I sailed away to China in a little row boat to find ya!."
[Picture of Matthew Wilder]

 

Wilkinson, Howard
Born 13 November 1943  (Sheffield, UK)
Football manager, famously the last Englishman to win the top-flight title in the UK, doing so with the Strachan/Speed/Batty/Cantona Leeds United side.
[Picture of Howard Wilkinson]

 

will.i.am, (singer)
Born 15 January 1975  (Los Angeles, California, USA)
Music producer and performer with The Black Eyed Peas. Judge on UK version of 'The Voice'. Born William James Adams.
[Picture of (singer) will.i.am]

 

William of Wales, Prince
Born 21 June 1982  (London, England)
2nd in line to the British throne, "Wills" married Kate Middleton in April 2011.
[Picture of Prince William of Wales]

 

Williams, Alyson
Born 11 May 1962  (New York, New York, USA)
R&B singer, had top 10 single with "I Need Your Loving" in 1989. Hospitalised with likely COVID in late 2021.
[Picture of Alyson Williams]

 

Williams, Delaney
Born 12 December 1962  (Washington, D.C. USA)
Television actor mostly known as defence attorney John Buchanan in Law and Order.
[Picture of Delaney Williams]

 

Williams, Hayley
Born 27 December 1988  (Meridian, Mississippi, USA)
Lead singer of band Paramore.
[Picture of Hayley Williams]

 

Williams, Jody
Born 9 October 1950  (Brattleboro, Vermont, USA)
Aid worker and teacher who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her campaign to ban landmines.
[Picture of Jody Williams]

 

Williams, John
Born 8 February 1932  (Floral Park, New York, USA)
Award-winning composer of such legendary film scores as 'Star Wars', 'Superman', 'ET', 'Indiana Jones' and many more.
[Picture of John Williams]

 

Williams, Kate
Born in London, UK  (exact date unknown)
Actress, played Audrey in the original "Widows" trilogy, as well as popping up in "Eastenders" about a decade back.
[Picture of Kate Williams]

 

Williams, Leila
Born in Walsall, England  (exact date unknown)
Beauty queen who became the first female presenter of 'Blue Peter' in 1958. Born 1937.
[Picture of Leila Williams]

 

Williams, Lucinda
Born 26 January 1953  (Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA)
A-List US singer, songwriter and guitarist, playing country, a bit of blues, and classic rock
[Picture of Lucinda Williams]

 

Williams, Otis
Born 30 October 1941  (Texarkana, Texas, USA)
Baritone singer of The Temptations.
[Picture of Otis Williams]

 

Williams, Paul
Born 19 September 1940  (Omaha, Nebraska, USA)
Singer-songwriter who has written for acts as varied as The Carpenters, Daft Punk and Kermit the Frog. Very distinctive singing voice as well.
[Picture of Paul Williams]

 

Williams, Rex
Born 20 July 1933  (Halesowen, West Midlands, England)
Former snooker player, who spent over 40 years playing the sport.
[Picture of Rex Williams]

 

Williams, Richard
Born 16 February 1942  (Shreveport, Louisiana, USA)
Father and coach of tennis siblings the Williams sisters
[Picture of Richard Williams]

 

Williams, Royce
Born 4 April 1925  (Wilmot, south Carolina, USA)
Former US Naval Aviator who took on seven Soviet MiG fighters in the Korean war, shooting down six.
[Picture of Royce Williams]

 

Williams, Steven
Born 7 January 1949  (Memphis, Tennessee, USA)
American actor of film and TV.
[Picture of Steven Williams]

 

Williams, Wendy
Born 18 July 1964  (Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA)
US media figure on radio and TV
[Picture of Wendy Williams]

 

Williams (1937), John
Born 8 June 1937  (Wrexham, Wales)
Retired snooker referee. Presided over nine World Championship finals at the Crucible.
[Picture of John Williams (1937)]

 

Williams (actor), David
Born in   (exact date unknown)
Minor British actor with a role in Last of the Summer Wine
[Picture of David Williams (actor)]

 

Williamson, David
Born 24 February 1942  (Melbourne, Australia)
Award-winning Australian playwright
[Picture of David Williamson]

 

Williamson, Fred
Born 5 March 1938  (Gary, Indiana, USA)
Former American footballer who found everlasting fame of a type by starring in the Blaxploitation classic 'Black Caesar'.
[Picture of Fred Williamson]

 

Williamson, Marianne
Born 8 July 1952  (Houston, Texas, USA)
Author running for US President (but might be out by the time you see this).
[Picture of Marianne Williamson]

 

Willis, Bruce
Born 19 March 1955  (Idar-Oberstein, Germany)
Vest wearing hard-man movie star who started his career in the postmodern rom-com detective comedy TV drama 'Moonlighting' alongside Cybil Sheppard.
[Picture of Bruce Willis]

 

Willis, Elliot
Born 16 June 1983  (Kent, England)
Sailor whose hopes of partaking in the 2016 Olympics were dashed by a bowel cancer diagnosis in late 2015.
[Picture of Elliot Willis]

 

Willis, Emily
Born in United States of America  (exact date unknown)
Award winning pornographic actress who spent two months in a coma in 2024 following a cardiac arrest. Born in 1998 or 1999
[Picture of Emily Willis]

 

Wills, Anneke
Born 20 October 1941  (Fulmer, Bucks. England)
Most famously a Doctor Who companion to Doctors one and two, but other roles including the TV serialisation of The Railway Children
[Picture of Anneke Wills]

 

Wills Cline, Judy
Born in United States  (exact date unknown)
Ten time world title winning gymnast, born 1948
[Picture of Judy Wills Cline]

 

Wilms, Dorothee
Born 11 October 1929  (Grevenbroich, Germany)
German politician, final secretary for intra-german relations, you know, when there were two of them
[Picture of Dorothee Wilms]

 

Wilson, Bob
Born 30 October 1941  (Chesterfield, England)
Former Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper turned TV presenter.
[Picture of Bob Wilson]

 

Wilson, Brian
Born 20 June 1942  (Hawthorne, California, USA)
Founder member of, and producer, composer and arranger for, The Beach Boys. Has suffered from long-term mental illness and drug problems.
[Picture of Brian Wilson]

 

Wilson, Bridgette
Born 25 September 1973  (Gold Beach, Oregon, USA)
Film actress who is also married to DDP 2018 canon pick Pete Sampras.
[Picture of Bridgette Wilson]

 

Wilson, Demond
Born 13 October 1946  (Valdosta, Georgia, United States)
Film and TV actor who played Lamont Sanford in Sanford and Son
[Picture of Demond Wilson]

 

Wilson, Jacqueline
Born 17 December 1945  (Bath, United Kingdom)
Popular British wrtier of children's literature
[Picture of Jacqueline Wilson]

 

Wilson, Pete
Born 23 August 1933  (Lake Forest, Illinois, USA)
Former Republican governor of California, US senator from California, and mayor of San Diego.
[Picture of Pete Wilson]

 

Wilson, Richard
Born 9 July 1936  (Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland)
Actor (real name Ian Colquhoun Wilson) famous for playing the grumpy Victor "I don't believe it!" Meldrew in sitcom 'One Foot in the Grave'. Will the other foot follow this year?
[Picture of Richard Wilson]

 

Wilson, Stuart
Born 25 December 1946  (Guildford, Surrey, England)
Retired actor whose noble sacrifice in Vertical Limit's opening scene was far more hysterical than likely intended.
[Picture of Stuart Wilson]

 

Wilton, Penelope
Born 3 June 1946  (Scarborough, England)
English actress with appearances in 'Downton Abbey' and 'Doctor Who', among others.
[Picture of Penelope Wilton]

 

Winchester, Simon
Born 28 September 1944  (London, United Kingdom)
British-American journalist and authorwho covered many important events for The Guardian
[Picture of Simon Winchester]

 

Windham, Barry
Born 4 July 1960  (Sweetwater, Texas, USA)
Wrestler, son Blackjack Mulligan.
[Picture of Barry Windham]

 

Windsor, Bobby
Born 31 January 1948  (Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales)
Welsh national team rugby union player.
[Picture of Bobby Windsor]

 

Wingate, David B.
Born 11 October 1935  (Bermuda)
Ornithologist who rescued the black-capped petrel bird from near-extinction.
[Picture of David B. Wingate]

 

Winkle, Baddie
Born 18 July 1928  (Hazard, Kentucky, USA)
The "Instagrandma", an 89-year-old woman who is down with the kids and models latex mini-skirts.
[Picture of Baddie Winkle]

 

Winkler, Henry
Born 30 October 1945  (Manhatten, New York, USA)
Fonzie! The Fonz from Happy Days. TV legend. Heyyy!
[Picture of Henry Winkler]

 

Winn, Moth
Born in United Kingdom  (exact date unknown)
Husband of writer of the memoir "The Salt Path" which was adapted to film, portrayed by Jason Isaacs.
[Picture of Moth Winn]

 

Winnick, David
Born 26 June 1933  ()
Labour MP for Walsall North since 1979.
[Picture of David Winnick]

 

Winter, Edgar
Born 28 December 1946  (Beaumont, Texas, USA)
American songwriter and keyboardist.
[Picture of Edgar Winter]

 

Winter, William J.
Born 30 May 1930  (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)
Prelate if the Roman Catholic Church, former auxilairy bishop of Pittsburgh.
[Picture of William J. Winter]

 

Winterton, Nicholas
Born 31 March 1938  (Rugeley, England)
Husband of Ann, Tory MP for Macclesfield from 1971 to 2010 until undone by the expenses scandal, and claiming rent for a flat they’d bought.
[Picture of Nicholas Winterton]

 

Winwood, Muff
Born 15 June 1943  (Birmingham, England)
born 15 June 1943, Erdington, Birmingham, England) is a British songwriter and record producer, and the older brother of Steve Winwood. Both were formerly members of the Spencer Davis Group in the 1960s, in which Muff Winwood played bass guitar. He produc
[Picture of Muff Winwood]

 

Wisdom, Robert
Born 14 September 1953  (Washington, D.C. USA)
Howard "Bunny" Colvin in the Wire.
[Picture of Robert Wisdom]

 

Wochy, Steve
Born 25 December 1922  (Fort William, Ontario, Canada)
Centenarian former hockey player from Canada
[Picture of Steve Wochy]

 

Wolde-Yohannes, Legesse
Born in   (exact date unknown)
Ethiopian horticultral scientist. Answers on a postcard please for a more obscure pick than this one for 2014...
[Picture of Legesse Wolde-Yohannes]

 

Wonder, Stevie
Born 13 May 1950  (Saginaw, Michigan, USA)
Singer & songwriter, blind since birth, hugely influential in the pop music world.
[Picture of Stevie Wonder]

 

Wood, Lana
Born 1 March 1946  (Santa Monica, California, USA)
Natalie's younger sister and an actress in her own right.
[Picture of Lana Wood]

 

Wood, Ronnie
Born 1 June 1947  (Hillingdon, Middlesex, England)
Guitarist who played with Jeff Beck and the Faces before becoming a permanent member of the Rolling Stones.
[Picture of Ronnie Wood]

 

Wood, Roy
Born 8 November 1946  (Kitts Green, Birmingham, England)
Lead singer of the Move, then Wizzard.
[Picture of Roy Wood]

 

Wood (bowler), Willie
Born 26 April 1938  (Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland)
Former Scottish professional bowls player. In 2002 became the first athlete to compete in a 7th Commonwealth Games. In 2007, Wood became the first bowler to be inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.
[Picture of Willie Wood (bowler)]

 

Woodburn, Danny
Born 26 July 1964  (Philadelphia ,Pennsylvania,USA)
Acted in jingle all the way. A comedian who is a dwarf and has engaged in activism to influence Hollywood into not regarding dwarf characters as comedy characters to be the butt of all jokes.
[Picture of Danny Woodburn]

 

Woodburn, Kim
Born 25 March 1942  (Eastney, Hampshire, England)
TV presenter & cleaner, one half of the presenting duo of TV programme 'How Clean Is Your House?'.
[Picture of Kim Woodburn]

 

Woodbury, Woody
Born 9 February 1924  (Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA)
Pioneering stand-up comedian who lost the job of hosting the Tongiht Show to Johnny Carson
[Picture of Woody Woodbury]

 

Woods, Tiger
Born 30 December 1975  (Cypress, California, USA)
Golfer, one of sport's greatest ever players. Struggling to get his career back on track after a series of revelations about his private life.
[Picture of Tiger Woods]

 

Woodvine, John
Born 21 July 1929  (Tyne Dock, County Durham, England)
Actor, mostly on TV & stage, who has a penchant for playing police officers.
[Picture of John Woodvine]

 

Woodward, (journalist) Bob
Born 26 March 1943  (Geneva, Illinois, USA)
Investigative journalist who has doggedly covered most presidencies of the past half century ever since taking down Nixon with his and Carl Bernstein's Watergate reporting.
[Picture of (journalist) Bob Woodward]

 

Woodward, Joanne
Born 27 February 1930  (Thomasville, Georgia, USA)
Veteran film actress, widow of Paul Newman, who she was married to for 50 years.
[Picture of Joanne Woodward]

 

Woolf, Gabriel
Born 2 October 1932  (England)
Well travelled English actor on film, TV and radio. Voice instantly recognisable to all geeks as that of Sutekh the Destroyer from Doctor Who's classic Pyramids of Mars.
[Picture of Gabriel Woolf]

 

Woolf, Harry
Born 2 May 1933  (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England)
Lord Chief Justice Woolf, one of Britain's foremost judges of the last 30 years.
[Picture of Harry Woolf]

 

Woolsey, Lynn
Born 3 December 1937  (Seattle, Washington, United States)
American politician who served as the U.S. representative for California's 6th congressional district from 1993 to 2013
[Picture of Lynn Woolsey]

 

Wootton, Dan
Born 2 March 1983  (Wellington, New Zealand)
NZ and British journalist, former News of the World, The Sun.
[Picture of Dan Wootton]

 

Worcester, Robert
Born 21 December 1933  (Kansas City, Kansas, USA)
US-born but UK-based psephologist and founder of the MORI polling organisation.
[Picture of Robert Worcester]

 

Workman, Reggie
Born 26 May 1937  (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Avantgarde jazz bassist
[Picture of Reggie Workman]

 

Wreford, Catherine
Born 26 June 1980  (Winnipeg, Canada)
Professional dancer and actress.
[Picture of Catherine Wreford]

 

Wright, Charles
Born 6 April 1940  (Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA)
Songwriter and leader of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. Not a godfather.
[Picture of Charles Wright]

 

Wu, Bowie
Born 18 January 1932  (Guangzhou, China)
Hong Kong actor also known as Woo Fung he earned the title the Dance King for his dancing skills in musicals.
[Picture of Bowie Wu]

 

Wurttemberg, Duchess Marie-Therese of
Born 12 November 1934  (Altshausen, Nazi Germany)
German aristocrat, mother of the current French pretender
[Picture of Duchess Marie-Therese of  Wurttemberg]

 

Wyatt, Oscar
Born in Beaumont, Texas, USA  (exact date unknown)
American businessman who was convicted for making illegal payments to Saddam Hussein's Iraq via the Oil for Food program in 2007. Born 1924.
[Picture of Oscar Wyatt]

 

Wyatt, Robert
Born 28 January 1945  (Bristol, England)
Founder member and drummer for 1960s proto-prog band Soft Machine. A paraplegic since falling out of a third floor window in 1973. Came back to release the quite extraordinary 'Rock Bottom' album in 1974.
[Picture of Robert Wyatt]

 

Wylton, Tim
Born 27 February 1940  (Bangor-on-Dee, Wales)
One of those TV actors you recognise from loads of things but don't know the name. Well now you know!
[Picture of Tim Wylton]

 

Wyman, Bill
Born 24 October 1936  (Lewisham, London, England)
Guitarist for the Rolling Stones for over 30 years.
[Picture of Bill Wyman]

 

Wynant, H.M.
Born 12 February 1927  (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Actor who appeared in Hogan's Heroes and Perry Mason, among many others.
[Picture of H.M. Wynant]

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