Famous People from Leeds Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beyond the Fringe

Alan Bennett studied history at Oxford and performed comedy as part of the 'Oxford Revue'. His screen plays include "A Private Function", "The Madness of King George" (for which he received Oscar and BAFTA nominations) and "The History Boys". In 2005 he received the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre.

Answer: Melanie Brown (Scary Spice)

Mel B was born in Leeds on 29 May 1975.

Since leaving the Spice Girls she has had solo releases, but has also acted and presented. In 2007 she participated in "Dancing With Stars", the American version of "Strictly Come Dancing". She got to the series finals and finished second.

Mel's ex colleague in the Spice Girls, Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), appeared in "Strictly Come Dancing" in 2006 where she was the final female and finished third.

Answer: Marco Pierre White

Marco Pierre White was born in Leeds in 1961, the son of an Italian mother and an English father.

At the age of 33 he became the youngest person to be awarded three Michelin Stars, but this record has since been broken.

He trained under Albert and Michel Roux and Raymond Blanc. Gordon Ramsey and Heston Blumenthal have both worked for him.

Answer: Malcolm McDowell

Malcolm McDowell was born in Horsforth in 1943, but the family moved to the coast when he was six weeks old.

From his early film career he is probably best known for his role as Alex in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange". In 2007 he played Mr. Linderman in the first series of "Heroes", and appeared again in the third series.

Peter O'Toole also has links with Leeds. His place of birth is uncertain. It is likely he was born in Connamara, Ireland but he had two birth certificates, one giving an Irish place of birth and one showing his birthplace as Leeds. What is known for certain is that he was brought up in Leeds.

Answer: Ricky Wilson

The lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs is Ricky Wilson (full name Charles Richard Wilson). He was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, in 1978 and was a student at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Ricky Wilson from the B-52's was born in Georgia, US in 1953 - full name Richard Heston Wilson - and died of AIDS related complications in 1985.

Nick Hodgson is in the Kaiser Chiefs, Keith Strickland is in the B-52's and Ricky Nelson was an American singer who also died in 1985.

Answer: Denis Healey

Denis Winston Healey was born in Leeds in 1917. Since receiving his life peerage in 1992 his title is Baron Healey of Riddlesden (in the county of West Yorkshire).

Healey served as an MP for Leeds for forty years. From 1964 to 1970 he was Secretary of State for Defence in Harold Wilson's government. From 1974 to 1979 he was Chancellor of the Exchequer for Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.

Answer: a cabinet maker and furniture designer

Thomas Chippendale was the son of a carpenter. In 1753 he moved his furniture workshop to London and the following year published his "Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director". He adapted existing styles, such as Rococo, 'Gothick' and Oriental.

It is difficult to attribute a piece of furniture to Chippendale as his designs were widely copied and once his business became successful he did little of the furniture making himself. (Attribution is usually possible only if there is documentary evidence and if the furniture has been continuously in the house for which it was ordered).

One of the projects Chippendale worked on with Adam is Harewood House, near Leeds. It retains a good collection of Chippendale furniture.

Answer: Diana Rigg

Diana Rigg attended a small private boarding school at Fulneck, near Pudsey. Fulneck was established by members of the Moravian Church who settled there in 1744. Housing, a school and a chapel were built within the next few years. The chapel is a Grade 1 listed building and one of the most architecturally significant buildings in Leeds. The school continues to flourish.

Diana Rigg appeared in "The Avengers" as Mrs Emma Peel from 1965 to 1968. She was made a DBE in 1994.

Answer: Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin are the most well known members of the Young British Artist (YBA) movement, a group of conceptual and installation artists. Hirst's work includes his shark in formaldehyde ("The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living") and "For The Love Of God", a platinum cast human skull encrusted in diamonds.

In September 2008, Hirst sold a complete show, "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever" by auction, raising around £111 million.

Marcus Harvey and Sarah Lucas are other members of the YBA group. Marcus Harvey is also from Leeds.

Answer: Ernie Wise

Ernest Wiseman (Ernie Wise) was born in Bramley, Leeds in 1925 and died in 1999. Partnered by Eric Bartholomew (who took the surname Morecambe) he was one half of the comedy duo "Morecambe and Wise". Together they performed from 1941 until Eric's death in 1984.

Their Christmas television specials became a British institution, and their 1977 show attracted an audience of around 27 million - about half of the British population at that time!

Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett had independent show business careers but came together successfully as "The Two Ronnies" in a long running television sketch show which first aired in 1971. Ronnie Barker died in 2005.