This is a partial list of alumni and staff of the Open University.
Alumni
The OU has over two million alumni, including:
Politicians
- Fleur Anderson, Labour MP
- Ian Byrne, Labour MP[1]
- Laurie Bristow, British diplomat[2]
- Aimee Challenor, British politician and transgender activist[3]
- Barbara Follett, Labour MP
- Gerald Gardiner, Baron Gardiner, former Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, completed his degree whilst serving as Chancellor of the Open University
- Bill Henderson, member of the House of Keys (Isle of Man)
- David Heyes, Labour MP
- Adam Ingram, Labour Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office
- Andrea Jenkyns, Conservative MP[4]
- Marat Khusnullin – Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
- Peter Law, Welsh politician and Independent Member of Parliament for Blaenau Gwent[5]
- John McFall, Labour MP and Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
- Wendy Morton – Conservative MP and Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas
- Chris Pond, former Labour Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions
- John Reid – Former Labour Home Secretary and Minister.
- Graham Smith, CEO of Republic
- Meles Zenawi, former Prime Minister of Ethiopia[6]
Entertainers
- Joan Armatrading, singer/songwriter[7]
- Steve Backshall, naturalist and television presenter
- Connie Booth, actress[8]
- Katy Cavanagh – actress[9]
- Julie Christie, actress
- Lisa Coleman, actress and volunteer occupational therapist
- Micky Dolenz, formerly of The Monkees
- Lionel Fanthorpe, priest, entertainer, television presenter, author and lecturer[10]
- Romola Garai, actress[11]
- Hubert Gregg, radio presenter
- Jerry Hall, model/actress[7]
- Frank Hampson, creator of Dan Dare[12]
- Sheila Hancock, actress[8]
- Lenny Henry, entertainer[7]
- Nadiya Hussain, chef, author, television presenter[13]
- Matthew Kelly, television presenter[8]
- Mylene Klass, actress, singer, model, pianist and media personality[7]
- Clare Nasir, meteorologist and television presenter
- David Neilson, actor
- Talulah Riley, actress
- Dave Rowntree, drummer, politician, solicitor and composer[14]
- Julia Sawalha, actress[7]
- Graeme K Talboys, writer
- Susan Tully, television producer and director; former actress
- Holly Willoughby, television presenter[7]
Scientists and engineers
Law
Trevor Pearce, QPM CBE. Former director of the National Crime Agency.
Sport
Military
Religion
Miscellaneous
- Elizabeth Arnold, children's writer
- Nigel Benson, author and illustrator
- Bobby Cummines OBE FRSA – charity chief executive and reformed offender.[16]
- J. Colin Dodds, President of Saint Mary's University (Halifax)
- Christine Grosart, cave diver and explorer
- Jeanette Henderson - author, academic, Specialist Lay Mental health Tribunal judge, social worker, radio broadcaster
- Myra Hindley – convicted murderer and prisoner[17]
- Air-Vice Marshal David Anthony Hobart, Royal Air Force officer
- Gerry Hughes – sailor, first single-handed crossing of the Atlantic by a deaf person.[18]
- Natalya Kaspersky – co-founder and co-owner of Kaspersky Lab
- Paul Marsden – writer, businessman and former Labour/Liberal Democrat MP.[19]
- Ian Rankin – Scottish writer
- Ken Robinson – educationalist
- Gwyn Singleton - dyslexia educationalist[20]
- Mary Stuart – Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lincoln[21]
- Peter Ventress, Non-executive Chairman of Galliford Try
- Mark Walker, Former Publicity Officer and Director of the Association of Open University Graduates
- Natalie Wood, The Apprentice contestant [22]
Honorary graduates