Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries (founded in 1973 by Alexis Gourvennec) is the trading name of French shipping company BAI Bretagne Angleterre Irlande S.A. that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between France and the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain, and between the United Kingdom and Spain

BAI (Bretagne Angleterre Irlande) S.A. was founded by firebrand farmer Alexis Gourvennec. Working with fellow Breton farmers, Gourvennec lobbied for improvements to Brittany's infrastructure, including better roads, telephone network, education and port access. By 1972 he had successfully secured funding and work to develop a deep-waterport at Roscoff. Gourvennec had no desire to run a ferry service, but existing operators showed little appetite for the opportunity.

As was the way of a man known as "the bulldozer",[citation needed] he took the reins and did it himself.

The company itself began sailings on 2nd January 1973 between Roscoff in Brittany and Plymouth in the South West of England, using the freight ferry Kerisnel a former Israeli tank carrier. The company's primary aim at that time was to exploit opportunities presented by the UK's entry into the Common Market (forerunner to the EU), to take control away from hated middle-men in Paris and export directly to markets in the United Kingdom.

In 1974, Kerisnel was replaced by Penn-Ar-Bed, which carried both passengers and vehicles, and the BAI company adopted the name Brittany Ferries.[2] Such was the success of the Plymouth-Roscoff service that a larger ship, Cornouailles, was ordered and entered service in 1977. New routes were developed in the late 1970s, and the company continued to grow. Routes to Saint-Malo, Santander, and Cork in Ireland were operated by Armorique and Prince of Brittany, and in the early 1980s a second ship was chartered for the Saint-Malo route. Goelo, an attractive-looking vessel, left the fleet in preparation for the new ship to be introduced in 1982. Quiberon replaced Armorique for the Santander and Cork services, allowing her to operate alongside Prince of Brittany on the Saint-Malo route, while Cornouailles maintained the original routes from Roscoff.

Benodet operated between Plymouth and Roscoff for just one year before being redeployed as part of Brittany Ferries' new venture, Channel Island Ferries. Tregastel replaced her and continued on the Plymouth to Roscoff route until 1989. The Cork route was operated by Tregastel and Quiberon, later to be joined by Celtic Pride, operated by Swansea Cork Ferries, supplying a midweek Cork-Roscoff round trip.

In 1985, Brittany Ferries further expanded by buying Truckline Ferries, which operated freight-only ships Coutances and Purbeck between Poole in United Kingdom and Cherbourg in France.

In 1986, Brittany Ferries introduced Duc de Normandie, which operated a new route from Caen to the increasingly popular port of Portsmouth. The former Roscoff ship Cornouailles was transferred to the Truckline Ferries route from Poole to Cherbourg, introducing passenger services on this route. This service was also very successful, and new ships were introduced over the next few years. Meanwhile, a second (chartered) ship, Gotland was installed on the Caen service in 1988, as well as the new Truckline Ferries vessel Normandie Shipper in 1989. In addition to the Portsmouth-Caen services, from 1986 a Truckline Ferries ferry ran from Poole to Caen during the summer to cope with the seasonal demand on Brittany's standard ships by holiday makers. However, the introduction of larger ships in 2006, and the sale of the original "truckliners", meant that this service was discontinued.

In 1989, the cruise ferry Bretagne was introduced on the Santander and Cork routes. She displaced Quiberon, which transferred to the Roscoff route. Tregastel replaced Cornouailles on the Poole-Cherbourg Truckline Ferries passenger route along with Corbiere (formerly Benodet who had been transferred to Channel Island Ferries). Cornouailles was sold to British Channel Island Ferries and was renamed Havelet. A second-hand purchase was introduced on the St Malo route, Duchesse Anne. which was to run alongside Armorique. This allowed Prince of Brittany to be transferred to the Caen route under its new name, Reine Mathilde.

1990s

At the end of 1991, Reine Mathilde left the fleet ready for the introduction of the new cruise ferry Normandie on the Caen route. Corbiere and Tregastel also stepped down in preparation for the new Truckline Ferries ship, Barfleur. During 1992, the Truckline Ferries freight vessel, Purbeck, and the St Malo ship Armorique both stepped down.

In 1993, the penultimate ship of the 1990s was introduced. The Val de Loire was purchased from TT-Line and partially rebuilt for service on the Santander and Cork routes. The vessel replaced Bretagne which transferred to the St Malo route, allowing Duchesse Anne to operate new services between Poole, St Malo, Cork, Roscoff and Plymouth. Following further financial difficulties in the mid-1990s, these new routes were ended and Duchesse Anne left the fleet. Normandie Shipper was also sold, but the ex-Truckline Ferries vessel Purbeck was later chartered back by the company for use on various routes, primarily Portsmouth-Caen. In 1999, Barfleur was repainted in Brittany Ferries colours, ending the Truckline Ferries tradition on the route.

2000s

In 2001 a new fast ferry service began to operate between Poole and Cherbourg in partnership with Condor Ferries. The fast Normandie Vitesse could make the voyage in just over two hours. In 2002, a new ship, Mont St Michel, was due to enter service between Portsmouth and Caen. Duc de Normandie was transferred to the Roscoff route in July, whilst Quiberon was sent to Caen to cover until the new ship arrived. Mont St Michel was delayed until December however. Quiberon spent the remainder of the year on the busiest Brittany Ferries route. She had been with the company for almost 21 years when she was sold in 2003. In 2004, another new ship, Pont-Aven, was introduced on the Santander & Cork routes. She could travel much faster than the rest of the fleet, cutting journey times by a quarter.

In late 2004, the company withdrew Duc de Normandie from the fleet. Bretagne transferred to the Roscoff route, leaving Val de Loire at St Malo. Coutances was also earmarked for disposal, but then a change of heart resulted in its refit, losing her Truckline Ferries livery in favour of the new Brittany Ferries logo.

More changes occurred in 2005 with the withdrawal of P&O's French routes from Portsmouth. A new fastcraft, Normandie Express was chartered to operate between Portsmouth and Cherbourg and Caen. In addition, the Poole-Cherbourg ship Barfleur was redeployed to operate a triangular service between Portsmouth, Poole and Cherbourg. A new ship was announced, in part a replacement for Coutances. The ship was named Cotentin. Purbeck was to have returned from operating in New Zealand and cover the Portsmouth-Cherbourg link but this plan was dropped. Barfleur returned to the Poole-Cherbourg link in November 2005.

The former flagship of the fleet (from 1993 until the arrival of Mont St Michel) Val de Loire left the fleet in February 2006, having been sold to DFDS and renamed King of Scandinavia. In the meantime, Brittany Ferries had taken up a 2-year charter of the DFDS ship Duke of Scandinavia, which was renamed Pont-L'Abbé and ran on the Plymouth-Roscoff route. Bretagne returned to the Portsmouth-St Malo route. Brittany Ferries also announced a new build for the Plymouth-Roscoff route, to be launched early 2008. In February 2006 Normandie Express was brought under the French flag, she was later purchased by the company in early 2007. Brittany Ferries new freight ship, Cotentin, entered service on 26 November 2007 with the 23:45 Cherbourg-Poole service. The new ship also operated a weekly service to Santander from Poole. It was announced on 19 December 2007 that the company had purchased Pont-L'Abbé from DFDS. On 1 May 2008 Coutances completed her last sailing for the company - having been with Truckline Ferries for 30 years and with Brittany Ferries since 1985. In early 2009, Armorique was launched on the Plymouth-Roscoff route, replacing Pont L'Abbe. For 2009, Pont-Aven operated a new Portsmouth to Santander service once a week (cutting the previous Plymouth to Santander route to once a week).

2010s

In late 2009, the new Poole-Santander freight-only service was deemed a success and the frequency was doubled: there would now be two services a week operated by Cotentin. In November 2009, Armorique was laid up for the rest of the winter season. Major changes were announced in December 2009. Barfleur was withdrawn from service at the end of January 2010 after nearly 18 years service on the Poole-Cherbourg route. The service was temporarily served by Armorique, which came back to service earlier than originally planned. The Poole-Santander service reverted to one sailing a week with Cotentin covering freight on the Poole-Cherbourg service in the absence of Barfleur. Condor Vitesse continued to operate one round sailing a day in the summer months between the two ports. Cap Finistère ran between Portsmouth and Santander twice a week and also operated three round trips a week between Portsmouth and Cherbourg. In September 2010, Brittany Ferries announced plans to serve the Portsmouth–Bilbao route recently abandoned by P&O Ferries.[3] The route started on 27 March 2011.

In February 2011, Barfleur returned to the Poole-Cherbourg route on a seven-month trial basis after being laid up for a year. Her final crossing of 2011 was 3 October. The return of Barfleur allowed Cotentin to run two Poole-Santander trips a week. However, with Barfleur being laid up again, the Poole-Santander sailings reverted to one trip a week. On 23 March, it was announced that Barfleur was to be chartered to DFDS Seaways for use on their Dover–Calais route. Her first sailing on the route was on 27 April.

On 1 April 2011, the new Portsmouth International Port (PIP) terminal, used by Brittany Ferries, LD Lines and Condor Ferries, was opened to the public. An official opening ceremony took place on 13 May 2011. This modern, stylish, eco-friendly building replaced the previous terminal building that stood from 1976 until its well needed replacement occurred in 2011.

On 21 September 2012, Brittany Ferries cancelled sailings indefinitely following two days of wildcat strikes caused by crew members who were unhappy with changes in working terms and conditions. Meetings took place between management and unions to negotiate the management proposals. A vote was taken on 30 September by union members to decide if the management proposals would be accepted. The crew members accepted the proposal and services resumed on 2 October after 12 days without services. During this period, Brittany Ferries made special arrangements with P&O Ferries and MyFerryLink to accept Brittany Ferries tickets on the Dover–Calais route; any unused tickets were refunded.[4] Services were not affected on the Poole–Cherbourg route which was being operated by Condor Ferries.

The 2012 season was the last year of the Poole–Cherbourg fastcraft operation with Condor Ferries. For the first time since 2001, the Condor vessel operating the Poole-Cherbourg summer service was Condor Express rather than Condor Vitesse.

In May 2013, Brittany Ferries introduced a new route with services from Portsmouth to Le Havre using their high-speed vessel, Normandie Express.

In October 2013, Brittany Ferries' freight service from Poole-Santander terminated and Cotentin, which served the route, is now being chartered by Stena Line.

On 5 November 2013, Christophe Mathieu, deputy managing director of Brittany Ferries and Sandie Dawe, chief executive of VisitBritain, signed an agreement to run a joint marketing campaign designed to attract more French tourists to the UK. The agreement commits both parties to a three-year campaign with a promotional match-funded spend of £1.5 million, and is the first time Brittany Ferries has entered into such an arrangement with Visit Britain.

On 7 February 2014, Brittany Ferries announced that as from the end of March 2014, it would charter the former Visentini-built DFDS Seaways Norman Voyager to operate on Le Havre, Portsmouth and Santander. The vessel was renamed Etretat.

During the weekends, the ferry sails on Portsmouth–Santander. Demand for freight capacity is high during the weekend, but also passengers are interested in such a service.

On weekdays, Norman Voyager, which has been renamed Etretat, sails on Portsmouth–Le Havre, a route that was successful in 2013 when Brittany Ferries introduced the catamaran Normandie Express. However, after the 2015 summer season, Brittany Ferries pulled Normandie Express from this route as it was not financially viable. The "new" ro-pax ferry Etretat will sail year-round.

On 30 January 2015, Brittany Ferries announced that it would charter the DFDS Seaways vessel Sirena Seaways from the beginning of April 2015 and start service with Brittany Ferries in May 2015, to operate on their successful Portsmouth–Le Havre route, alongside Etretat. It will also operate a twice weekly Portsmouth–Spain service. The ship will be renamed Baie de Seine.

The company chartered the RoRo vessel, Pelican from Maritime Nantaise for 12 months, with the option of an extension. The vessel has the capacity for around one hundred unaccompanied trailers and twelve drivers and commenced service with Brittany Ferries on 11 February 2016.

On 24 October 2016, Brittany Ferries announced plans to build a ferry that could integrate a propulsion liquefied natural gas (LNG). An innovative project, that was abandoned in late 2014, which would be reborn as a smaller vessel to sail between Portsmouth and Ouistreham.

On 20 June 2017, Brittany Ferries confirmed its order for a new LNG-powered cruise-ferry for the Portsmouth to Ouistreham route. The new 42,000 GT ship, to be constructed by Flensburger Schiffbau shipyard in Germany, is scheduled for delivery in 2019. The new ship is to be named Honfleur.

On 14 July 2017, Brittany Ferries announced it will extend its charter of freight vessel Pelican from Maritime Nantaise for a further two years. The vessel, capable of carrying up to 100 unoccupied trailers, will continue to operate on the Poole to Bilbao route.

On 16 January 2018, Brittany Ferries announced it will begin a new route from Cork, Ireland to Santander, Spain. The new route, which will consist of two weekly connections along with an additional weekly service between Cork, Ireland & Roscoff, France, commenced in May 2018. Brittany Ferries is chartering the Stena RoRo Vessel Asterion which is currently serving routes between Italy and Greece and will be renamed Connemara.[5]

On 12 March 2018, work commenced on the construction of Honfleur with the Steel Cutting Ceremony. Unfortunately, the construction of the vessel will take a little over a year to complete.

On 24 May 2018, Brittany Ferries confirmed that it had ordered a second Stena E-Flexer vessel with the option to buy after the five-year charter. This takes the number to two chartered from Stena Line along with the new build vessel Honfleur expected in 2019.[6]

In October 2018, Brittany Ferries announced that a new logo will be used for marketing purposes and will appear on their vessels, with Armorique and Pont-Aven being the first ships to receive the new livery. The logo is part of a multi-million pound investment in the company's future. 450 million euros has been earmarked for new ships, new brand (including logo) and a focus on more digital tools. [7]

On 26 March 2019, Brittany Ferries confirmed its order of a fourth new build (9th Stena E-Flexer-class ferry), chartered from Stena RoRo and will be built at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China, due to join the fleet in the year 2023. Like two of the other E-Flexer-Class Ferries Salamanca and Santoña this vessel will also be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) (Galicia the first will be fitted with funnel exhaust gas cleaning systems) . [8] This new ferry will be named Santoña.

On 20 June 2019, Brittany Ferries announced it was finalising a one-year charter of an additional ship from Stena Ro-Ro ahead of the 2020 season, which will be operated by the ferry company from November 2019 to November 2020 to deliver additional flexibility to a route network that connects France, the UK, Spain and Ireland. [9]

On 27 August 2019, MV Bore Bay arrived in Poole as a temporary cover for MN Pelican while she undergoes maintenance and fitting of exhaust scrubbers. The temporary cover will last until late March 2020. [10]

On 14 November 2019, Brittany Ferries announced that they had reached an agreement with Columbia Threadneedle Investments to acquire Condor Ferries from Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. [11]

On 29 January 2020, Brittany Ferries announced they would be moving their Ireland/Spain sailings from Cork to Rosslare Europort, with the first sailing due to take place on 28 February. The new Spanish arrival port from Rosslare will be Bilbao. [12]

On 9 March 2020, Brittany Ferries announced that they had completed the deal to purchase Condor Ferries. [13]

On 13 March 2020, Baie de Seine completed her final sailing with Brittany Ferries after almost 5 years on charter from DFDS Seaways. Baie de Seine went to Gdansk for refit and to be repainted in the DFDS Livery and was renamed back to Sirena Seaways sailing on the Klaipeda to Karlshamn route

Belgravia

Belgravia

Belgravia (/bɛlˈɡreɪviə/[1]) is an affluent district in Central London,[2] shared within the authorities of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Belgravia was known as Five Fields during the Middle Ages, and became a dangerous place due to highwaymen and robberies. It was developed in the early 19th century by Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster under the direction of Thomas Cubitt, focusing on numerous grand terraces centred on Belgrave Square and Eaton Square. Much of Belgravia, known as the Grosvenor Estate, is still owned by a family property company, the Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor Group. Owing to the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, the estate has been forced to sell many freeholds to its former tenants.

Name

Belgravia takes its name from one of the Duke of Westminster's subsidiary titles, Viscount Belgrave, which is in turn derived from Belgrave, Cheshire, a village on land belonging to the Duke.

Geography

Belgravia is near the former course of the River Westbourne, a tributary of the River Thames.[3] The area is mostly in the City of Westminster, with a small part of the western section in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.[4]

The district lies mostly to the south-west of Buckingham Palace, and is bounded notionally by Knightsbridge (the road) to the north, Grosvenor Place and Buckingham Palace Road to the east, Pimlico Road to the south,[5] and Sloane Street to the west. To the north is Hyde Park, to the northeast is Mayfair and Green Park and to the east is Westminster.[6]

The area is mostly residential, the particular exceptions being Belgrave Square in the centre, Eaton Square to the south, and Buckingham Palace Gardens to the east.[7]

The nearest London Underground stations are Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge and Sloane Square. Victoria station, a major National Rail, tube and coach interchange, is to the east of the district. Frequent bus services run to all areas of Central London from Grosvenor Place.[8] The A4, a major road through West London, and the London Inner Ring Road run along the boundaries of Belgravia.[6]

History

The area takes its name from the village of Belgrave, Cheshire, two miles (3 km) from the Grosvenor family's main country seat of Eaton Hall.[3] One of the Duke of Westminster's subsidiary titles is Viscount Belgrave.[9]

During the Middle Ages, the area was known as the Five Fields and was a series of fields used for grazing, intersected by footpaths.[3] The Westbourne was crossed by Bloody Bridge, so called because it was frequented by robbers and highwaymen, and it was unsafe to cross the fields at night. In 1728, a man's body was discovered by the bridge with half his face and five fingers removed. In 1749, a muffin man was robbed and left blind. Five Fields' distance from London also made it a popular spot for duelling.[10]

Despite its reputation for crime and violence, Five Fields was a pleasant area during the daytime, and various market gardens were established. The area began to be built up after George III moved to Buckingham House and constructed a row of houses on what is now Grosvenor Place. In the 1820s, Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster asked Thomas Cubitt to design an estate. Most of Belgravia was constructed over the next 30 years; it attempted to rival Mayfair in its prestige

Belgravia is characterised by grand terraces of white stucco houses, and is focused on Belgrave Square and Eaton Square. It was one of London's most fashionable residential districts from its beginnings.[11] After World War II, some of the largest houses ceased to be used as residences, or townhouses for the country gentry and aristocracy, and were increasingly occupied by embassies, charity headquarters, professional institutions and other businesses. Belgravia has become a relatively quiet district in the heart of London, contrasting with neighbouring districts, which have far more busy shops, large modern office buildings, hotels and entertainment venues. Many embassies are located in the area, especially in Belgrave Square.[3]

In the early 21st century, some houses are being reconverted to residential use, because offices in old houses are no longer as desirable as they were in the post-war decades, while the number of super-rich in London is at a high level not seen since at least 1939. The average house price in Belgravia, as of March 2010, was £6.6 million,[12] although many houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, costing up to £100 million, £4,671 per square foot (£50,000 per m2).[13]

As of 2013, many residential properties in Belgravia were owned by wealthy foreigners who may have other luxury residences in exclusive locations worldwide; so many are temporarily unoccupied because their owners are elsewhere. The increase in land value has been in sharp contrast to UK average and left the area empty and isolated.[14]

Squares and streets

Belgrave Square, one of the grandest and largest 19th-century squares, is the centrepiece of Belgravia. It was laid out by the property contractor Thomas Cubitt for the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, later to be the 1st Marquess of Westminster, beginning in 1826. Building was largely complete by the 1840s.[15]

The original scheme consisted of four terraces, each made up of eleven grand white stuccoed houses, apart from the south-east terrace, which had twelve; detached mansions were in three of the corners and there was a private central garden.[3] The numbering is anti-clockwise from the north: NW terrace Nos. 1 to 11, west corner mansion No. 12, SW terrace 13–23, south corner mansion No. 24, SE terrace Nos. 25–36, east corner mansion No. 37, NE terrace Nos. 38–48.[16]

There is also a slightly later detached house at the northern corner, No. 49, which was built by Cubitt for Sidney Herbert in 1847.[3] The terraces were designed by George Basevi (cousin of Benjamin Disraeli). The largest of the corner mansions, Seaford House in the east corner, was designed by Philip Hardwick, and the one in the west corner was designed by Robert Smirke, completed around 1830.[3]

The square contains statues of Christopher Columbus, Simón Bolívar, José de San Martín, Prince Henry the Navigator, the 1st Marquess of Westminster, a bust of George Basevi and a sculpture entitled "Homage to Leonardo, the Vitruvian Man", by Italian sculptor Enzo Plazzotta.[17]

Eaton Square

Eaton Square is one of three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family, and is named after Eaton Hall, Cheshire, the family's principal seat. It is longer but less grand than Belgrave Square, and is an elongated rectangle. The first block was laid out by Cubitt in 1826, but the square was not completed until 1855, the year of his death. The long construction period is reflected in the variety of architecture along the square.[18]

The houses in Eaton Square are large, predominantly three bay wide buildings, joined in regular terraces in a classical style, with four or five main storeys, plus attic and basement and a mews house behind. The square is one of London's largest and is divided into six compartments by the upper end of Kings Road (northeast of Sloane Square), a main road, now busy with traffic, that occupies its long axis, and two smaller cross streets.[19]

Although not as fashionable as some of the other squares in London, Eaton Square was home to several key figures. George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster, the illegitimate son of William IV, lived at No. 13, while Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain lived at No 93 and No. 37 respectively. Since World War II, Eaton Square has become less residential; the Bolivian Embassy is at No. 106 while the Belgian Embassy is at No. 103.[18]

At the east end of the square is St Peter's Church. It was designed by Henry Hakewill and built between 1824 and 1827 during the first development of Eaton Square. The first church was destroyed by fire in 1836 and rebuilt by Hakewill, and again in 1987, when it was restored by the Braithwaite Partnership.[19][20] It is a Grade II* listed building, in a Greek revival style featuring a six-columned Ionic portico and a clock tower.[21][20]

Eaton Place is an extension to the square, developed by Cubitt between 1826 and 1845. The scientist William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin lived here, as did the Irish Unionist Edward Carson. Sir Henry Wilson, 1st Baronet was assassinated by Irish Republicans in 1922 as he was leaving No. 36.[18]

Upper Belgrave Street

Upper Belgrave Street was constructed in the 1840s to connect King's Road with Belgrave Square.[22] It is a wide one-way residential street with grand white stuccoed buildings. It stretches from the south-east corner of Belgrave Square to the north-east corner of Eaton Square. Most of the houses have now been divided into flats and achieve sale prices as high as £3,500 per square foot. Many of the buildings were constructed by Cubitt in the 1820s and 1830s.[citation needed]

Walter Bagehot, a writer, banker and economist, lived at No. 12 during the 1860s. Alfred, Lord Tennyson lived at No 9 in 1880–1881. John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan lived at No. 46, and disappeared without trace from there in 1974 after his children's nanny was found murdered.[22]

Chester Square

Chester Square is a smaller, residential garden square, the last of the three garden squares built by the Grosvenor family. It is named after the city of Chester, near Eaton Hall. Members of the family also represented Chester as Members of Parliament.[23] The garden, just under 1.5 acres (6,100 m2) in size, is planted with shrubs and herbaceous borders. It was refurbished in 1997, to the layout that appears in the Ordnance Survey map of 1867. Past residents include the poet Matthew Arnold (1822–88) at No. 2, Mary Shelley (1797–1851) at No. 24, John Liddell (1794–1868) at No. 72, Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) at No. 73, and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (1880–1962) resided at No. 77 from 1940 until 1945.[24][25]

Wilton Crescent

Wilton Crescent was created by Thomas Cundy II, the Grosvenor family estate surveyor, and was drawn up with the original 1821 Wyatt plan for Belgravia.[26] It is named after the 2nd Earl of Wilton, second son of the 1st Marquess of Westminster. The street was built in 1827 by William Howard Seth-Smith.[27]

In the 19th and 20th centuries, it was home to many prominent British politicians, ambassadors and civil servants. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma lived at No. 2 for many years and Alfonso López Pumarejo, twice President of Colombia, lived and died at No. 33 (which is marked by a blue plaque).[27][28]

Like much of Belgravia, Wilton Crescent has grand terraces with lavish white houses which are built in a crescent shape, many of them with stuccoed balconies, particularly in the southern part of the crescent. The houses to the north of the crescent are stone clad, and five storeys high, and were refaced between 1908 and 1912. Most of the houses had originally been built in the stucco style, but such houses became stone clad during this renovation period. Other houses today have black iron balconies.

Wilton Crescent lies east of Lowndes Square and Lowndes Street, to the northwest of Belgrave Square. It is accessed via Wilton Place, constructed in 1825 to connect it to Knightsbridge.[27] It is adjacent to Grosvenor Crescent to the east, which contains the Indonesian Embassy. Further to the east lies Buckingham Palace. The play Major Barbara is partly set at Lady Britomart's house in Wilton Crescent. In 2007, Wilton Garden, in the middle of the crescent, was awarded a bronze medal by the London Gardens Society.

Lowndes Square

Lowndes Square is named after the Secretary to the Treasury William Lowndes.[29] Like much of Belgravia, it has grand terraces with white stucco houses. To the east lie Wilton Crescent and Belgrave Square. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols department store and Knightsbridge Underground station. It has some of the most expensive properties in the world. Russian businessman Roman Abramovich bought two stucco houses in Lowndes Square in 2008. The merged houses, with a total of eight bedrooms, are expected to be worth £150 million, which exceeds the value of the previous most expensive house in London

George Basevi designed many of the houses in the square. Mick Jagger and James Fox once filmed in Leonard Plugge's house in Lowndes Square. The square was used as a setting for the Edward Frederic Benson novel The Countess of Lowndes Square

The novels of Anthony Trollope (1815–1882): The Way We Live Now, Phineas Finn, Phineas Redux, The Prime Minister, and The Duke's Children all give accurate descriptions of 19th-century Belgravia.

In Brideshead Revisited, a novel by Evelyn Waugh, Belgravia's Pont Street is eponymous with the idiosyncrasies of the British upper classes. Julia, one of the main protagonists, tells her friends, "It was Pont Street to wear a signet ring and to give chocolates at the theatre; it was Pont Street to say, 'Can I forage for you?' at a dance."

Flunkeyania or Belgravian Morals, written under the pseudonym "Chawles", was one of the novels serialised in The Pearl, an allegedly pornographic Victorian magazine.[32]

In the popular British television series Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975), the scene is set in the household of Richard Bellamy (later 1st Viscount Bellamy of Haversham) at 165 Eaton Place, Belgravia (65 Eaton Place was used for exterior shots; a "1" was painted in front of the house number).[33] It depicts the lives of the Bellamys and their staff of domestic servants in the years 1903–1930, as they experience the tumultuous events of the Edwardian era, World War I and the postwar 1920s, culminating with the stock market crash of 1929, which ends the world they had known. In 2010, filming began on a mini-series intended to pick up the story of one of the main characters, Rose Buck, in 1936, as she returns to 165 Eaton Place to serve as the Holland family's housekeeper.

In Downton Abbey Lady Rosamund Painswick, sister of Lord Grantham, lives in Belgrave Square.[34]

The first episode of the second series of the television programme Sherlock is "A Scandal in Belgravia", loosely based on the Arthur Conan Doyle short story "A Scandal in Bohemia"

دانيال رادكليف

دانيال رادكليف

دانيال جاكوب رادكليف (مواليد 23 يوليو 1989 فولهام، لندن) هو ممثل إنجليزي قام بأداء دور البطولة في الشخصية الخيالية السينمائية هاري بوتر. وقد بلغت ثروته نتيجة لذلك نحو 23 مليون جنيه إسترليني (أي أكثر من 27 مليون يورو)، ولكنه خصص جزءاً من هذه الأموال لصالح المؤسسات الخيرية. وترجع بداياته المهنية لعام 1998 عندما قام بالتمثيل في الفيلم التلفازي ديفيد كوبرفيلد المبني على رواية بنفس الاسم لتشارلز ديكنز. وبعد ذلك ظهر لأول مرة عام 2001 في فيلم خياط بنما ، وظهر في أفلام أخرى أيضاً مثل فيلم ديسمبر بويز، والفيلم التلفازي ابني جاك. وفي عام 2007 لعب دوراً في العمل المسرحي "إيكوس" للكاتب المسرحي بيتر شافر والذي شارك فيه بشخصية "ألان سترانغ". تلقى دانيال الأستحسانات في كل من إنجلترا والولايات المتحدة بالإضافة إلى حصوله على العديد من الجوائز المختلفة والامتيازات. وعلى الجانب الآخر خُيل له أنه سيكون كاتب سيناريو أو مخرج. وعبر أيضاً عن ميلهِ نحو الموسيقى بالرغم من عملهِ بالتمثيل. وفي مارس 2011، قام رادكليف بإعادة إحياء مسرحية برودواي الموسيقية بعنوان: "كيف تنجح في عملك بدون محاولة حقيقية"، وفي عام 2012 لعب دوراً في فيلم المرأة ذات الرداء الأسود. ولقد عاش رادكليف السنوات الأولى من حياتهِ في منطقة فولهام في جنوب غرب لندن؛ وقد صرح بأنه مشجع متعصب لنادي فولهام لكرة القدم.

نشأته

وُلِد رادكليف في غرب لندن، إنجلترا. وهو الابن الوحيد للوكيل الأدبي "ألان جورج رادكليف" ووكيلة المواهب "مارسيا جريشام" التي شاركت في عدة أفلام تابعة للبي بي سي مثل مفتش الألغاز، وسيراً على الأقدام، وأنا متعثر. ويعد والده من طبقة الكادحين ومن أصل بروتستانتي من بانبريدج، في مقاطعة داون بأيرلندا الشمالية ، ووالدته يهودية،  ولدت في جنوب أفريقيا، ونشأت في "وستكليف -أون-سي" بمقاطعة إسكس في شرق إنجلترا. وترجع جذور عائلتها إلى بولندا وروسيا. وكان آبائه قد سبقوه نحو التمثيل وهو صغير.

سيرته المهنية

بداياته في التمثيل

أبدى رادكليف رغبته بالتمثيل في سن الخامسة وسبعة أشهر من عمره،  ولكنه لم يبدأ احترافه بهذا السن على الرغم من قيامه بالتمثيل في عدة أدوار مدرسية، وتقديمه أيضاً لبعض المشاهد من أفلام جيمس بوند. وفي التاسعة من عمره، جاءتهُ الفرصة ليتجه نحو الفنون الدرامية، ويعود الفضل في ذلك إلى أحد أصدقاء العائلة، وهو وكيل مواهب والذي أشار إليه بأن يقوم بدخول اختبار لأداء دور تلفازي، وقرر دانيال بعد الحصول على إذن والديه الاستعداد لذلك ومواجهة التحدي لأنه لم يعد مهتماً بالمدرسة. وبعد اجتياز خمس اختبارات حصل على الدور، وقام بالتمثيل للمرة الأولى في ديسمبر من عام 1999 في الفيلم التلفازي ديفيد كوبرفيلد  تابع لتلفزيون هيئة الإذاعة البريطانية بي بي سي. وهناك قدم رادكليف أدائه كنجم صاعد. الفيلم والذي كان مكون من جزئين، اشترك فيه كلاً من الممثلتين البريطانيتين ماجي سميث، "إيميلدا ستونتون" اللّتَين شاركته فيما بعد في سلسلة هاري بوتر. أعلنت منتجة العمل كيت هارود عن شعورها بالإندهاش قائلة: «إن دانيال يمتلك طبيعة خاصة وبراءة والكاميرا تحبه.»

وكان عمله التالي عام 2000 في فيلم "خياط بنما" حيث لعب دور "مارك" الابن الأكبر للزوجين جيوفري راش وجيمي لي كرتيس، في أثناء تصويره لهذا الدور الصغير، أخبرته "لي كرتيس" عن فيلم هاري بوتر وحجر الفيلسوف والذي كان في مرحلة ما قبل الإنتاج وقامت بتشجيع الفتى على اجتياز الاختبارات لهذا الفيلم. لكن والديه اعتقدوا بأن ذلك سيكون عملاٌ متعباٌ، وستخيب آمال ابنهم في حالة فشله؛ لذلك لم يسمحوا له بذلك. ومع ذلك ألتقى به منتج العمل السينمائي ديفيد هيمان والذي رآه أثناء أداء مسرحية "الأحجار في جيوبه" في لندن. وخلال الاستراحة جاء للتحدث مع الصبي ووالده، وأصر على وجوب تقدم دانيال لاجتياز الاختبارات الخاصة بفيلم هاري بوتر وحجر الفيلسوف، وقبل تردد والديه وعد "هيمان" الزوجين بآنه سيحمي ابنهم في حالة لو تعرض لمضايقة من وسائل الإعلام عندما يتم اختياره. وفي أغسطس عام 2000 وبعد العديد من تجارب الأداء التي أجريت لأكثر من 40 ألف متقدم  حصل رادكليف على دور البطولة في الفيلم الطويل من إخراج كريس كولومبوس وعبرت مؤلفة سلسلة الروايات التي تعتمد عليها هذه الأفلام ج. ك. رولينج عن سعادتها باختيار هذا الشاب قائلة: «بعد رُؤَيتها لأداء رادكليف في اختباره أمام الكاميرا، لم تستطيع أن تجد شخصاً آخر مثلهُ يقوم بدور هاري لسلسلة أفلامها».

أسطورة هاري بوتر

منذ إعلانه عن اشتراكه في هاري بوتر، اشترك رادكليف في جميع الأفلام المستندة على روايات ج. ك. رولينج ومنها أول اثنين: هاري بوتر وحجر الفليسوف (2001، كريس كولومبوس )  وهاري بوتر وحجرة الأسرار (2002، كريس كولومبوس ). في الفيلم الثاني أرتفع أجره من 250 ألف جنيه أسترليني إلى 3 مليون دولار. أما بالنسبة لتجربته في تصوير الأجراء الأولى ذكر إنه وزملائه شعروا كأنهم أطفال في منتزه يلعبون ويمزحون مع باقي الفريق. وعندما حان موعد تصوير الجزء الثالث من تلك السلسلة من الأفلام، كان هناك بعض التغييرات وبدأت الشائعات حول إمكانية الاستعاضة عن رادكليف والنجوم المشاركين روبرت غرينت وإيما واتسون وذلك بسبب تقدمهم في العمر.

هاري بوتر وسجين أزكابان (2004) ظل رادكليف تحت أوامر المخرج المكسيكي ألفونسو كوارون وعبّر عن أرتياحه بالعمل معه لأنه يعطيه مساحته في التعبير عن أدائهِ والتنقل بين الأدوار التي يقوم بها؛ وليتحقق ذلك، أشار المخرج الجديد بأنه يرى أمامه فيلم 400 ضربة للمخرج فرانسوا تروفو ويسمع موسيقى لفرق الروك سيكس بيستولز كأن كل ذلك يساعده على إظهار حالة التمرد التي يمر بها هاري خلال فترة مراهقته. بالإضافة إلى أن هذا الفيلم أتاح له بالعمل مع غاري أولدمان واحد من الفنانين المفضلين إليه.

هاري بوتر وكأس النار (2005، مايك نيويل ) كان ثالث مشاركة له في سلسلة الأفلام، حيث جسد فيها شخصية مليئة بمشاكل المراهقة وفي ذات الوقت نهوض عدوه وموت زميله بالمدرسة. وبعد وقت من العرض الأول للجزء الرابع صرح رادكليف في مناسبات متكررة له على مدار سنوات عن شكوكهِ بإحتمالية موت شخصيته، وكما أكد ظنونه مضيفاً أنه يرغب في ممارسة مشهد الموت حيث من المفترض موت شخصيته في الفيلم فيما بعد في الأجزاء التالية.

هاري بوتر وجماعة العنقاء (2007، ديفيد ييتس ) وفقاً لتصريحات رادكليف إن هذا الفيلم هو المفضل إليه لعدة أسباب من بينها أنه شارك فيه المخرج ديفيد ييتس ، والمطالب الفنية التي أفترضها المخرج، وبالإضافة إلى فريق العمل الذي شاركه على الشاشة. وصرح أيضاً اا "أي مشهد قام به بجانب الممثلة إيميلدا ستونتون وغاري أولدمان إنه شيء لا يصدق، إنه في الواقع عمل رائع بجانب تلك الأثنين". وقد أشاد له اشتراكه مع هؤلاء النجوم إلى بروزه كممثل.

في مارس عام 2007 أكد اشتراكه في باقي الأجزاء، هاري بوتر والأمير الهجين -الذي عرض لأول مرة في يوليو من عام 2009-، والجزء الأول من هاري بوتر ومقدسات الموت الذي صدر في 19 نوفمبر 2010  على المستوى العالمي، صدور الفيلم الأخير من السلسلة هاري بوتر ومقدسات الموت – الجزء 2 بدءاً من أستراليا بتاريخ 13 يوليو عام 2011. وقد حطم الفيلم عدة أرقام فياسية في شباك التذاكر، بما في ذلك أكبر إصدار لفيلم في منتصف الليل وأكبر افتتاح في اليوم الأول وأكبر افتتاح في عطلة نهاية الأسبوع.

المسرح

في ديسمبر عام 2002، استقبل دانيال دعوة للمشاركة كضيف شرف في العمل المسرحي المسرحية ما كتبت، والتي أُقيمت في إحدى مسارح ويست إند وكانت من إخراج كينيث براناه. في 28 يوليو 2006،  وفي ظل الشائعات، أكد وكيل أعمال رادكليف اشتراك الممثل في العمل المسرحي ايكوس للكاتب المسرحي بيتر ليفين شافير، بشخصية "ألان سترانغ" الصبي الذي يتعالج نفسياً من أفتتان ديني بالخيول بعد ان أعمى ستة من الخيول. المسرحية، دراما نفسية غامضة، قائمة على الألم وقدرة التشويه التي يمارسها المجتمع نحو الفرد في التطور، قد سببت نوعاً من القلق خلال افتتاحها عام 1973 بسبب موضوعها ومشاهدها التصادمية.

وفقاً لبعض صحف التابلويد الإنجليزية، فقد سبب اختيار رادكليف لهذا الدور العديد من انتقادات الآباء المشجعين لهاري بوتر، خصوصاً عند انتشار الصور الترويجية الأولى من العمل والتي ظهر فيها "دانيال" شبه عارياً مع الممثلة "جوانا كريستي"؛ وبالإضافة إلى ذلك وجود متطلبات أخرى للسيناريو كالتدخين، والشتائم، والتعري للجزء الأمامي من الجسم، وأيضاً تحفيز الآراء السلبية. وأكد رادكليف ووكيل أعماله إن اختيار هذا الدور لم يكن للابتعاد عن شخصية هاري بوتر بل ليضيف إلى مهنتهِ كممثل. كما قال في تعليقهِ عن هذا الدور الجديد قائلاً: «إنه حلم حقيقي وواقعي. ألان ستانغ هي شخصية معقدة وغامضة لا تُصدق، وأشعر بالفخر لترشيحي لهذا الدور، بالإضافة إلى عملي بجانب كلاً من الممثل ريتشارد جريفيثز والمخرج ثيا شاروك».

عرضت المسرحية لأول مرة في 27 فبراير لعام 2007، محققه نحو 2 مليون جنيه إسترليني، وقد امتددت عروضها لأكثر من أسبوعين من الموعد المتفق عليه وهو 9 يونيو 2007. تلقى الممثل العديد من الانتقادات الإيجابية نحو هذا الدور، وبالرغم من العديد من الشائعات التي نشرتها صحيفة ديلي ميل من استياء شركة وارنز برذرز، وهي الشركة المنتجة لسلسلة أفلام هاري بوتر-، فأن رادكليف لم يتخلى عن دورهِ الذي جعل منه شخصية مشهورة، بالإضافة إلى تلقيه الدعم من الشركة المنتجة منذ البداية. ونظراً لنجاح التنفيذ في لندن، قرر الإنتاج انتقال العمل إلى برودواي في نيويورك ، وعرضت هذه المسرحية لأول مرة في نيويورك في 25 ديسمبر عام 2008. عبر رادكليف عن غضبه بسبب تكرار الدور مرة أخرى في برودواي لاعتقاده بأن الجمهور النيويوركي أكثر ذكاء من جمهور لندن. لاقت المسرحية والتي استمرت إعلاناتها حتى 8 فبراير 2009، ترحيباً من قِبل النقاد الأمريكيين والذين سلطوا الضوء على أداء كلاً من ريتشارد جريفيثز ورادكليف. وفي وقتاً لاحق، أعرب عن رغباته نحو العودة إلى العمل في برودواي، وكما صرح إنه قد أخذ دروساً في الغناء لاحتمالية قيامه بعمل مسرحي موسيقي.

في أكتوبر 2009، تم تأكيد على أنه سيشارك في مسرحية "كيف تنجح في عملك دون محاولة حقيقية" والتي سيتم إنتاجها بواسطة شركة هامة. في 2013 عاد رادكليف إلى المسرح بعمل كوميدي غامض "أعرج إينيشمان" للكاتب المسرحي مارتن ماكدونا، ولعب دور بيلي كلفن (شخصية الأعرج).

التلفاز

ظهر رادكليف عام 2006 في جزء من الموسم الثاني لأكستراس، عمل تلفازي كوميدي يقوم فيه الممثلين بمحاكاة ساخرة عن أنفسهم. وكان دوره في العمل بلعب الدور المثالي للولد المدلل ورسم صورة كاريكاتيرية عن نفسهِ، تُحاكى عن مراهق منهمك بكلاً من التدخين والجنس. ومن إحدى المزاحات لأحد الفصول ظهرت مع سقوط الواقي الذي وقع على رأس الممثلة ديانا ريغ. وجاء عمله المقبل للتلفاز البريطاني في عام 2007، عندما قام بتصوير الدراما التلفازية "ابني جاك" لصالح التلفاز المستقل. وتم عرضه لأول مرة في بريطانيا العظمى يوم الذكرى الموافق 11 نوفمبر 2007 ، وفي 19 نوفمبر 2007 تم بيع الفيلم في شكل دي في دي، وعلى الجانب الأخر تم عرض الفيلم على شاشات الولايات المتحدة في 20 إبريل لعام 2008.

يلعب رادكليف في الفيلم دور جون كبلينغ (ألياس جاك) ابن الكاتب روديار كبلينغ، ووفقاً للفيلم تدور الأحداث حول تجنيده ومشاركته في الحرب العالمية الأولى ليحقق ذاته بعيداً عن شهرة والده، ولكن ينتهي به الحال بالأختفاء في الأنفاق خلال الحرب. أما بالنسبة أليه، كان هناك اهتمام خاص سواء بالنسبة للفترة التاريخية التي تدور حولها أحداث الفيلم، والشخصية وأوجه الشبه بينها وبين موقف الجنود المقاتلين في العراق.

في المملكة المتحدة، أشادت كلاً من صحيفة ذي إندبندنت وصحيفة ديلي تلغراف بنجاح الفيلم التلفازي وبأحداثه. وذكرت صحيفة نيويورك تايمز إن الفيلم لم يجد ترحيباً خلال عرضه على الشاشات الأمريكية؛  بالرغم من وجود وسائل أخرى في تلك الدول ذكرت انتقادات جيدة عنه. وعلى سبيل المثال ذكرت مجلة انترتينمنت ويكلي: «رادكليف شاب ذو شخصية مؤثرة وهزيل البنية يعطي الحياة لجاك، يصور له كفتى يظهر صورة مأساوية حريصاً على اثبات رجولته. وهذا في أداء به خفة وسلاسة، بعيداً عن العدسات والإبتسامة التي ليست بها حياء، رادكليف لم يستحضر شخصية هاري بوتر أبداً..» جيليان فيلين. وفي مجلة فاريتي، كَتب الناقد بريان لوري: «ليس بالضبط إيكوس، لكن براعة رادكليف في التمثيل في هذا الدور لشاب بالغ، إنه سبب كافي لرؤية هذه الشخصية المؤثرة في المشاعر والإنتاج الفخم لمستربياس (...) الفيلم يثبت وجود حياة أخرى لرادكليف بعد هاري بوتر».

أدوار أخرى

قرر رادكليف الانتقال إلى أستراليا ما بين تصويره للجزء الرابع و الخامس من سلسلة أفلام هاري بوتر ليصور فيلم مستقل (أفلام مستقلة ) وهو "ديسمبر بويز" للمخرج الأسترالي رود هاردي وكان الإعلان عن العمل الجديد رسمياً في 15 يونيو 2005 في ذات السنة التي بدأ فيها التصوير. لعب رادكليف في الفيلم دور مابس، وهو واحد من أربعة أيتام سافروا إلى الساحل الأسترالي خلال فترة الأجازة. وهناك قابل لوسي- تيريزا بالمر - الفتاة التي أصبحت هدفه للرغبة. في رأيه، إن شخصيته لم تكن شخصية مراهق متمرد، قبل المقارنة بين دور اليتيم في هذا الفيلم و الدور التي عرفته ج. ك. رولينج في رواياتها؛ لذلك أعلن أن "شخصية هاري أكثر اعتراضاً، بينما مابس لايملك ما ينقده، إلا نفسه. قامت الشركة المنتجة وارنر برذرز بتسمية الفيلم "صيف من أجل الحياة"؛ وذلك بسبب تصويره في بعض بلاد أمريكا. استمر تصوير الفيلم نحو ستة أسابيع، وتكلفته فقط نحو 4 مليون دولار؛ قام دانيال بتعلم اللهجة الأسترالية من أجل القيام بهذا الدور. على الرغم من إن الفيلم تلقى ترحيباً مختلفاً، كما هو الحال في دور الممثل. في عام 2012 لعب دور آرثر كيبس في فيلم المرأة ذات الرداء الأسود، نسخة جديدة عن الفيلم الحامل نفس الأسم عام 1989، القائم على رواية الكاتبة سوزان هيل.

حياته الخاصة

دراساته واهتماماته

تلقى دانيال رادكليف دراساته الأولية في واحدة من المدارس الخاصة في تشيلسي وهي مدرسة ساسكس هاوس. وبها خَطَّى خُطُواته الأولى نحو التمثيل حيث شكل جزءاً من فرقة المسرحيات المدرسية؛ ثم واصل دراسته في مدرسة لندن، والتي عاد إليها بانتظام بجانب تصويره للأفلام، وبها تقدم ليخوض اختباراته ذي المستوى الأعلى (تُعد شهادة معادلة للبكالوريا) في الأدب الإنجليزي، والدين، والفلسفة، والتاريخ. كما قال إنه يفضل التعليم الشخصي مع مُعلم وإنه ليس لديه نية لمواصلة دراستهِ في المرحلة الجامعية. أعرب رادكليف في مناسبات عدة عن إنجذابه الشديد نحو أعمال الشاعر الرومانسي جون كيتس، ونظريته القدرة السلبية والتي تعتبر مفيدة لعمله كممثل. كما ذكر أيضاً إن من بين الكُتاب المفضلين لديه إرنست همينغوي، وهانتر طومسون، وبيلهام غرينفيل. في عام 2009 أُفيد بأنه قد نشر بعض القصائد في "مجلة روبيش" الإنجليزية (ليس لديه انتشاراً واسعاً). أيضاً تلك القصائد قد تم نشرها عام2007 تحت الأسم المستعار "جاكوب جريشم".

على الجانب الأخر، يظهر رادكليف إهتمامه بالفنون التشكيلية خاصة بالألوان المائية، وأعمال جاكسون بولوك. أيضاً أبدى إهتمامه بالموسيقى، وفي هذا المجال، أعرب عن إعجابه الشديد ببعض الفنانين مثل فامباير ويكند، ولاورا مارلينغ، وفرقة الروك البريطانية الخليعون، وفرقة ومباتس وبيروتي، وفرقة ذا مارس فولتا وألبوم بلاك برايد لفرقة ماي كيميكال رومانس. وفي ذات الوقت أراد تشكيل فرقة بانك روك وتلقى دروساً لتعلم العزف على غيتار البيس، لكن فيما بعد، قرر أن يُكرس نفسهِ للتمثيل. وفي إحدى المقابلات ذكر أن الفنان غاري أولدمان قد شاركه إهتمامه بتعلم بعض الأغاني على غيتار البيس.

علاقتهِ بالصحافة

تتسم علاقتهِ بالصحافة دائماً بالاحترام والودية، على الرغم إن المصورين الصحفيين قد يزعجونه بعض الشئ. كتب ديغو ليرار حول مقابلة دانيال مع صحيفة كلارين الأرجنتينية إن: «إيما واتسون شخصية خجولة ومهذبة، بينما روبرت غرينت فهو شخصية هادئة، وساخرة بعض الشيء، ومترفعة، أما دانيال فهو شخصية طليقة اللسان. لا تتوقف عن التحدث، ولا عن التحرك، ولا التعبيرات».

في عام 2005، وعندما كان عمره 16 عاماً، ذكرت الصحافة البريطانية شائعات حول قصة حب محتملة بينه وبين "إيمي بيرن" (فنانة مكياج) والتي تكبره بسبع سنوات؛ وبالرغم من ذلك نفى كلاً من رادكليف ووكيل أعماله تلك الشائعات. ولهذا السبب ذكر إنه لا يملك الوقت الكافي لإقامة علاقة مستقرة. وفي عام 2007 أكد إنه قد خرج مع الممثلة لاورا أوتول زميلتهِ في مسرحية إيكوس، كانت استعاضة عن الممثلة جوانا كريستي في دور جيل ماسون بمجرد أن أُتيحت الفرصة بتبادل الأدوار. طبقاً للصحافة، قد صرحت عن انفصال الثنائي في بدايات عام 2008 ، ولكن الممثل أكد إنهم في الحقيقة لم ينفصلوا أبداً.

في الآونة الأخيرة، كان قد تحدث مع الصحافة عن ميوله السياسية، وموقفه من الشهرة، وخلل أداء تنموي  وهو مرض يؤثر قليلاً على التنسيق الحركي لحركات الجسم. صرح رادكليف كغيره من المواطنين البريطانيين أنه لا يرى الملكية البريطانية بعيون جيدة. أيضاً أعرب عن شعوره بالفخر لوجوده في الولايات المتحدة خلال الفترة الانتخابية في عام 2008، وصرح عن تأييده للرئيس المنتخب باراك أوباما. بالنسبة للاختلاف بين النشأة كطفل ممثل في الولايات المتحدة وكممثل في إنجلترا، يعتقد أن الاختلاف نفسه يوجد في نظام الإنتاج في هوليود التي اعتادت أن تتغاضى عن العمل مع الأطفال قبل نجوم السينما، أما الأمر بالنسبة أليهِ لم يحدث معه في إنتاج هاري بوتر وليس شائعاً في الإنتاجات الإنجليزية عامةً.

المؤسسات الخيرية والتعاونات

تعاون الممثل خلال مسيرتة المهنية مع مشاريع مختلفة. وتعد دار ديميلسا التي تساعد الأطفال الذين يعانون من العديد من الأمراض التي تعيق حياتهم واحدة من المؤسسات الخيرية التي يتعاون معها باستمرار. وعلى سبيل المثال في عام 2009، عُرِضت صورة كاريكاتيرية له في أحد المزادات، ثم تبرع بقيمتها إلى المؤسسة. أيضاً قام بالتبرع ودعم مؤسسة جيت للتواصل (التي تقوم بمساعدة الشباب في العديد من الموقف الخطيرة) ومؤسسة مشروع تريفور التي تقوم بمنع انتحار الأشخاص المنتمين إلى الأقليات الجنسية.

أيضاً تعاون مع نموذج لمشروع ريسبكتكليس الذي شكل جزءاً من الأنشطة التي عُقدت في 27 يناير لعام 2008 حول اليوم الوطني هولوكوست (إبادة جماعية). و تبرع بالعدسات الأولى التي أستخدمها في تصوير سلسلة أفلام هاري بوتر لتكن كنموذج في مجلس مدينة ليفربول.

أيضاً في ذات السنة، شارك رادكليف مع طاقم إيكوس في مسابقة غجر السنة (Gypsy)، والتي شاركت فيها العديد من الفرق المسرحية لمسرح برودواي لجمع التبرعات. ولهذه المناسبة كَتب رادكليف أغنية بعنوان "الحب الذي لا يجرؤ على التحدث به الصهيل"، والتي حاكى فيها ساخراً حباكت المسرحية وشارك في تمثيل هذا العمل الموسيقي. بالإضافة إلى تبرعه ببنطالهِ الجينز الذي أستخدمه في هذا العمل لمزاد منظمة برودواي العطاء وحقوق المساهمين لمحاربة الإيدز ليتبرع بثمنهِ إلى متلازمة العوز المناعي المكتسب، وقد حققت قطعة الثياب نحو 620 يورو.

الثروة والشهرة

الثروة هي الجزء التي حققه من عمله في السينما، وفي الواقع ظهر رادكليف كثيراً في قوائم الشباب ذو الثروة الهائلة؛ وحصل ذلك على سبيل المثال في عام 2005 عندما أعلن موقع الويب ABC مال إن ثروته بلغت نحو 10 مليون جنيه استرليني. وفي عام 2009 صرح موقع الويب لجريدة تايمز إن ثروته بلغت نحو 30 مليون جنيه. بالرغم إنه أعلن أن لا نية لديهِ في الإسراف في ثروته بسبب الأشياء التي اعتاد على شرائها والتي لا تتجاوز سعر كتاب أو قرص مضغوط.

في السابعة عشر من عمره أصبح الشخصية الشبابية التي وضع لها صورة في معرض الصور الوطنية دون الإنتماء إلى العائلة المالكة. وفي 13 أبريل لعام 2006 ظهرت صورته المرسومة بواسطة الفنان ستيوارت بيرسون رايت عندما كان ممثلاً في الرابعة عشر من عمره، وأصبحت هذه الصورة معروفة كجزء من أفتتاح المعرض الجديد في المسرح الوطني الملكي في لندن حيث لا تزال موجودة حتى الآن. في عام 2009 أُجري للممثل صورة كاركاتيرية والتي وضعت في المطعم المشهور ساردي في نيويورك. في 9 يوليو لعام2007 ترك رادكليف وزملائه في سلسلة هاري بوتر (إيما واتسون وروبرت غرينت) آثار أقدامهم أمام مسرح غرومان الصيني في هوليود، الولايات المتحدة. في تلك البلد كان رادكليف مدعو لترشيحه لجائزة توني في النسخة لعام 2008.

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989)[1] is an English actor and producer. He is best known for playing the titular protagonist in the Harry Potter film series during his adolescence and early adulthood.

Born and raised in London, Radcliffe made his acting debut at 10 years of age in BBC One's 1999 television film David Copperfield, followed by his cinematic debut in 2001's The Tailor of Panama. At age 11, he was cast as Harry in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Over the next 10 years, Radcliffe played the lead role in seven more Harry Potter films, culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). During this period, Radcliffe became one of the highest-paid actors in the world; earned worldwide fame, popularity, and critical acclaim; and received many accolades for his performances in the series.

Following the success of the Harry Potter films, Radcliffe portrayed lawyer Arthur Kipps in the Edwardian horror film The Woman in Black (2012); famed beat poet Allen Ginsberg in the independent film Kill Your Darlings (2013); Victor Frankenstein's assistant, Igor, in the science fiction fantasy Victor Frankenstein (2015); Manny, a sentient corpse in the comedy-drama Swiss Army Man (2016); technological prodigy Walter Mabry in the heist thriller film Now You See Me 2 (2016); and FBI agent Nate Foster in the critically-acclaimed thriller Imperium (2016). Radcliffe began to branch out to stage acting in 2007, starring in the London and New York productions of Equus and in the 2011 Broadway revival of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Since 2018, Radcliffe has starred in the TBS anthology television series Miracle Workers.

Radcliffe has contributed to many charities, including Demelza Hospice Care for Children and The Trevor Project; the latter charity gave him its Hero Award in 2011

Early life, family, and education

Radcliffe was born in Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London, England.[3] He is the only child of Alan George Radcliffe and his wife, Marcia Jeannine Gresham (née Jacobson). His mother is Jewish and was born in South Africa and raised in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.[4][5][6][7][8] His father was raised in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland, in a "very working-class" Protestant family.[9][10] Radcliffe's maternal ancestors were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania, Germany, Poland and Russia.[11][12][13] In 2019, Radcliffe explored both sides of his family history in series 16 of BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?[14][note 1] Radcliffe's parents had both acted as children.[15][16] His father is a literary agent. His mother is a casting agent and was involved in several films for the BBC, including The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Walk Away and I Stumble.[17][18][19]

Radcliffe was educated at three independent schools for boys: Redcliffe School,[20] a day school in Chelsea's Redcliffe Square; Sussex House School,[21] a day school in Chelsea's Cadogan Square;[22] and the City of London School, a day school on the North Bank of the River Thames in London's financial district (known as the City of London).[23] Attending school became difficult for Radcliffe after the release of the first Harry Potter film. Some fellow pupils became hostile, though he says they were just trying to "have a crack at the kid that plays Harry Potter" rather than acting out of jealousy.[24]

As his acting career began to consume his schedule, Radcliffe continued his education through on-set tutors. He admitted he was not a very good student, considering school useless and finding the work "really difficult".[21] He achieved A grades in the three AS-level exams that he took in 2006, but decided to take a break from education and did not go to college or university.[25][26] Part of his reasoning was that he already knew he wanted to act and write, and that it would be difficult to have a normal college experience. "The paparazzi, they'd love it", he told Details magazine in 2007. "If there were any parties going on, they'd be tipped off as to where they were."[24]

Career

Radcliffe first expressed a desire to act at the age of five,[27] and in December 1999, aged 10, he made his acting debut in BBC One's televised two-part adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, portraying the title character as a young boy.[28] Radcliffe made his film debut in The Tailor of Panama, an American 2001 film based on John le Carré's 1996 spy novel, and a moderate commercial success.[29]

Harry Potter film series

In 2000, producer David Heyman asked Radcliffe to audition for the role of Harry Potter for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the best-selling book by British author J. K. Rowling.[30][31] Rowling had been searching for an unknown British actor to personify the character, and the movie's director Chris Columbus recalled thinking, "This is what I want. This is Harry Potter" after he saw a video of the young actor in David Copperfield.[32] Eight months later, following several auditions, Radcliffe was selected to play the part.[33] Rowling endorsed the selection, saying: "I don't think Chris Columbus could have found a better Harry."[34] Radcliffe's parents originally turned down the offer, as they had been told that it would involve six films shot in Los Angeles.[35] Warner Bros. instead offered Radcliffe a two-movie contract with shooting in the UK;[32] Radcliffe was unsure at the time if he would act in more than two Harry Potter films.[36]

The release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (released as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States) took place in 2001. Radcliffe received a seven-figure salary for the lead role, but asserted that the fee was "not that important" to him;[37] his parents chose to invest the money for him.[32] The film was highly popular and was met with positive reviews, and critics took notice of Radcliffe:[38] "Radcliffe is the embodiment of every reader's imagination. It is wonderful to see a young hero who is so scholarly looking and filled with curiosity and who connects with very real emotions, from solemn intelligence and the delight of discovery to deep family longing," wrote Bob Graham of the San Francisco Chronicle

A year later, Radcliffe starred in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second installment of the series. Reviewers were positive about the lead actors' performances but had polarized opinions on the movie as a whole. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) was the third film in the series. Radcliffe's performance was panned by New York Times journalist A. O. Scott, who wrote that co-star Emma Watson had to carry him with her performance.[40] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) was the second-highest grossing Harry Potter film at that point,[41] and Radcliffe singled out the humor as a reason for the movie's creative success.[42]

The future of the franchise was put into question when Radcliffe, Watson, and co-star Rupert Grint hesitated to sign on to continue their roles. By March 2007, however, Radcliffe had signed for the final Harry Potter films; his signing put an end to weeks of press "speculation that he would be denied the role due to his involvement in Equus", in which he had performed nude on stage.[43] Radcliffe reprised the role of Harry for the fourth time in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). Radcliffe stated that director David Yates and actress Imelda Staunton made Order of the Phoenix the "most fun" film to work on in the series.[44] His performance earned him several award nominations, and he received the 2008 National Movie Award for "Best Male Performance."[45] Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson left imprints of their hands, feet, and wands in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.[46] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the series' sixth installment, was released in July 2009. Radcliffe received nominations for "Best Male Performance" and "Global Superstar" at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards

For financial and scripting reasons, the last Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) was divided into two films that were shot back-to-back.[48][49] This decision drew criticism from the series' fans. Radcliffe defended the split, stating that it would have been impossible to properly adapt the final novel into a single film.[50][51] Filming lasted for a year, concluding in June 2010.

The two-film finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2, was released in November 2010 and July 2011, respectively. While Deathly Hallows - Part 1 grossed $960 million, Deathly Hallows - Part 2 grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide; as of May 2019, it was the 11th-highest-grossing film of all time. Deathly Hallows - Part 2 was critically acclaimed, as was Radcliffe's performance; Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post asked, "Who could have predicted that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson would turn out to be good actors"?[52][38] Critic Rex Reed remarked, "Frankly, I’m sorry to see [Radcliffe] go";[53] Roger Ebert gave the film a highly positive review, but felt that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson were "upstaged by the supporting [actors]."[54]

Radcliffe admitted that some people would never be able to separate him from the character of Harry Potter; however, he has said that he is "proud to be associated with this film series forever."[55] Despite positive feelings about the movies, he has no interest in doing more Harry Potter films. After Rowling hinted about writing an eighth book, Radcliffe was asked if he would do another Harry Potter film. He replied: "[It is] very doubtful. I think 10 years is a long time to spend with one character".[56] Despite devoting so much time to the series, Radcliffe has asserted that he did not miss out on a childhood like other child actors: "I’ve been given a much better perspective on life by doing Potter."[57]

Other work while portraying Harry Potter (2002-2011)

In 2002, Radcliffe made his stage debut as a celebrity guest in a West End theatre production of The Play What I Wrote, directed by Kenneth Branagh – who also appeared with him in the second Harry Potter film.[28][58] In 2007, he appeared in the film December Boys, an Australian family drama about four orphans that was shot in 2005 and released to theaters in mid-September 2007.[59] Also in 2007, Radcliffe co-starred with Carey Mulligan in My Boy Jack, a television drama film shown on ITV on Remembrance Day. The film received mostly positive reviews,[60] with several critics praising Radcliffe's performance as an 18-year-old who goes missing in action during a battle.[61][62][63] Radcliffe stated, "For many people my age, the First World War is just a topic in a history book. But I've always been fascinated by the subject and think it's as relevant today as it ever was."[64]

At age 17, in a bid to show people he was prepared for adult roles,[65] Radcliffe performed onstage in Peter Shaffer's play Equus at the Gielgud Theatre. The play had not been revived since its first run in 1973.[32] Radcliffe took on the lead role[58] as Alan Strang, a stable boy who has an obsession with horses. Advance sales topped £1.7 million, and the role generated significant pre-opening media interest, as Radcliffe appeared in a nude scene.[32][66] Equus opened on 27 February 2007 and ran until 9 June 2007.[58] Radcliffe's performance received positive reviews[67] as critics were impressed by the nuance and depth of his against-type role.[68] Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph wrote that he "displays a dramatic power and an electrifying stage presence that marks a tremendous leap forward." He added: "I never thought I would find the diminutive (but perfectly formed) Radcliffe a sinister figure, but as Alan Strang ... there are moments when he seems genuinely scary in his rage and confusion."[69] The production transferred to Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre in September 2008. Radcliffe continued in the lead role, starring alongside Kate Mulgrew, Anna Camp, and his Harry Potter co-star Richard Griffiths.[70][71] Radcliffe stated that he was nervous about repeating the role on Broadway because he considered American audiences more discerning than those in London.[72] Radcliffe's performance was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.[73]

After voicing a character in an episode of the animated television series The Simpsons in late 2010,[74] Radcliffe debuted as J. Pierrepont Finch in the 2011 Broadway revival How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.[75] The role has previously been performed by Robert Morse and Matthew Broderick.[76] Other cast members included John Larroquette, Rose Hemingway and Mary Faber.[77] Both the actor and production received favorable reviews,[78] with USA Today commenting: "Radcliffe ultimately succeeds not by overshadowing his fellow cast members, but by working in conscientious harmony with them – and having a blast in the process."[79] Radcliffe's performance in the show earned him Drama Desk Award, Drama League Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations.[80][81][82] The production itself later received nine Tony Award nominations.[83] Radcliffe left the show on 1 January 2012.[84]

Post-Harry Potter career (2012-present)

Radcliffe's first post-Harry Potter project was the 2012 horror film The Woman in Black, adapted from the 1983 novel by Susan Hill. The film was released on 3 February 2012 in the United States and Canada, and was released on 10 February in the UK. Radcliffe portrays a man sent to deal with the legal matters of a mysterious woman who has just died, and soon after he begins to experience strange events and hauntings from the ghost of a woman dressed in black.[85] He has said he was "incredibly excited" to be part of the film and described the script as "beautifully written".[86]

In 2013, he portrayed American poet Allen Ginsberg in the thriller drama Kill Your Darlings, directed by John Krokidas.[87][88] He also starred in an Irish-Canadian romantic comedy film The F Word directed by Michael Dowseand written by Elan Mastai, based on TJ Dawe and Michael Rinaldi's play Toothpaste and Cigars and then he starred in an American dark fantasy horror film directed by Alexandre Aja Horns.[89][90][91][92] Both of the films premiered at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival.[93][94] In May 2013 it was reported that he would star as American reporter Jake Adelstein in Tokyo Vice.[95]

Also in 2013, Radcliffe performed at the Noël Coward Theatre in the stage play revival of Martin McDonagh's dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan as the lead, Billy Claven,[96] for which he won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play.[97]

Radcliffe starred as Igor in a science fiction horror film Victor Frankenstein (2015), directed by Paul McGuigan and written by Max Landis. The film was based on contemporary adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein.[98] He also starred as Sam House, one of the founders of Rockstar Games, in the biographical drama film The Gamechangers.[99]

In November 2015, he joined the ensemble cast of Shane Carruth's third film, The Modern Ocean alongside Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Tom Holland, Chloë Grace Moretz, Asa Butterfield, Jeff Goldblum and Abraham Attah.[100]

Radcliffe starred in the action-adventure film Now You See Me 2 (2016) alongside Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, and Woody Harrelson.[101] playing a technological prodigy who resents magic.[102] In 2016, Radcliffe portrayed Manny, a talkative corpse, in the indie film Swiss Army Man with Paul Dano.[103] That same year, He also starred in critically acclaimed independent film Imperium (2016) with Toni Colette, and Tracy Letts. He played Nate Foster, an idealistic FBI agent who goes undercover to take down a radical white supremacy group.[104] The film received an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, "The unsettling Imperium boasts troublingly timely themes and a talented cast led by Daniel Radcliffe as an undercover FBI agent infiltrating a ring of white supremacists".[105]

Radcliffe starred off-Broadway at The Public Theater in a documentary theatre piece called Privacy, playing the role of The Writer.[106]

In 2017, he starred as Yossi Ghinsberg in the thriller Jungle, which was based on an internationally bestselling memoir of the same name by Yossi Ghinsberg.[107] In 2018, Radcliffe portrayed a pilot smuggling drugs across borders in the independent action-thriller Beast of Burden directed by Jesper Ganslandt.[108]

Radcliffe returned to Broadway in the 90-minute comedy play The Lifespan of a Fact at Studio 54 Theatre with Bobby Cannavale, and Cherry Jones. The play revolves around a determined young fact checker who goes up against his demanding editor and an unorthodox author.[109]

In 2019, Radcliffe starred as Craig in the TBS comedy limited series Miracle Workers based on the book by Simon Rich.[110] The shows second season premiered on January 28, 2020. He voiced starred as Rex Dasher, a secret agent who helps Marla, in the animated film Playmobil: The Movie directed by Lino DiSalvo.[111]

In 2020, Radcliffe starred as Miles in the action comedy film Guns Akimbo directed by Jason Lei Howden and co-starring Samara Weaving and Natasha Liu Bordizzo.[112] He also starred as Tim Jenkin in the thriller film Escape from Pretoria, based on the real-life prison escape by three young political prisoners from jail in South Africa in 1979.[113]

Personal life

In 2008, Radcliffe revealed that he has a mild form of the neurological disorder developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia). The motor skill disorder sometimes prevents him from doing simple activities, such as writing or tying his own shoelaces. "I was having a hard time at school, in terms of being crap at everything, with no discernible talent", Radcliffe commented.[114]

In November 2007, Radcliffe published several poems under the pen name Jacob Gershon – a combination of his middle name and the Jewish version of his mother's maiden name Gresham – in Rubbish, an underground fashion magazine.[115][116] He has a close friendship with his Harry Potter co-stars Tom Felton[117] and Emma Watson,[118] and is close to his family, whom he credits for keeping him grounded.[119]

In August 2010, Radcliffe stopped drinking alcohol after finding himself becoming too reliant on it.[120]

Sources disagree about Radcliffe's personal wealth; he was reported to have earned £1 million for the first Harry Potter film[37] and around £15 million for the sixth.[21] Radcliffe appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List in 2006, which estimated his personal fortune to be £14 million, making him one of the richest young people in the UK.[121] In March 2009 he was ranked number one on the Forbes "Most Valuable Young Stars" list,[122] and by April The Daily Telegraph measured his net worth at £30m, making him the 12th richest young person in the UK.[123] Radcliffe was considered to be the richest teenager in England later that year.[21] In February 2010, he was named the sixth highest paid Hollywood male star[124] and placed at number five on Forbes's December list of Hollywood's highest-grossing actors[note 2] with a film revenue of US$780 million, mainly due to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows being released that year.[125]

Radcliffe maintains a home in the West Village of Lower Manhattan in New York City.[126] He splits his time between New York and Fulham, London.[127] Radcliffe has been dating Erin Darke, whom he met on the set of Kill Your Darlings, since 2013. There were rumours and stories of a possible engagement in mid-2014, but Darke's father, Ian Darke, denied there were any such plans in December 2014.[128][129][130][131]

Religion

In a 2012 interview, Radcliffe stated: "There was never [religious] faith in the house. I think of myself as being Jewish and Irish, despite the fact that I'm English."[15] He has stated: "We were Christmas tree Jews",[132] and that he is "very proud of being Jewish".[115][133] In 2012, Radcliffe was quoted as saying: "I'm an atheist, and a militant atheist when religion starts impacting on legislation",[134] though in a 2009 interview, he stated, "I'm very relaxed about [being an atheist]. I don't preach my atheism, but I have a huge amount of respect for people like Richard Dawkins who do. Anything he does on television, I will watch".[135][136] In a 2019 interview, Radcliffe described himself as "agnostic leaning toward atheism".[137]

Political views and activism

Radcliffe is a supporter of the Labour Party.[138] Until 2012, Radcliffe had publicly supported the Liberal Democrats,[139] and before the 2010 general election he endorsed Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats. In 2012, however, Radcliffe switched his allegiance to the Labour Party, citing disappointment with the performance of Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats in government, and approving of the Labour leader, Ed Miliband.[138] In August 2015, Radcliffe endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. He told The Big Issue: "I feel like this show of sincerity by a man who has been around long enough and stuck to his beliefs long enough that he knows them and doesn't have to be scripted is what is making people sit up and get excited. It is great."[140][141]

He is a supporter of a British republic.[142] He is also a supporter of British unionism. When asked about the Scottish independence referendum, he said he hoped the UK would "stay as it is now".[143]

On 13 April 2006, his portrait, drawn by Stuart Pearson Wright, was unveiled as part of a new exhibition opening at the Royal National Theatre; it was then moved to the National Portrait Gallery.[144]

Speaking out against homophobia, Radcliffe began filming public service announcements in 2009 for The Trevor Project, promoting awareness of gay teen suicide prevention.[145][146] He first learned of the organisation while working on Equus on Broadway in 2008[146] and has contributed financially to it.[147] "I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals. Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it," he said in a 2010 interview. In the same interview, he spoke of the importance of public figures advocating for equal rights.[146] Radcliffe received The Trevor Project's Hero Award in 2011 for his contributions.[145]

Radcliffe has supported various charities. He designed the Cu-Bed for Habitat's VIP Kids range (a cube made of eight smaller ones which can be made into a bed, chaise-longue or chair)[148] with all the royalties from the sale of the bed going directly to his favourite charity, Demelza House Children's Hospice in Sittingbourne, Kent.[149] Radcliffe has urged his fans to make donations to the charity's Candle for Care programme in lieu of giving him Christmas presents. In 2008, he was among several celebrities who donated their old glasses to an exhibit honouring victims of the Holocaust.[150] During the Broadway run of Equus he auctioned off a pair of jeans and other items worn in the show, for New-York-based Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS[151] and was a presenter at the 2011 Gypsy of the Year competition.[152] He has also donated money to Get Connected UK, a London-based free confidential national helpline for troubled youth

Little Mix

Little Mix

Little Mix are a British girl group formed in 2011 during the eighth series of the British version of The X Factor. They were the first group to win the competition, and following their victory, they signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music and released a cover of Damien Rice's "Cannonball" as their winner's single. The members are Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson.[1]

Little Mix released their debut album DNA in 2012, which peaked inside the top 10 in ten countries including the UK and US. This made Little Mix the first girl group since the Pussycat Dolls to reach the US top five with their debut album, as well as earning the highest debut US chart position for a British girl group's first release, breaking the record previously held by the Spice Girls.[2] The group's second album Salute (2013) became their second album to debut inside the top 10 in both the UK and US.[3] Their third album Get Weird was released in 2015.[4] Their fourth album Glory Days (2016) became their first number one album in the UK, and also achieved the longest-reigning girl group number one album since the Spice Girls' debut album 20 years earlier, and the highest first week UK album sales for a girl band since 1997.[5] In the UK, the group has earned four number-one singles, including "Wings", "Black Magic" and "Shout Out to My Ex". Their fifth studio album LM5 was released in 2018 to generally favourable reviews. The group have sold 50 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.[6][7]

The group won Best British Single for "Shout Out to My Ex" at the 2017 Brit Awards and they won Best British Video for "Woman Like Me" at the 2019 Brit Awards; they have also received several other awards during their career, including three MTV Europe Music Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and two Glamour Awards. As of August 2018, the group has achieved four platinum certified albums and sixteen certified singles in the UK.[8] Little Mix appeared on Debrett's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK

History

2011–2012: Formation and The X Factor

In 2011, Edwards, Thirlwall, Pinnock, and Nelson individually auditioned successfully as soloists for the eighth series of the UK version of The X Factor,[10] but failed the first challenge of the "bootcamp" section.[11] They were allowed another chance to compete when they were placed in two separate ensembles by the judges during the "group bootcamp" stage, with Edwards and Nelson in four-member group Faux Pas and Thirlwall and Pinnock in three-member group Orion.[11][12] Both groups failed to make it through to the next stage. A later decision by the judge, Kelly Rowland, recalled two members from each group to form the four-piece group Rhythmix, sending them through to the "judges' houses" section.[13]

They reached the live shows section and were mentored by Tulisa Contostavlos.[14] During the first live show on 8 October 2011, Rhythmix performed "Super Bass" by American recording artist Nicki Minaj. Their rendition was praised by the judges with Gary Barlow calling them the "best girl band that's ever been on The X Factor."[15] On 26 October 2011, it was announced that they would change their name following a dispute with Rhythmix, a Brighton-based children's music charity of the same name, after the programme tried to trademark "Rhythmix".[16][17] A spokesman for The X Factor said, "At the request of the charity Rhythmix, the members of the girl group Rhythmix have decided to change their name, a decision which has the support of Syco and TalkbackTHAMES."[18] It was reported that the group decided to make the change, with no legal requirement to do so, to avoid any difficulties for the charity.[18] On 28 October 2011, it was announced that the group's new name would be "Little Mix".[19]

On 20 November 2011, Little Mix became the first girl group in the show's eight-year history to progress past the seventh live show. The previous longest-surviving girl groups were The Conway Sisters (series 2) and Hope (series 4), who had both lasted until week 7. Through the remaining course of the competition the group generally received positive feedback. During the semi-final stage of the show, Little Mix performed The Supremes's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" as well as Beyoncé's hit "If I Were a Boy". Their performance of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" received mostly negative feedback from the judges with Louis Walsh stating that they "lost their mojo" and Kelly Rowland telling the girl group she had seen them do "better vocal performances." Their second performance of the night, "If I Were a Boy", was generally acclaimed by the judges with Walsh telling them they have "amazing potential" and calling them the "next big girl band." Rowland also told them they could be "incredibly dynamic" and "change the world" when they find the strength within each other. The group advanced through to the final live shows along with Marcus Collins and Amelia Lily following the public vote.

On 11 December, Little Mix were announced as the winners, the first time a group had won the British version of the show and the second (of five) in the worldwide franchise (after Random on the first series of the Australian version,[20] Alex & Sierra on the third series of the United States version, Rak-Su on the fourteenth series of the British version and 4 Magic on the fifth series of the Bulgarian version).[citation needed] Their winner's single was a cover of Damien Rice's song "Cannonball", which was released via digital download on 11 December 2011, and on CD on 14 December 2011.[21][22] The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story was shown on ITV2 on 17 December 2011.[23] Their debut single topped the UK Singles Chart on 18 December 2011.[24] They made the Christmas number one spot on the Irish Singles Chart, beating novelty songs by The Saw Doctors and Ryan Sheridan

On 25 January 2012, Little Mix made an appearance at the National Television Awards and performed the En Vogue song "Don't Let Go (Love)". They also accompanied fellow judges Gary Barlow and Tulisa Contostavlos on stage to receive the Best Talent Show award that had been won by The X Factor.[27] In May 2012, Little Mix reportedly signed a deal with Vivid and Bravado to release signature products including dolls, puzzles, accessories and games.[28] Prior to their debut single release, the band covered an a cappella version of Beyoncé's "End of Time" and uploaded it on YouTube; the cover was publicly praised, especially for the group's impressive harmonies.[29] Later in August, they also uploaded another cover, this time an acoustic cover of "We Are Young" by Fun ft. Janelle Monáe which again received positive feedback, generally, for the group's harmonies. On 1 June, a snippet of their debut single "Wings" previewed on chat show Alan Carr: Chatty Man before its later release date in August.[30]

Little Mix performed their debut single "Wings" for the first time at the T4 on the Beach concert on 1 July.[citation needed] The single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart.[31] On 31 August 2012, the group's autobiography, titled Ready to Fly, was released by Harper Collins.[32][33] In October 2012, the group went on a promotional visit to Australia due to their expanding fan base there, destinations included Melbourne and Sydney. The trip lasted a week and the group visited radio stations to promote the single and debut album. They performed their single "Wings" on Australian The X Factor and on Australian breakfast-television show Sunrise. "Wings" subsequently reached number 2 on the Australian iTunes chart and number 3 on the ARIA charts.[34] Their debut album, DNA, was released in November 2012. Nicola Roberts co-penned a track called "Going Nowhere" on the DNA album. The album reached number 3 in both Ireland and the UK. A second single, "DNA", was released in October,[35] and in January 2013 they signed a record deal with Columbia Records in North America.[36] "Wings" was released as their debut single in America on 5 February 2013. In the US, the single reached number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart while the album reached number 4 on the Billboard 200.[37] On 3 February 2013, they released "Change Your Life" as the album's third single, which charted at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.[38] On 4 March 2013, it was announced that "How Ya Doin'?" would be released as the fourth and final single from their debut album.[39]

On 21 March, they announced that their next single, "How Ya Doin'?", would feature Grammy Award-winning musician Missy Elliott.[40] On 4 April 2013, the group revealed that Schwarzkopf hair dye Live Colour XXL would be promoted through their music video for "How Ya Doin'?" in a new sponsorship deal.[41] "How Ya Doin'?" debuted at number 57 on the UK Singles Chart on 20 April 2013, before ascending to number 23 the week after.[42] In its third week, the song peaked at number 16,[43] marking Little Mix's fifth consecutive UK top 20 hit.[44] It charted for a further seven weeks.[44] "How Ya Doin'?" sold 120,000 copies in the UK. The single debuted at number 55 on the Irish Singles Chart on 11 April 2013.[45] It then climbed the chart to peak at number 26. Consequently, "How Ya Doin'?" became Little Mix's first single to miss the top 20 in Ireland, but spent a total of seven weeks on the chart.[46] The single peaked at number 16 on the Scottish Singles Chart on 11 May 2013,[47] marking the group's fifth consecutive top 20 hit in Scotland.[48]

2013–2014: Salute and "Word Up!"

In March 2013, Little Mix began their first promotional campaign in the US. In an interview with Digital Spy in March 2013, they stated that they wanted their second album to have a more R&B sound.[49] Nelson added: "I personally want to put a lot more dancey stuff in there. As in, one of the songs that comes on in a club that makes you want to dance. Not that David Guetta sound, but more R&B – a bit like Eve and Gwen Stefani's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind". They also revealed that they would be starting to write material for the new album in the coming months.[49] On 4 October, they uploaded a video to their official YouTube page, announcing that their second album would be called Salute and would be available for pre-order on 7 October.[50] The album was released on 11 November 2013 in the United Kingdom and was released in the United States on 4 February 2014.[51] Throughout the recording process, Little Mix worked with several producers, including TMS, Future Cut, Fred Ball, Duvall and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The album was largely co-written by Little Mix, who stated that they were more involved in the development of this album than with their debut.

On 23 September 2013, "Move" was premiered on BBC Radio 1. For the single, Little Mix worked with Nathan Duvall, an up-and-coming R&B producer and Maegan Cottone the girl's vocal coach. "Move" was released on 7 October in Australia and New Zealand. It was later released in the UK and Ireland on 3 November. It was sent to Mainstream Radio in the US on 18 February 2014 and reached number 38 on that chart. The song peaked at number three in the UK, number five in Ireland, number 19 in Japan and number 12 in New Zealand. The single also charted in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovakia. Since then, "Move" has been certified Gold in Australia for sales of 35,000[52] and Gold in the UK for sales of 400,000.[53] "Little Me" was selected as the second single from the album. The song was co-written by TMS and Iain James, and produced by TMS. On 21 November 2013, Little Mix revealed via a YouTube video message that they decided to release it as the second single because it held a lot meaning to them and was written with their fans in mind.[54] The song reached number 14 in the UK, number fifteen in Iceland and number 16 in the Netherlands. It also charted in Australia, Ireland and Lebanon. The band released a cover version of Cameo's song "Word Up!" as the official single for Sport Relief 2014.[55][56] The song reached number six in the UK and number thirteen in Ireland while also charting in Australia, Austria, Denmark and France.

Little Mix announced on 5 April 2014 that the title track "Salute" will be released as the album's third single. It impacted UK radio on 28 April 2014.[57] The official music video premiered on 2 May and received over one million views within 24 hours.[58] It was released on 1 June. In December 2013, the group announced the UK and Ireland dates for their second headlining concert tour, The Salute Tour, North American dates were added in April 2014. The tour began on 16 May 2014 in Birmingham, England at the LG Arena and ended on 27 July 2014 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre. Little Mix were expected to begin the North American leg of the tour in September 2014, but it was cancelled due to them wanting to work on their next album.[59]

2015–2016: Get Weird

At the 2015 Brit Awards, the group confirmed that their album was completed, describing it as having a "whole new sound" and projecting the release for sometime in 2015.[60] Having written over 100 songs for their forthcoming album,[61] In May 2015 Little Mix released the lead single "Black Magic" from their third studio album. The song debuted at number one in the UK and remained at the top of the chart for three weeks, becoming the first single by a girl group to do so since Sugababes's "About You Now" in October 2007.[62][63] The single also reached number 3 in Ireland, number 4 in Belgium (Flanders), number 5 in Israel, number 8 in Australia and number 67 in the US, becoming their highest peaking single on Billboard Hot 100. The group performed the song for the first time in June 2015 for Capital's Summertime Ball at the Wembley Stadium along with some of their previous hits. "Black Magic" was also performed the song at the Teen Choice Awards in August 2015, after they received the award as Breakout Artist. Since then, "Black Magic" has been certified Gold in the US for sales of 500,000,[64] Platinum in Canada for sales of 80,000 and double Platinum both in Australia and the UK for sales of 140,000[65] and 1,200,000[66] respectively. Little Mix also co-wrote Britney Spears' single "Pretty Girls", which was also released in May 2015.[citation needed]

On 15 July 2015 Little Mix officially announced on Twitter that their third studio album would be titled Get Weird, and would be available for pre-order in the UK from the following day, with a global release date set for 6 November 2015.[67] On 25 September the group released "Love Me Like You" as the second single from the album, it was released as a single only in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The group performed the song for the first time at X Factor Australia in October 2015, then at the Royal Albert Hall in December 2015 and at the Capital Jingle Bell Ball. The group's third studio album Get Weird debuted at number 2 in the UK becoming their highest charting album there.[68] In the US, the album peaked at number 13 on Billboard 200, making Little Mix the only girl group from the UK to have their first three albums debut in the top fifteen of the Billboard 200.[69] The album has been certified double platinum in the UK and has sold over 600,000 units there as of August 2016, making it their best selling album yet.[70] The group performed a medley of "Black Magic" and "Sax" with the former UK X Factor contestant Fleur East on the season finale of X Factor. On 5 December the group announced on Twitter that "Secret Love Song" featuring the American R&B singer Jason Derulo would be released as the albums third single. The single reached number six on the UK Singles Chart. On 24 February 2016 the group performed "Black Magic" at the 2016 Brit Awards, where they were nominated for Best British Single and British Artist Video.

On 13 March 2016 Little Mix embarked on The Get Weird Tour to promote the album, the arena tour consist of 60 dates across Europe, Australia and Asia. The Get Weird tour holds the record for being the highest selling UK arena tour of 2016 with over 300,000 tickets sold in the UK alone.[71][72] On 11 April 2016, the group announced that "Hair" would serve as the fourth single from Get Weird, and would feature newly recorded guest vocals from reggae pop recording artist Sean Paul. The single was released on 15 April 2016 and reached number 11 on the UK chart while peaking at number 10 in Australia making it their fourth top 10 single there.[73]

2016–2017: Glory Days and reissue

On 21 June 2016 it was revealed that the group had begun work on their fourth studio album; they later confirmed that they would be releasing new music "before Christmas".[74] In an interview at V Festival in Chelmsford, the group announced that the lead single from their fourth studio album would be released in October 2016.[75] On 13 October 2016, Little Mix announced the song's title as "Shout Out to My Ex" and that their fourth studio album would be called Glory Days. "Shout Out to My Ex" was released on 16 October 2016, following the first live performance of the song on The X Factor.[76] The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart becoming their fourth chart topping single there.[77] It sold 67,000 downloads in its opening week, becoming the biggest opening week download sales for a song in 2016 in the UK.[77] Glory Days was released on 18 November 2016, and debuted at number one on the UK album chart, becoming the group's first UK number one album.[78][79] The album sold 96,000 copies in combined sales in the first week which is the highest first week sales for a UK girl group number one album since the Spice Girls in 1997 and the fastest-selling number one album by any girl group in 15 years, since Destiny's Child's Survivor in 2001.[79] Glory Days has spent five weeks at number one on the UK album chart as of 13 January 2017, making it the longest reigning girl group number one since Spice Girls' debut 20 years ago, surpassing Destiny's Child's Survivor.[5] The album has reached number-one in Ireland, and debuted at number-two in Australia,[80] and in the top 10 in the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.[81][82][83]

Little Mix announced on 5 December 2016 that "Touch" would be released as the second single from Glory Days. It was released on 18 December 2016, and reached number four in the UK [84] At the 2017 Brit Awards the group was nominated for three awards, winning Best British Single for "Shout Out to My Ex", which they also performed on the awards show. "No More Sad Songs" was released on 3 March 2017, as the third single from "Glory Days".

From February to April 2017 Little Mix toured North America as one of the opening acts for Ariana Grande on her Dangerous Woman Tour.[85] The group then embarked on their own headlining The Glory Days Tour which began on 24 May 2017 in Europe, with the first UK date being on 9 October in Scotland.[86][87] "Power" was released on 26 May 2017, as the fourth single from "Glory Days".

In August 2017, Little Mix and Latin American boy band CNCO collaborated on a remixed version of the latter group's song "Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)".[88] The song was included on the reissue of Glory Days, which was released on 24 November 2017, and featured a revised track listing of four remixed songs and three new songs, as well as a bonus documentary.[89] As of November 2017, Glory Days has sold over 1.6 million copies worldwide.[90]

2018–present: Summer Hits Tour and LM5

The group announced on 27 November 2017 that they would be undertaking the Summer Hits Tour 2018, with tickets going on sale on 30 November.[91] It began on 24 March 2018 in Chiba, Japan, by headlining the POPSPRING Festival 2018. This is the group's first stadium tour.

In February 2018, Pinnock announced that the group were working on their fifth album, set for release in 2018, and that there would be a tour to accompany the album.[92]

On 14 June 2018, it was revealed that a song by Little Mix and American DJ trio Cheat Codes, "Only You", would be part of the compilation album The Pool Party, to be released on 6 July 2018 by Ministry of Sound. The song was released on 22 June 2018.

On 30 September 2018, the group announced "Woman Like Me", the lead single from their fifth studio album LM5, featuring Trinidadian-born American rapper Nicki Minaj, on their social media accounts. It was released on 12 October 2018.[95] The song debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart, later peaking at number two. The group and Minaj performed the song at the MTV European Music Awards on 4 November 2018.[96]

In November 2018, it was announced that the group would split from Cowell's record label, Syco Music, due to the label no longer working with the group's management company. LM5 was serviced by RCA UK and Columbia Records released on 16 November 2018, with future records to be released by RCA UK and Columbia.[97]

On 25 January 2019, the group released a remix version of "Think About Us" featuring a recorded guest verse from Ty Dolla Sign as the second single from the album.

At the 2019 Brit Awards, the group was nominated for two awards, winning Best British Video for "Woman Like Me". During the ceremony, they performed a remix of the song with South London rapper Ms Banks.[98]

During a live stream, Jesy Nelson mentioned that the band was in the writing stage for their sixth studio album.[99][100] They announced their upcoming single "Bounce Back" on 26 May 2019.[101] The song was released on 14 June 2019.

On 18 November 2019, Little Mix announced that they would release their first Christmas song titled "One I've Been Missing". The song was released on 22 November 2019.[102]

Artistry

Little Mix is mainly a pop,[103][104][105] R&B,[106][107] and dance-pop[108] girl group. Their songs also include influences from other genres such as tropical house, Latin pop and electronic.[109] All four members possess a three-octave soprano vocal range.[110]

Perrie Edwards cites Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and Steve Perry from the American rock band Journey as her musical influences.[111] Jesy Nelson said to be inspired by Spice Girls, TLC and Missy Elliott. Leigh Anne Pinnock cites Mariah Carey as her biggest influence and Jade Thirlwall references Diana Ross as her favourite singer. Little Mix cite Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Destiny's Child, En Vogue and Rihanna as their musical influences.[111][112]

Other ventures

Little Mix: The Search

On 17 October 2019, it was announced that the group were set to launch a talent series on BBC One titled Little Mix: The Search, in which they would create and mentor new bands, with the winners joining them on their Summer 2020 Tour.[113] The series will premiere in April 2020.[114]

Products and endorsements

In May 2012, Little Mix launched a Union Flag-themed pack of M&M's and performed at the M&M's World store in London.[115] That year they also released their first book, called Ready to Fly. The title is a reference to their debut single "Wings". The book was published through HarperCollins and documents the group's journey since auditioning for The X Factor.[116] The girl group signed a joint deal with toymaker Vivid and music merchandiser Bravado to release a range of products including dolls, puzzles, accessories and games in November.[117]

During 2012, Little Mix also unveiled a children's clothing range with clothing retailer Primark. The line is aimed to 7–13 year olds and comprises accessories, T-shirts, leggings and nightwear.[118] In 2013, the group promoted Schwarzkopf hair dye Live Colour XXL through their music video for "How Ya Doin'?".[41] That year the group also launched a range of nails and nail wraps in partnership with Elegant Touch and New Look.[119] In early 2014, Little Mix launched their new range of nails with Elegant Touch as a result of the previous success.[120] In September 2013, Little Mix launched their first makeup line with Collection.[121] During May 2014, the group teamed up with Vibe Audio to bring out Little Mix zip cable headphones.[122]

In June 2015, Little Mix launched their debut fragrance "Gold Magic".[123] In December 2015, it was announced that Little Mix would be the new global ambassadors for the women's fitness brand USA Pro. They are currently designing their own collection for the brand.[124] In July 2016, Little Mix launched their second fragrance "Wishmaker".[125] In 2017, their third fragrance, "Wishmaker Party Edition" was released. In 2018, Little Mix had limited edition products with Simple and Colab. Their fourth fragrance, Style, was also released. In September 2018, Little Mix released their second makeup line, LMX Beauty. The range is available in Boots UK.[126]

On 17 October 2019, it was announced that the group were to launch a seven episode talent series on BBC One titled Little Mix The Search in which they would create and mentor new bands, with the winners joining them on an upcoming 2020 tour.[127] On 7 November 2019, Little Mix released a clothing collection with PrettyLittleThing.[128]

Philanthropy

Little Mix took part in the recording of the 2011 X Factor charity single along with the finalists of The X Factor 2011 and previous X Factor contestants JLS and One Direction.[129] They covered the 1978 hit single "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce. All proceeds from the single went to the children's charity Together for Short Lives, which provides ongoing care and support for seriously and terminally ill children, young people and their families from the moment of diagnosis. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart with first-week sales of 98,932 copies. In 2012, the band performed their single "Change Your Life" on the Children In Need 2012 broadcast appeal show, helping raise over £26,757,446 for the cause which helps disadvantaged children in the UK.[130] Little Mix also appeared at the two-part charity concert Children in Need Rocks 2013 to raise money for the campaign, performing a medley of their singles "Change Your Life", "DNA" and "Wings". They performed alongside Kings of Leon, Ellie Goulding, Robbie Williams and other artists. The concert was broadcast on BBC One during the Children In Need week.[131]

In March 2014, Little Mix teamed up with BeatBullying, the largest anti-bullying organisation in Europe. The quartet is backing the anti-bullying media campaign "The Big March" and the #DeleteCyberbullying project. The campaign is urging the European Commission to introduce new laws to protect children from bullying and cyberbullying, for 77 million euros (£57m) to be set aside for services that protect them and for an annual awareness day to promote the movement. Pinnock said: "Myself and the girls have all experienced being bullied at some point in our life. When we see on Twitter that some of our fans are going through it now we find it so upsetting and that's the reason we feel so passionate about this campaign and the work that BeatBullying does."[132] In March 2014, Little Mix released a cover of Cameo's single "Word Up!" as the official single for Sport Relief 2014. They performed it live during the Sport Relief telethon which raised a record-breaking £51,242,186 on the night it was broadcast. The group also visited Liberia to witness the good work paid for by the Sport Relief donations. Each member recorded a video diary in which they visited local hospitals and described their experiences.[citation needed] In 2019, Jade and Leigh-Anne climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief.[133]

Members

Perrie Edwards

Perrie Louise Edwards[134] was born on 10 July 1993 (age 26),[135] and raised in the Whiteleas area of South Shields, Tyne and Wear,[136] to parents Alexander Edwards and Deborah Duffy. She has an older brother named Jonnie, and a younger half-sister named Caitlin Edwards, on her father's side. Her first audition was "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette.[137] Edwards attended Radipole Primary School in Weymouth, Dorset before moving back to South Shields.[138] She attended St. Peter and Paul RC Primary School, and Mortimer Community College in South Shields,[138] and later transferred to Newcastle College, where she received a BTEC in Performing Arts.[138] Edwards lived in Hamilton, New Zealand for two years as a teenager.[139] In May 2012, she began dating One Direction member Zayn Malik. The couple got engaged in August 2013 but broke up in August 2015.[140] In February 2017, it was confirmed that she has been dating English professional footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.[141][142] She has esophageal atresia, which is responsible for a bisectional scar on her stomach,[143] and anosmia.[144] In 2019 she became the new face for the Italian brand Superga and released her first designed collection of shoes.[145] In 2020 Edwards become the first female ambassador for the brand "Supreme Nutrition".[146]

Jesy Nelson

Jessica Louise Nelson[134] was born on 14 June 1991 (age 28),[147] and raised in Romford, East London, to parents John Nelson and Janice White. She has an older sister Jade and two brothers, Joseph and Jonathan.[148][149] Her first audition was "Bust Your Windows" by Jazmine Sullivan.[150] Since joining Little Mix, she has faced cyber-bullying and struggled to cope during her time on The X Factor.[149] Nelson attended Jo Richardson Community School and Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College (in Hornchurch, London), was noted for being a dedicated drama and music student by her teachers.[151] She also attended Sylvia Young and Yvonne Rhodes Theatre Schools. In 2014, Nelson began dating Rixton lead singer, Jake Roche. The couple became engaged on 19 July 2015,[152] but broke up in November 2016.[153] In 2019, Nelson began dating Love Island contestant Chris Hughes.[154]

Nelson starred in a documentary for BBC One and BBC Three titled Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out which explored body image, mental health and online abuse,[155] which aired on 12 September 2019.[156] In the documentary, she revealed that after the online abuse regarding her weight, she attempted to commit suicide in 2013.[157][158][159] In November 2019, Nelson received the Gold award for "Odd One Out" at the OnSide Awards.[160] The documentary also won the Factual Entertainment award at the 2020 National Television Awards.[161]

Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Leigh-Anne Pinnock was born on 4 October 1991 (age 28),[162] and raised in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.[163] Pinnock is of Barbadian and Jamaican ancestry.[164] Before joining Little Mix, she worked as a waitress in Pizza Hut.[165] Her first audition was "Only Girl (In the World)" by Rihanna.[150] In February 2015, Pinnock launched a Tumblr fashion blog called "Leigh Loves".[166] In December 2016, it was confirmed that she has been dating English professional footballer Andre Gray.[167] In April 2019, Pinnock began selling her own swimwear range with Gabrielle Urquhart, titled IN'A'SEASHELL.[168][169] Later that month, Pinnock, alongside Thirlwall, signed to TwentySeven as published songwriters.[170] She also became the new face of the sports brand Umbro.[171][172]

Jade Thirlwall

Jade Amelia Thirlwall[134] was born on 26 December 1992 (age 27),[173] and raised in the Laygate area of South Shields, Tyne and Wear.[174] She has one-quarter Egyptian ancestry and one-quarter Yemeni ancestry.[175] She also auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 and 2010, but got eliminated at the Bootcamp stage. She attended performing arts college South Tyneside, where she studied a range of courses.[138] She revealed in the group's book, Our World, that she struggled with anorexia nervosa after experiencing bullying at school, and the death of her grandfather.[176] Thirlwall is a supporter of the LGBT community, and she considers RuPaul her idol.[177] In April 2019, Thirlwall, alongside Pinnock, signed to TwentySeven as published songwriters.[170] Thirlwall was the guest judge on the "Girl Group Battle Royale" episode in RuPaul's Drag Race UK on 31 October 2019.[178][179] The same month Thirlwall opened her own cocktail bar "Red Door" in South Shields.[180][181][182] In February 2020, Thirlwall announced the name would be changed to "Arbeia", she also announced the opening of its nightclub called "Industry", which will launch on March 27, 2020.[183]

For the 2019 UK General Election, Thirlwall endorsed the Labour Party.[184][185] She dated The Struts member Jed Elliott, from September 2015 to July 2019.

Discography

DNA (2012)

Salute (2013)

Get Weird (2015)

Glory Days (2016)

LM5 (2018)

Concert tours

Headlining

DNA Tour (2013)

The Salute Tour (2014)

The Get Weird Tour (2016)

The Glory Days Tour (2017)

Summer Hits Tour 2018 (2018)

LM5: The Tour (2019)

Summer 2020 Tour (2020)

Supporting

The X Factor Live Tour (2012)

Demi Lovato – The Neon Lights Tour (2014)

Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman Tour (2017)