100 Greatest Britons was broadcast in 2002 by the BBC. The programme was the result of a vote conducted to determine whom the United Kingdom public considers the greatest British people in history.[1][2] The series, Great Britons, included individual programmes on the top ten, with viewers having further opportunities to vote after each programme.[3] It concluded with a debate. All of the top 10 were dead by the year of broadcast.
The poll resulted in candidates including Guy Fawkes, who was executed for trying to blow up the Parliament of England; Oliver Cromwell who created a republican England; King Richard III, suspected of murdering his nephews; James Connolly, an Irish nationalist and socialist who was executed by the Crown in 1916; and a surprisingly high ranking of 17th for the former Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em star Michael Crawford. In addition to the Britons, some notable non-British entrants were listed, including two Irish nationals, the philanthropic musicians Bono and Bob Geldof. Furthermore, many candidates were from an era in which Britishness did not exist. The top 19 entries were people of English origin (though Sir Ernest Shackleton and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, were both born into Anglo-Irish families when what is now the Republic of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom). The highest-placed Scottish entry was Alexander Fleming in 20th place, with the highest Welsh entry, Owain Glyndŵr, at number 23.[4] Sixty had lived in the twentieth century. The highest-ranked living person was Margaret Thatcher, who placed 16th.[5] Ringo Starr is the only member of The Beatles not on the list.
Because of the nature of the poll used to select and rank the Britons, the results do not claim to be an objective assessment. They are as follows:
Although the BBC's original ranked list has been removed from their web server and what remains is only an alphabetical list of the Top 100,[6] several other sources[7] have preserved the original ranked list.
Several people on the list also appear in Channel 4's list of 100 Worst Britons (a tongue in cheek response to this show), owing to strongly polarised views on their works, lives or legacies — notably this includes Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, and the current monarch, Elizabeth II. Channel 4 refused to take votes for dead figures, with their broadcast considerably lighter in tone.
There was some question as to whether the Richard Burton listed at #96 is the actor or the explorer. A BBC press release makes it clear that they intended the Burton so honoured to be the actor.
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