BURBERRY TOP 10 - INSPIRATIONAL PUBLIC FIGURE 2022
DEV PATEL
A Bafta winner and Oscar nominee, Patel is best known for his leading roles in wildly popular films like Slumdog Millionaire, Lion and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Throughout his career, Patel has been open and honest about his struggle to find his place in the acting industry and has spoken candidly about racism and favouritism in order to highlight these issues and bring about change.
EDWARD ENNINFUL
Editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful is a fundamental part of the fashion industry and has used his platform to promote inclusion across the board. The trailblazer has transformed his magazine with incredible poise to continually highlight the richness of diversity in society – making it a true force for change. Repeatedly and visibly leading from the front, Enninful has advanced the rights of so many marginalised sections of society.
GOLDA ROSHEUVEL
Rosheuvel, an actress best known for her starring role in Netflix period drama Bridgerton, is also no stranger to the stage, having taken leading positions in epics like Othello and Jesus Christ Superstar. The LGBTQ+ icon has been a leading figure in the campaign to depict sexuality, gender and race in the right way across all forms of media and entertainment.
JOHANNES RADEBE
A dancer, choreographer and TV personality, Radebe is much-loved for his starring role on Strictly Come Dancing and has also made appearances on the game-changing RuPaul’s Drag Race. Originally from South Africa, Radebe has spoken out about homophobic bullying he experienced at school and held honest discussions about racial profiling and his experiences of being a Black man in the UK in order to take these issues forward and help create change.
JUNE SARPONG
LEIGH-ANNE PINNOCK
The Little Mix star and singer/songwriter is no stranger to the limelight, having previously won our very own Media Impact Award in 2021 for her BBC documentary Race, Pop and Power. Indeed, accolades for the musician are far-reaching and include Brit Awards and EMAs. Off-stage, Pinnock is known for her activism in fighting against racism and is a shining example of how a prominent public figure should be.
LETITIA WRIGHT
A Bafta award-winner and Emmy nominee, Wright has starred in blockbuster Marvel films like Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and the second-highest grossing film of all-time Avengers: End Game. Having previously appeared in TV series Top Boy, Doctor Who and Black Mirror, Wright has also been open about her mental health struggles and plays a more serious role as an activist while advocating for more Black joy in the public eye.
MAYA RUDOLPH
An actress, comedian and singer, Rudolph is a real Hollywood star. The Emmy winner has played many roles in well-known film and television productions including the likes of Bridesmaids and Luca plus Saturday Night Live and animated sitcom Big Mouth. Off-screen, Rudolph has defied racial stereotypes and spoken out about discrimination while fighting against prejudice.
SIMONE ASHLEY
Ashley is an actress best-known for her leading role in Netflix period drama Bridgerton, having previously starred in another incredibly popular series, Sex Education. Also a model and social media star, Ashley is set to appear in Disney’s hotly-anticipated live-action movie of The Little Mermaid next year. She has highlighted issues around how hard women of colour have to work in her industry in order to make change by bringing these issues to the fore.
SIMU LIU
Liu is an actor, author and stuntman best-known for his role as the title character in the Marvel epic Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings. Set to play a second Ken in next year’s blockbuster Barbie movie, Liu’s career is rising fast. Off-screen he has spoken honestly about incidents of racism, called out media narratives and challenged stereotypes.