Showbiz I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice . It’s not uncommon for public figures to turn to politics.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy had a career as an actor and comedian before becoming the president of Ukraine in 2019. TV personality Gyles Brandreth gained a seat for the Conservatives in the 1992 election, while the late Oscar winner Glenda Jackson represented Labour for many years. With the general election just around the corner, here are the celebrities hoping to become some of the UK's next MPs.
Labour has chosen Josh Tapper, a former Gogglebox star, to challenge deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden in Hertsmere, Hertfordshire. Tapper is optimistic he can win in light of the recent by-elections in which the Tories lost safe seats. Tapper entered the civil service after quitting Gogglebox, according to his own website .
In addition, he served as a trustee for Homeless Action, a Barnet charity. "Thank you so much to local members for your support – I won't let you down. The work to unseat the deputy prime minister starts now!" he tweeted in a statement on X.
The drummer for Blur has been chosen to run as a Labour candidate in the Conservative-held Mid Sussex seat in an attempt to finally flip it red. Mims Davies is the current representative for the area, which includes the towns of Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and East Grinstead. Rishi Sunak apologises for cutting D-Day event short to record TV election inte.
