Values & belief

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

408 answers answered between 1985 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

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On the record

Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Science and medicine 2 Arts and letters 339 Politics and public life 27 Business and finance 15 Technology 3 Sport 22
Read by age Any age Before thirty 19 In their thirties 60 In their forties 77 In their fifties 68 In their sixties 50 Seventy and beyond 61
Order Earliest first Most recent Surprise me
Rafael Nadal Spanish professional tennis player, 2001–2024
Just normal people from my hometown, from my country.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, October 2010 source ↗
Russell Tovey English actor
This changes every day. Presently I really admire Rebecca Warren, the artist. She continues to keep creating wonderful sculpture. And I met her and she is really cool.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 October 2010 source ↗
Billie Piper English actress and former singer
My mother. She raised four children pretty much on her own. My father was around, but always out at work.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 November 2011 source ↗
Florence Welch British singer
My little sister Grace. In all the ways in which I am not capable or grounded or calm, she is.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 December 2015 source ↗
James Bay English singer-songwriter and guitarist
My dad, for providing for the family for 20 years – he was a wine merchant and recently retired.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 January 2016 source ↗
Max Whitlock English artistic gymnast
Usain Bolt for his attitude, the amount of confidence he’s got, the way he delivers every time.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 October 2016 source ↗
Laura Kenny English cyclist
Stephen Hawking: what he does is incredible. My nan died of motor neurone disease, which he has.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 January 2017 source ↗
Simone Biles United States artistic gymnast
My parents: they raised me to be the best I can be.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 February 2017 source ↗
Jonnie Peacock British athlete
David Beckham. He was my idol growing up and I met him in 2000, just before the England game against Romania.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 January 2018 source ↗
Johanna Konta British tennis player
My parents, because they did what they did to give me the opportunities to do what I do. They left their lives behind in Australia and started again in their 40s in a new country.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 June 2018 source ↗
Adwoa Aboah British fashion model
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – everything she writes speaks to me. Her Ted talk, We Should All Be Feminists, inspired everything I do with Gurls Talk.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 March 2019 source ↗
Malala Yousafzai Education campaigner; co-founder of the Malala Fund; United Nations Messenger of Peace
Women in leadership positions in every field who are using their advantages to inspire younger women.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, July 2019 source ↗
Lil Nas X American rapper
I have to say myself, because I know everything that he’s been through and still continues to go through. I admire him. So I vote me – I like him.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 May 2024 source ↗

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