Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.
Good Morning Tuesday 21st April 2026
The Queen used to be labelled by many as ‘the most famous woman in the world’, not by some I know.
Not sure about the most famous man.
Who would you define as either nowadays?
Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.
There’s really no need to apologise 3nanny6, your admiration for Doreen Lawrence is laudable, even though you haven’t addressed the opening post
Elvis is an extremely good shout.
At one time Madonna was globally well known in the same type of way.
Ooh, and Michael Jackson
The issue is, we’re talking about the whole world, not just the UK, or Christians, or Chinese people. What’s important to us isn’t noticed by people elsewhere in the world, so it’s going to be somebody that ‘speaks to’ everybody, not an iconic religious or world leader type person. Fifty years ago I would have said Elvis would be a very good guess.
Sorry FannyCornforth I do disagree with you about Dame Doreen Lawrence a courageous and spirited woman and unstoppable in her own right.
The only thing she wanted in her life was to make the best of her family and enjoy life until tragedy struck and part of her world collapsed.
It was that tragedy that sent her into the world of meeting all kinds of highly influential people which she always done with dignity. The reason she was made a dame was because of her unending fight for justice. I have still not forgotten seeing the news programme some 30 years ago of the black teenager stabbed at a bus stop just waiting for a bus to go home. Dame Doreen Lawrence is famous in my eyes even though she may not have wanted fame to come to her in that way.
3nanny2 it also says famous
Doreen Lawrence is indeed a wonderful woman, but she isn’t famous by any means (and I’m sure that she’s jolly pleased that she isn’t)
I know it says man or woman alive but just wondering off the actual being alive part,
I would say Bob Marley he was a legend and is loved even today.
Also Elvis Presley the true King.
For a woman I would say Dame Doreen Lawrence (also her beloved son Stephen).
She is a remarkable woman and 30 years after the death of her son she is still fighting for justice. What a courageous woman.
Actually, I thought of Oprah at the start of the thread.
I reckon it has to be who is on world wide syndicated TV most.
(And another ‘no, it isn’t you’.
The criteria for the replies is as varied as the replies themselves)
Have I misunderstood the meaning of ‘nowadays’? I took it to mean people who were still alive
😁
No, it's not you.
I did mention The Queen and Nelson Mandela because it wandered off the original premise.
I would say Elon Musk.
Oprah Winfrey? Probably only in a few countries.
Have I misunderstood the meaning of ‘nowadays’? I took it to mean people who were still alive.
The Chatgpt says Oprah Winfrey, followed by Queen Elizabeth and Taylor Swift ( it only has facts up to 2021) and Cristiano Ronaldo, followed by Lionel Messi and Barack Obama.
Casdon
I doubt very much that the Pope is the most famous person in the world, only about a quarter of the world population is Christian, and only about half of Christians are Catholic?
I also doubt it’s the Chinese leader, as I don’t think billions of non Chinese people would recognise him, or know his name.
However, even children in remote African (and Chinese) settlements will have heard of Pele, Ronaldo etc. because sport is universal, and generally not censored.
As religion, Christianity has 2.382 billion followers worldwide.
Christians do know who The Pope is - either as believing Catholics or as members of other Christian denominations. Non-Catholics hold forth on why "The Pope is so wrong".
Non-Christians also have their own views on The Pope.
I doubt very much that the Pope is the most famous person in the world, only about a quarter of the world population is Christian, and only about half of Christians are Catholic?
I also doubt it’s the Chinese leader, as I don’t think billions of non Chinese people would recognise him, or know his name.
However, even children in remote African (and Chinese) settlements will have heard of Pele, Ronaldo etc. because sport is universal, and generally not censored.
Katie59
Too easy to say “the Pope” it’s Pope Francis and yes I had to look it up.
You could just as easily say US President
The Pope in the moment is Pope Francis. Correct.
Changes not the number of people worldwide who are Christians and Catholics. Christians know who The Pope is, love him or not, He's much to Christian narrative.
As far as I am concerned, who I do or do not admire, honour or anything else is irrelevant. The question is who now alive is likely to be known to most people in the world. And for that i stick to Li Xi Ping, the Chinese leader. 1.4 billion Chinese know of him as a base, on top of that, Easte Asia is a very poplous area and between his threats to Taiwan and dominance in the overseas policies of the many countries in that area. I think his position as person whose name will be recognised by the highest number of people in the world is unassailable.
I greatly admire President Zelenski.
In a world of Putins, I wish there were more Zelenskis.
Jesus Christ, for any man in all time.
Woman our late Queen.
I think a man of our time is President Zelinski, admire him so much, he puts everyone else in the shade, brave, honourable and compassionate,,very opposite of Putin, he is evil..
I’m actually not sure it’s likely to be somebody we would see as a world figure. There’s a good chance it’s somebody who is a celebrity or sports star because many countries have younger populations, and that’s what they are interested in and likely to remember because they are in the news and Instagram, etc.. So I’d say Ronaldo, Dwayne Johnson, somebody like that - probably until he died recently, Pele.
Too easy to say “the Pope” it’s Pope Francis and yes I had to look it up.
You could just as easily say US President
Putin. Up there with Adolf I think.
I think many, many people have heard about Elon Musk - as he was the richest man in the world. People seem to know that statistic through media.
Is he still? Dunno… after Twitter purchase and his shares in Tesla have gone down. ??? But he’s still leading and VERY present in space technology.
Princess Diana she was loved and known worldwide
Currently probably Charles and Camilla love them or hate them but they are v well known
The Pope.
As religion, Christianity has 2.382 billion followers worldwide.
Christians know who The Pope is - either as believing Catholics or as other Christians, to announce why "The Pope is wrong". Plus non-Christians who hold their own views on The Pope's existence.
It depends on which field you mean, but in public affairs, I would say right now that President Zelinsky is my candidate for the most famous man in the world, and less certainly, Ursula von der Leyden for the most famous woman.
To my mind Trump is not famous, but notorious.
Homer Simpson?
TwiceAsNice
Jesus Christ
With you on this one, twiceasnice
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »Get our top conversations, latest advice, fantastic competitions, and more, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.