Notable faces in the media, politics, acting, business and even Formula One have graduated from the University of Southampton over the years.

The institution has an array of well-known faces among its alumni who studied there before becoming renowned figures in their field.

Here are some of the most famous people to have attended and graduated from the university.

University of Southampton's most notable graduates

Chris Packham

Daily Echo: Chris Packham enrolled at the University of Southampton in 1979Chris Packham enrolled at the University of Southampton in 1979 (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

The naturalist and TV presenter is one of the most famous graduates of the University of Southampton.

He enrolled to study Biological Sciences in 1979, before getting into TV work in the mid-190s.

Packham presented the BAFTA-winning BBC1 children's programme The Really Wild Show between 1986 and 1995, which led to him hosting a number of shows including Springwatch, Autumnwatch and BBC South's Inside Out.

Additionally, he is involved with wildlife conservation and is the vice president of a number of groups such as the RSPB.

John Nettles

The actor John Nettles went to Southampton in 1962 to study history and philosophy, and it was there he developed an interest in entering that career.

He became best known for playing the title character in the Jersey-set crime drama Bergerac, as well as appearing in shows such as Midsomer Murders, The Liver Birds and Poldark.

Jon Sopel

Daily Echo: Jon Sopel graduated from the University of Southampton in 1981Jon Sopel graduated from the University of Southampton in 1981 (Image: PA)

Jon Sopel graduated from the University of Southampton in 1981, achieving a 2:1 honours degree in Politics and Sociology.

Just two years later he joined BBC Radio Solent as a reporter and became a stalwart presenter on the broadcaster for many decades.

As well as reporting on location for the BBC News Channel he also presented The Politics Show on BBC One from 2005, taking over from Jeremy Vine.

In 2022 he left the BBC for LBC to launch a new podcast and joint radio show with fellow presenter Emily Maitlis.

Sir Adrian Newey

Sir Adrian Newey graduated from Southampton in 1980 earning a first-class honours degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics.

He went on to become a Formula One engineer and is now the Chief Technical Officer of the Red Bull racing team.

Newey is considered to be one of the best engineers in Formula One's history, with his designs having won 11 Constructors' Championships with three different Formula One teams.

John Inverdale

John Inverdale graduated from Southampton in 1979 after studying History and went on to become a prolific sports broadcaster for both the BBC and ITV.

He has presented major sporting events such as the Olympic Games, Wimbledon, the Grand National, Rugby World Cup and the FIFA World Cup.

Justine Greening

Daily Echo: Justine Greening graduated from the University of Southampton in 1990Justine Greening graduated from the University of Southampton in 1990 (Image: James Manning/PA Wire/PA Images)

The politician Justine Greening studied Business Economics and Accounting at the University of Southampton, graduating with a first-class honours degree in 1990.

Greening worked as an accountant before entering politics, where she gained the seat of Putney for the Conservatives from Labour in 2005.

She has held a number of cabinet positions in various Tory governments, including Transport Secretary under David Cameron between 2011 and 2012, as well as Education Secretary under Theresa May between 2016 and 2018.

Chris Stark

Daily Echo: Chris Stark studied politics and zoology at SouthamptonChris Stark studied politics and zoology at Southampton (Image: Global Radio)

The radio personality Chris Stark studied politics and zoology at Southampton and had his own show on the student radio station Surge.

He worked as a co-host on the Scott Mills show on BBC Radio 1 until 2022 and now hosts on Capital FM.

Additionally, he is one of the co-hosts of the That Peter Crouch Podcast.

George Buckley

George Buckley studied in a PhD in engineering jointly at both University of Huddersfield and the University of Southampton.

He then went onto become the chairman, president, and chief executive of 3M which is a multinational conglomerate operating in a number of industries.

These include making products for fields such as dentistry, personal protective equipment, electronic circuits, care-care products and many more.

Stephen Payne

The naval architect Stephen Payne studied on the University of Southampton's Ship Science program.

Payne has worked on the designs of approximately 40 passenger ships, including the Queen Mary 2 Cunard cruise liner.

He is currently an independent maritime consultant and is an educational advocate for engineering careers.