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Thursday, 22 August, 2002, 12:45 GMT 13:45 UK
BBC reveals 100 great British heroes
![]() John Lydon: Among the 22 living heroes from music world
Johnny Rotten and David Beckham line up alongside historic greats such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Enoch Powell and William Shakespeare in a new poll of Britain's top 100 heroes.
More than 30,000 people across the country were asked to pick a person who epitomised greatness, for a survey conducted for the BBC's new Great Britons programme.
Viewers will be asked to choose a single winner after seeing the shows fronted by people such as Jeremy Clarkson, former editor of The Independent and The Daily Express newspapers Rosie Boycott and the BBC's political editor Andrew Marr.
BBC 2 controller Jane Root said: "This series will arouse enthusiastic debate in offices and homes all around the country."
"It is much more varied and interesting than just an A-list of celebrities and goes against the idea that Britain is dumbing down." Helen Haste, an expert on cultural icons who is based at Bath University, agrees the absence of celebrities proves Britain is not as superficial or transient as many believe.
"Just because people enjoy reading about celebrities in magazines, it does not mean they will give them a place in the chronicles of history. "People perceive celebrities as being famous for being famous and as a short-term thing - someone to entertain them but not to be taken seriously."
And she believes Aleister Crowley, another nominee, who was once seen as the most evil man alive for dabbling in Satanism, epitomises British eccentricity. The list also includes 20 scientists, engineers and inventors, 14 royals and just one television presenter - David Attenborough. William Shakespeare, Harry Potter creator JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien and Geoffrey Chaucer represent the written word.
Historian Dr Tristram Hunt told BBC News: "The British have a healthy respect for our scientists and writers and an equally healthy disrespect for our politicians." Most of the 22 still living come from the world of music - with soccer's David Beckham and five-time Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave the only sportsmen. Dr Hunt said the "sad neglect" of visual artists was "a product of the technological age". "Our great scientists and performers in the modern media are the artists of today." But veteran radio DJ John Peel, who features on the list, disagrees. "If this list is genuine and not an elaborate Mickey-take, there is something very strange going on in our lovely country," he told BBC News.
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