When you start at university, there is one thing that you are guaranteed to do. No, I’m not talking about having one shot too many during Fresher’s, or accidentally showing up to the wrong lecture and being too awkward to leave; I’m talking about meeting people. You literally can’t avoid it.
So next time you’re filled with dread about having to ‘chat with the person next to you’ during a seminar, think about the opportunity you have. Sure, it’ll be awkward and there’ll be a 99% chance that you’ll never speak to that person again, but some of the greatest celebrity double acts formed in university. (This is me saying that that weird guy on your course who wears odd socks could one day become the Sooty to your Sweep).
In case you still need some convincing, here are some of my favourite pairs that met each other when studying.
Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland- (University College London)
Famous for: founding Coldplay.
After meeting during their first week at university, Martin and Buckland formed one of the greatest bromances that history has ever seen. They formed a band together, initially named Pectoralz, before welcoming a few more members, who were also UCL students, and creating Coldplay.
Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson- Oxford University
Famous for: creating Blackadder.
Yes, you read that correctly. Rowan Atkinson, AKA Mr Bean, went to Oxford. Not only that, but so did one of the greatest rom- com writers of all time, and there the two met and became partners. These two created Blackadder together, and then Curtis went on to give Atkinson a role in a little film called Love, Actually.
Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain- The University of Manchester
Famous for: creating television shows.
You may not recognise these names, but you have this duo to thank for shows such as Fresh Meat and Peep Show. Along with Danny Boyle and Robert Jones, they also created the short lived drama Babylon.
Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson - The University of Manchester
Famous for: being comedic partners.
Like Armstrong and Bain, these two attended Manchester University before deciding to dedicate their lives to making people laugh. They met whilst they were both studying Drama, and soon became part of the comedy group 20th Century Coyote.
Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins- The University of Cambridge
Famous for: oh, come on. You know what they’re famous for.
Who knew that the real stars of The Great British Bake Off went to Cambridge? Better yet, who knew that they met there? Perkins and Giedroyc realised when studying that they shared the same sense of humour, something that’s immediately obvious to anybody who’s ever heard them together, and they eventually formed their double act after graduating.
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders- The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Famous for: TV and comedy work.
This is the last comedy act, I promise! So, French and Saunders (which was also the name of their BBC sketch show) shared a flat whilst studying and were convinced by friends to partner up, despite initially disliking each other. They are just further proof that university is a great place to discover that you want to become a comedian.
Bill and Hillary Clinton- Yale University
Famous for: being president and for being robbed of the presidential position.
We all know that Bill was the 42nd president of the USA, but it’s Hillary who has been making headlines in more recent years. She stood up to Trump, formed an unlikely friendship with Katy Perry, and carried on being the feminist icon that she is. Since their marriage in 1975, something that likely would never have happened if they hadn’t socialised in Yale, this duo has been making their mark on the world.
Prince William and Kate Middleton- St Andrews
Famous for: being the real-life version of the characters from The Prince & Me.
Here’s another (albeit less problematic and more envy- inducing) marriage that resulted from a university meeting. Wills and Kate, AKA Britain’s OTP, met whilst studying Geography and Art History respectively. Soon enough, they got engaged and had their breath- taking wedding whilst the whole world watched. Mention that to anybody who says that your first -year relationship won’t last!
So, there you have it. Seven pairs that probably wouldn’t have formed if it hadn’t been for higher education. Maybe we should start listening to our lecturers when they tell us to network during school events.
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