Not everyone passes their exams with flying colours, even the rich and famous.
So if you’re worried about your A level results, or feeling like university might no longer be an option, let us remind you about a collection of people who did rather well when they finished school.
Jeremy Clarkson is famous for his results day Tweets (did you know he got a C and two Us?), but he’s not the only star who came away with disappointing grades.
We think you’ll agree, these nine celebrities all seem to be doing pretty well for themselves.
Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell left school with just three O levels (the equivalent to GCSEs) but now look at him – his musical opinion is one of the most valued in showbiz.
He spends his life judging other people’s abilities, but he certainly didn’t have the X Factor at school.
Simon chose not to do his A levels and landed a job in the mail room of EMI Music Publishing instead. It appears it was a wise decision.
Jeremy Clarkson
The Clarkson’s Farm star isn’t shy about telling you about how he failed his exams.
In fact, he makes the same smug point every year.
2024
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) August 15, 2024Donât worry if your A level results arenât what you were hoping for. I got a C and two Us, and here I am, 46 years later, with my own pub.
It opens next weekend if you fancy dropping in.
2023
Itâs not the end of the world if your A level results arenât what youâd hoped for. I got a C and 2 Us and here I am today with my own brewery.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) August 17, 2023
2022
Donât worry if your A level results are disappointing. I got a C and 2 Us and Iâm currently holidaying on this boat. pic.twitter.com/f7BQxi86wS
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) August 18, 2022
You get the picture…
Deborah Meaden
Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden left school before taking her A levels, instead opting to study business at college.
Well, it paid off.
Today she’s worth in excess of £40 million and has been awarded a grand total of three honorary degrees.
Richard Branson
Richard Branson may have dropped out of school at 16, but he’s doing pretty well for himself.
He put in a lot of hard work and rose to the top, and is now worth $2.6 billion.
And he’s got some strong words of wisdom too: ‘Young people need empowerment and encouragement, not sleepless nights worrying about hitting their exam targets.
‘They need to learn to take risks and not to be afraid of failure. Failure is part of life, especially in business. The key is to learn from it.’
Jake Humphrey
TV presenter Jake Humphrey failed across the board in his A levels, picking up an E, N and U.
He also got fired from McDonald’s on the same day he picked them up.
But he didn’t let that define his life. He applied for an internship with ITV and became the face of Premier League football on BT Sport.
Clare Balding
Beloved broadcaster Clare Balding was arrested for shoplifting in her youth, and didn’t get good grades in History and Latin at A level.
She took two years out after school to retake exams and practise her interview technique to help her get into Cambridge.
Well, her determination paid off. She nailed her history re-sit and got into one of the best universities in the world. Bravo.
Prince Harry
Prince Harry had access to some of the best education in the world, but it didn’t stop him getting a D in his geography A level.
While it certainly helps to have a Queen for a grandmother, his educational blip didn’t hold him back.
He served in the Army for ten years, became the youth ambassador to the Commonwealth, and set up the Invictus Games for wounded veterans.
Jon Snow
Jon Snow once said ‘there is life after A levels’ and his personal story confirms this.
He’s one of the most successful TV journalists in the UK, but when he was at school, he got a C in English and failed all his other A level subjects.
Despite his A level woes, Snow did go on to study at the University of Liverpool, where he was suspended after standing up against the apartheid regime in South Africa during a student protest in 1970.
Sarah Millican
Comedian Sarah Millican finished her A levels with two Ds and an E, but now spreads the word that ‘good exam results are useful but not the be all and end all’.
She sends heartwarming messages to students each year to remind them that ‘if you don’t get what you need it isn’t the end of the world’.
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