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Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Singer and songwriter

With an impressive musical career spanning 25 years, Sophie has achieved five Top 10 albums and eight Top 10 singles, including hits such as Murder on the Dancefloor, Take Me Home, Get Over You, Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer) and many more. Most recently, following its iconic appearance in the final scene of Emerald Fennell’s film Saltburn, her much‑loved 2001 single Murder on the Dancefloor enjoyed a major resurgence. Sophie’s new album Perimenopop entered the UK Albums Chart at No.5, giving her a first Top 5 record in over a decade and marking her sixth Top 10 album. A celebratory soundtrack for mid‑life happiness, the album sees Sophie return to big, bold pop. It is her first release with Fontana and her eighth studio album.

Person wearing a green and gold shimmering dress posing dynamically against a teal background with sunglasses held above the head.
What an honour to be invited to become a City Lit Fellow and to join this thriving community. The college provides such an important role in arts education and offers transformative opportunities for its students
Sophie Ellis-Bextor

From West End Triumphs to Iconic Screen Roles

In 2003, Gillian won the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Best Actress Award for her West End debut in Michael Weller's two-hander ‘What the Night Is For’. The following year, she starred in Rebecca Gilman's play ‘The Sweetest Swing in Baseball’ which ran at London's Royal Court Theatre from March 25 through May 15, 2004. From May 14 through July 18, 2009, she played Nora in a new version of Ibsen's ‘A Doll's House’ at the Donmar Warehouse in London. She received a Laurence Olivier Nomination for her performance. The 2010 period drama ‘Any Human Heart’ earned her a Bafta nomination for her role as Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor whom King Edward VIII abdicated to marry. She played Miss Havisham in the award-winning BBC adaptation of "Great Expectations" in 2011 and in the summer of 2014, she was Blanche DuBois in the Young Vic's critically-acclaimed production of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.

City Lit Lifetime Fellow

Award-winning film, television, and theatre actress, Gillian Anderson OBE, received her City Lit Lifetime Fellowship Award from Chair of the Board of Governors Dame Moira Gibb. City Lit Fellowships are awarded to individuals who have shown a significant commitment to adult education in the United Kingdom and who have provided support and inspiration to City Lit and our students. Other City Lit Fellows include prominent politicians Sir Vince Cable and Nick Boles MP, mental health campaigner Ruby Wax OBE, and acclaimed author Malorie Blackman OBE.

Gillian Anderson with City Lit drama studentsGillian Anderson with City Lit drama students
Photos: Dominic Harris photography
“Before I visited City Lit in 2013, I had looked through what you do here and the lives you have helped transform, and on that first visit, it was such a privilege to hear just some of the stories of those impacted by such opportunity, I was overwhelmed. What an extraordinary gift to the community, and to this wonderful city. I still applaud the hard work and dedication of those who come here as adults to try something new, follow a passion or embrace a second chance. It’s a huge honour for me to receive this Lifetime Fellowship and to celebrate this phenomenal college and I remain so glad you exist for the community of London.
Gillian Anderson OBE