Marcus Rashford has made his way into the top 10 list of celebrities Brits would like to see become Prime Minister one day.
The Wythenshawe-born Manchester United and England star has secured a spot on the list of famous names the public would happily see take over in 10 Downing Street from a poll of 2,000 adults, which was carried out by Channel 4 ahead of the start of its newest reality series Make Me Prime Minister tonight.
The new show will see celebrities battle it out in a series of political challenges, with Handforth Council’s icon Jackie Weaver set to appear as a contestant.
But if Brits could pick any famous face to lead the country, who would they choose?
David Attenborough, Stephen Fry, Alison Hammond, and Dame Judi Dench are just some of the names to find themselves in the top 10 alongside Rashford.
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The 24-year-old has been making a name for himself on the football pitch and scoring impressive goals since he was a teenager, but it’s been his ongoing work off the field to end child food poverty, stand up against the government, challenge racism and prejudice, inspire people across the globe, and ultimately give a voice to the voiceless, that has seen him really shine since 2020.
It’s most likely all this off-the-pitch work that has seen him rank among the celebrities who the public would want to take over as the country’s leader.
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Marcus Rashford is on the list of celebrities Brits would like to see become Prime Minister / Credit: Number 10 (via Flickr)
So, who claimed the number one spot then? Well, according to the adults polled, Martin Lewis, the TV personality and financial adviser behind MoneySavingExpert, is who they would like to see take over from Liz Truss the most.
44% of adults polled said they would happily vote for a celebrity to become PM.
When it comes to the top traits people would like to see in the leader of the country, honesty and trustworthiness came out on top, as well as being down to earth, having a good sense of humour, and being a compassionate person.
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Other traits favoured highly by the public in a Prime Minister is someone who is unbiased (23%) and hardworking (36%).
Reflecting on the results of the poll, Alastair Campbell, who is set to present Make Me Prime Minister, said: “The contestants in the show are not the only ones who think politics is in a mess and that they could do the job better than Boris Johnson or Liz Truss – but I think they learned that the job is a lot harder than it looks.
“Some of them, without doubt, have real political talent and I hope they go into politics.
“They will also be pleased by the poll findings that people want our Prime Minister to have integrity, and be trustworthy and honest.
“So should we all.”
Top 30 celebrities Brits want to be Prime Minister
Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
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Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
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It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
27th September 2022 
