David Cameron, 7/2/12

Prime Minister of Great Britain

Over the past 18 months we've put a massive amount of effort and investment into strengthening apprenticeships in this country - and it shows. Last year more than 450,000 people started an apprenticeship, roughly the same number as those who started in higher education.

Ricky Gervais, 6/2/12

Actor, writer, comedian, director, producer

"Fame" used to be fused with "respect" in some ways. That's what distinguished it from infamy. But not anymore.

Anne Marie Carrie, 11/2/12

Chief executive of Barnardo's

There's a shortage of foster families across the UK - particularly for older children - which means that we desperately need to find nearly 9,000 new foster families over the next 12 months. And, on average, a child waits two years and seven months to be adopted.

Cindy Lowry, 10/2/12

Long-time environmental advocate and the basis for the character played by Drew Barrymore in the upcoming movie Big Miracle

When Drew and I met, it was an immediate bond. We walked across a restaurant, took each other's hands and started smiling, saying how happy we were to meet. She said "I'm going to be playing you" and I said "I know, it's so amazing." We are kindred spirits.

Sally Gunnell, 10/2/12

Former Olympic gold medallist

Since winning gold in Barcelona, a huge part of my post-Olympics career has been dedicated to encouraging people to get more active in their day to day lives. And to tell the truth, it's a challenge that is considerably harder than being a competitive athlete.

Alexandra Burke, 7/2/12

Singer

Needless to say that the X Factor has changed my life and has allowed me to do things that perhaps I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do before, such as become involved in some really important charity work and organisations.

Nancy Atkinson-Turner, 10/2/12

A spicy mix of cars and fashion, style and substance

In around October, I, like most women, get excited about my winter boot purchase, my new Marc Jacobs coat, the gloves, hats and even ear muffs I am going to get to drape all over myself. Unlike most of you though I also go to my garage and get out my car's 'winter shoes'.

Labrinth, 9/2/12

I'm a musical geek. It's like there’s this big, wild universe in my head and I love to express it

Isn't it mad to think what we did before Twitter and Facebook? I mean, how did artists find out what their fans were thinking before? For me it's important to stay grounded and stay close to my fans. Team Lab all the way!

Mark Seddon, 9/2/12

Big Think blogger and British journalist

As the world watched the Syrian regime roll in tanks to crush, kill and maim its own civilians in grotesque numbers, a bunch of corrupt gangsters staged a coup d'état in the small Indian Ocean state of the Maldives. The democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed, was forced to tender his resignation.

Laura Smith, 11/2/12

I am 30 and a half. I have Hodgkins Lymphoma

With less than a month now til my last chemotherapy session I am getting frustratingly excited. So close but yet far enough. This past month I have had stronger days and each month I seem to keep getting a bit more able to deal with it. When I first started my chemo back in October 2011, I was on an intensive treatment plan which knocked me down for two months, I could hardly leave the house, ended up hospitalised and generally felt like I was dying.

Lorna Fitzsimons, 9/2/12

CEO of BICOM (the Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre), a not-for-profit, independent organisation

One of Labour's historic achievements was the creation of the welfare state. But we can't run away from the fact that the law of unintended consequences got to work, and we ended up with a dependency culture rather than a responsibility culture.

Matthew Handley, 9/2/12

History student, Debate Mate mentor, football fanatic

The record will show that Fabio Capello, with a win percentage of 66.7%, is one of England's most successful managers ever. For anyone who has followed the national side over the last four years, those figures serve to mask what has been a reign characterised by mismanagement, disappointment and controversy.

Ellen Grace Jones, 8/2/12

Arts and socio-political writer / Editor of The Real Runway

Sure the bird-flip was pretty ill-judged - but when you book a provocative performer like M.I.A what did they expect? Given the utter degeneration and hyper-sexualisation of our current crop of female pop performers, in terms of debasing, offensive, inappropriate performances, M.I.A.'s middle-finger salute was little more than a cheeky nose-thumbing.

Martin Newman, 9/2/12

Martin has worked on the Daily Mirror newsdesk for seven years and writes an arts blog for Mirror.co.uk

The toys, one of the first mass-produced dolls based on adults, exude the particular style of the 1960s, mimicking both the fashion of the day and the confidence of an America that was throwing off the repressed airs of the '50s and undergoing a revolution of ideas.

Sam Scott Thomas, 7/2/12

Motherhood and Nautical Miles

They've done it! They crossed the line at around midnight Bajan time, 7 Feb 2011. What a day it's going to be and it has started very early for me. I woke at 4am to a massive tropical storm and am still wide awake, knowing it's not time to get up yet and knowing this morning I will be reunited with my lovely Robert "Bertie" Portal. I simply can't wait.

Mimi Bekhechi, 8/2/12

Manager of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Foundation

In a precedent-setting case, PETA US, three marine-mammal experts and two former orca trainers are suing SeaWorld on behalf of five orcas who were taken from their home by force, locked up, put to work and never allowed to leave. The case intends to prove that these orcas are being held as slaves in violation of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution. The suit is one of the most groundbreaking legal cases ever to reach the courts - the first ever to assert that a constitutional right should extend to nonhuman animals.

Rupert Wolfe-Murray, 7/2/12

Editor at Castle Craig rehab clinic

When I was a student I thought cannabis was a harmless pastime, no worse than alcohol, and I was encouraged by the fact that it's not addictive. Many years later I ended up working for an addiction rehab clinic in Scotland where I found out that not only is cannabis addictive but the skunk version of the drug is known to send as many as 20% of users into a psychotic state.

Jason Reed, 8/2/12

Political blogger, writer, musician

Mark Seddon, 7/2/12

Big Think blogger and British journalist

The sheer scale of the attacks now being launched by the Syrian State on rebels and civilians alike has bought about howls of anguish from across the Arab World and beyond.

Dr Khandee Ahnaimugan, 8/2/12

Medical doctor and weight loss expert

The truth is, even with the best of genes, to maintain a body like Gwyneth Paltrow's you have to work very hard. Especially as you get older. Indeed, Ms Paltrow was quoted last year as saying "Everything in my life that's good is because I worked my ass off to get it and to maintain it." This is not a woman who just coasts through life.