Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century

Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century (also referred to as simply Icons) is a 2019 BBC television series, aired on BBC Two, which pits the greatest people of the 20th century against each other in a competition.

Premise Each episode contains four 'icons' in a particular field, with a presenter or "advocate" leading the audience through each of the four choices. The audience then has one vote in which they can choose their favourite icon, who would go through to the final, or in the case of the final, be their winner.

Results

Heat One – Leaders Broadcast – 8 January 2019 Advocate – Sir Trevor McDonald

+Icon OccupationChosen ForStatusNelson MandelaFormer President of South AfricaOvercoming imprisonment and leading South Africa out of apartheidWinnerMargaret ThatcherFormer Prime Minister of the United KingdomBecoming the first Woman Prime MinisterRunner-upWinston ChurchillFormer Prime Minister of the United KingdomLeading Britain to victory in World War IIRunner-upFranklin D. RooseveltFormer President of the United StatesSuccessfully leading The United States despite paraplegia from poliomyelitisRunner-up

Heat Two – Explorers Broadcast – 9 January 2019 Advocate – Dermot O'Leary

+IconOccupationChosen ForStatusErnest ShackletonExplorationLeading a particularly challenging South Pole expeditionWinnerJane GoodallPrimatologistLeading the way in primate exploration and eco-awarenessRunner-upNeil ArmstrongAstronautBeing the first man on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 missionRunner-upGertrude BellWriter and TravellerBeing the first woman to map and travel across the Arabian PeninsulaRunner-up

Heat Three – Scientists Broadcast – 14 January 2019 Advocate – Chris Packham

+IconOccupationChosen ForStatusAlan TuringCodebreakerDeciphering the Enigma machine and aiding an allied victory in World War IIWinnerMarie CurieRadiologistDiscovering radium and becoming the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics and ChemistryRunner-upAlbert EinsteinPhysicistPenning the theory of relativity and the equation of mass–energy equivalenceRunner-upTu YouyouChemistInventing the malaria vaccine in a time of Chinese social turmoilRunner-up

Heat Four – Entertainers Broadcast – 15 January 2019 Advocate – Kathleen Turner

+IconOccupationChosen ForStatusDavid BowieMusician and actorBreaking boundaries as a cutting-edge, bisexual musicianWinnerCharlie ChaplinActor and film directorBecoming the world's first global movie starRunner-upMarilyn MonroeActress and modelDefining her era through her modelling and acting work Runner-upBillie HolidaySinger-songwriterSuccessfully changing the world of jazz despite segregationRunner-up

Heat Five – Activists Broadcast – 21 January 2019 Advocate – Sanjeev Bhaskar

+IconOccupationChosen ForStatusMartin Luther King Jr.civil rights campaignerSuccessfully ending racial segregation in the United States through nonviolenceWinnerHelen KellerAuthor and activistUsed her status as a successful author to fight for peace despite being deafblindRunner-upEmmeline PankhurstWomen's rights campaignerSuccessfully led the suffragette movement and got women the right to voteRunner-upMahatma GandhiLeader of the Indian independence movementSuccessfully led the Indian independence movement through nonviolenceRunner-up

Heat Six – Sports Stars Broadcast – 22 January 2019 Advocate – Clare Balding

IconOccupationChosen ForStatusMuhammad AliBoxerHis outstanding contribution to boxing and his anti-Vietnam war stance despite repercussionsWinnerTanni Grey-ThompsonParalympian and BaronessHer outstanding contribution to Paralympic sports and disability rights campaigning in the House of LordsRunner-upBillie Jean KingTennis playerHer outstanding contribution to tennis and her campaigning for women's rights within the sportRunner-upPeléFootballerHis outstanding contribution to footballRunner-up

Heat Seven – Artists and Writers Broadcast – 29 January 2019 Advocate – Lily Cole

IconOccupationChosen ForStatusPablo PicassoArtistHis outstanding contribution to painting and standing up in the face of war – in the case of Guernica.WinnerAlfred HitchcockFilmmakerChanging the world of directing and inventing the horror genreRunner-upVirginia WoolfWriterModernising writing despite mental illnessRunner-upAndy WarholArtistHis outstanding contribution to the Pop art movementRunner-up

Episode Eight – The Final This episode was broadcast live from Indigo at The O2, hosted by Nick Robinson and Claudia Winkleman on 5 February 2019.

+Icon CategoryOccupationChosen ForStatusNelson MandelaLeadersFormer President of South AfricaOvercoming imprisonment and leading South Africa out of apartheidFinalistErnest ShackletonExplorersExplorerLeading a particularly challenging South Pole expeditionFinalistAlan TuringScientistsCodebreakerDeciphering the Enigma machine and aiding an allied victory in World War IIWinnerDavid BowieEntertainersMusician and actorBreaking boundaries as a cutting-edge, Bisexual musicianFinalistMartin Luther King Jr.ActivistsCivil Rights CampaignerSuccessfully ending segregation in the United States through nonviolenceFinalistMuhammad AliSports StarsBoxerHis outstanding contribution to boxing and his anti-Vietnam war stance despite repercussionsFinalistPablo PicassoArtists and WritersArtistHis outstanding contribution to painting and standing up in the face of war – in the case of Guernica.Finalist

Controversy The Icons series attracted controversy after some people were left unhappy with those selected to represent each category. The Entertainers category sparked particular debate regarding the omission of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Madonna, and similar critiques were raised regarding Diana, Princess of Wales and John F. Kennedy's absence from the list.

References

External links