Who is the most iconic Brummie? Jack Grealish, Ozzy Osbourne & more named but see who Birmingham people chose

We’re not short of examples when it comes to Brummies who have transformed the way we experience life. From pioneers of industry to groundbreaking artists, Birmingham has been the centre of many of the world’s greatest innovations. We hit the streets of Birmingham to ask who people think is the most iconic Brummy of all time.

Plenty of options for Brummies to choose from. J.R.R. Tolkien, Dame Julie Walters, John Cadbury, Jasper Carrot, Joseph Priestley and even Adrian Chiles -  Birmingham is a city which has birthed some of the most iconic figures this country has produced. But out of all the people we asked today, a clear winner emerged.

Katie says: “I have to say JRR Tolkien. You know, he wrote The Lord of the Rings. You know, half of his creations from the stories actually are from parts of Birmingham.”

Warren says: “The most iconic has got to be Jasper Carrott because he’s such a comedian. But if you go outside the distance, outside the Brummie - the Black Country, to me it’s Lenny Henry. Lenny Henry is a legend.”

Brian says: “Lisa Potts, Lisa, or now she’s married - Lisa Webb. She defended little children from an attack with a machete. She decided that she was going to put the children first and save lives. And that’s what she did on that fateful day.

Jake says: “Ozzy Osbourne - he’s just a legend. It just goes without saying. Everybody knows who Ozzy is and the Americans know who he is. Whenever I meet Americans and they ask where I’m from and I say Birmingham, and they’re like, I’m from where Ozzy Osbourne is from and they love that. It goes without saying.”

A career spanning five decades and a name synonymous with the genre of heavy metal - the Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne has been crowned the clear winner by his fellow Brummies. A born and bred Brummie, raised in the working-class suburb of Aston. Osbourne rose to prominence in the 1970s with his band Black Sabbath who helped to pioneer the Heavy Metal genre. Ozzy’s unique voice and stage presence was a big part of their appeal, earning his spot as a household name across much of the Western world.

Now in his early 70s, despite a recent bout of poor health he made a surprise appearance performing at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games - with a strong reception from audiences. A recent campaign by local MPs to grant Black Sabbath royal honours, a call for a permanent exhibition in the city dedicated to the and and this bench in pride of place here on Broad Street - Ozzy   is a much loved figure here in Birmingham and a true icon of the city.

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