Radio Times TV 100 2019 – the full list
Phoebe Waller-Bridge tops a list of the biggest stars on television – but who else makes this year's rundown?
Who has captured the imagination of TV viewers in the past year? Which stars are at the top of broadcasters’ wish lists, who landed the biggest roles, and who masterminded the moments that had you glued to your screen?
The Radio Times TV 100 put those questions to some of the most powerful television executives and broadcasting veterans who suggested names they thought should be included - and the final 100 was selected by a RadioTimes.com panel of editors.
The result is a rundown of 100 TV stars who've had a tremendous past 12 months. See the full list below…
1. Phoebe Waller-Bridge
"Phoebe is a phenomenal force of nature who has taken the world by storm with her breathtakingly original voice (creations Fleabag and Killing Eve). She’s an utterly unique writer and performer whose emotional honesty and mischievous wit constantly surprises and captures the zeitgeist, and leaves the audience only craving more. I can't wait to see what she’s done to 007!" CHARLOTTE MOORE - BBC’s Director of Content
2. Stephen Graham
"Stephen has been giving us captivating and vivid performances on screen for years. He excels at bringing humanity to complex, challenging characters, which he manages to imbue with absolute truth and credibility. From This Is England to Save Me, he has shown what a brave and emotionally inquisitive actor he is. He gives himself over to each role completely, and as an audience, you can’t help but respond in kind.
"This year feels like a defining moment. His portrayal of Joseph in Shane Meadow’s The Virtues was astonishing. It completely blew my mind. And to move from that into playing Anthony Provenzano in Scorsese's The Irishman, shows just how vast his range is. The rest of the world is finally waking up to his immense talent and audience appeal. I can’t wait to see what he does next." NIRA PARK - TV and Film Producer
3. Rylan Clark-Neal
"Rylan has a brilliant connection with the audience, he’s naughty and warm but incredibly sharp too. He brings something fresh to our screens with that elusive human touch." CHARLOTTE MOORE - BBC’s Director of Content
4. Ashley Walters
“Ashley Walters is a true Renaissance man - a gifted actor, musician, father, brilliant collaborator, leader, friend-and this year, all his myriad talents were on full display, including his stunning return as Dushane Hill in Top Boy." ARIA MOFFLY - Netflix content executive
5. Emily Maitlis
“Emily was already having a fantastic year. As lead presenter of Newsnight, she’d brought renewed urgency and clarity, making the show unmissable again. Who will forget her exceptional interview on College Green with a tearful Nicholas Soames and rueful Ken Clarke as they reflected on the abrupt end to their long careers as Tory MPs? But then, together with producer Samantha McAlister, she landed and delivered the scoop of the year. Her interview with Prince Andrew made for spellbinding television and was a masterclass in long form interrogative journalism. The nation was gripped. Brilliant.” PATRICK HOLLAND - Controller BBC Two
6. Stacey Dooley
"Stacey's star rose to new heights on prime time TV as she held aloft the Strictly Come Dancing glitter ball in December last year. But since then her career has gone from strength to strength with hard-hitting documentaries on the BBC and her own investigative series on W. Add to that entertainment formats and regular presenting gigs, and you have a year that has demonstrated the versatility of Stacey as a journalist, presenter and broadcaster." TIM GLANFIELD - Editorial Director, RadioTimes.com
7. Motsi Mabuse
"While she’s been a familiar face to German audiences since her debut on their version of Strictly Come Dancing in 2007, in this country 2019 has seen Motsi go from relative unknown to one of the queens of Saturday night, showcasing her effervescent personality – and killer dance moves – as a judge on the biggest entertainment show on British TV. Now that's what I call a good year." PAUL JONES - Executive Editor, RadioTimes.com
8. Jodie Comer
"Jodie Comer inhabited the role of [Killing Eve's] Vilanelle with a bravura that captured everyone's attention and hearts." PHILLIPPA GILES - Managing Director, Bandit TV
9. Vicky McClure
“Vicky’s got the incredibly rare combination of star quality and down-to-earth authenticity that sets her apart as an actor. She brings warmth, honesty and empathy to every performance.” JED MERCURIO – Line of Duty creator/writer
10. RuPaul
"RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has been an unequivocal hit for BBC Three. It reached young audiences and, with over 10 million requests on iPlayer, is our most popular entertainment show since we went online. There was big pressure and a lot of responsibility on our shoulders to deliver something special but Mama Ru, the guest judges and our first UK queens served us some truly spectacular TV moments. Series two arrives next year with, of course, more Ru Peter badges to be won and a new crown to be claimed - we’re already gagged for the next instalment." FIONA CAMPBELL - Controller BBC Three
The TV 100 2019 panel
The below suggested names for the final list, which was created and ordered by RadioTimes.com editors
Charlotte Moore – Director of Content, BBC
Kevin Lygo – Director of Television, ITV
Shane Allen – Comedy controller, BBC
Patrick Holland – Controller, BBC2
Peter Salmon – Chief Creative Officer, Endemol Shine
Marina Storti – Managing Director, NOW TV
Richard Cowles – Creative Director, ITV Studios
Zai Bennet – MD Content, Sky
Damien Timmer – Managing Director, Mammoth Screen
Nira Park – TV and film producer
Syeda Irtizaali - Commissioning editor, Channel 4
Phillipa Gile - Managing Director, Bandit TV
Dame Pippa Harris – Chair of Bafta and founder of Neal Street Productions
Cassian Harrison – Controller, BBC4
Amelia Brown – Managing Director, Thames Television
Aria Moffly – Content executive, Netflix
Georgia Brown – Director European Originals, Amazon
Liam Humphries – CEO UK, Freemantle
Alex Sapot – Director of Original Series, Netflix
11. Fiona Bruce
12. Naga Munchetty
13. Olivia Colman
14. Jack Thorne
15. Ncuti Gatwa
16. Richard Madeley
17. Jane Tranter
18. Jesse Armstrong
19. Ricky Gervais
20. Emily Watson
SPOTLIGHT ON: Emily Watson
"Whoever played the role of Ulana in Chernobyl had to be hugely talented as the character was created to embody the conscience and bravery of dozens of scientists and medical experts, many of whom were women, who risked so much in the pursuit of truth in the aftermath of the 1986 nuclear explosion. Emily Watson navigated this challenge with ease and her performance undoubtedly shone against the bleak and terrifying backdrop that the man-made disaster created." - MARINA STORTI - Managing Director, NOW TV
21. Andrew Scott
22. Alex Scott
SPOTLIGHT ON: Alex Scott
"Alex Scott is quickly becoming a household name on merit for her roles in BBC and Sky Sports football punditry. She brings insight and energy to studio discussions. Her opinions and passion for the game are genuine. A refreshing, fair presence in a sea of snarling, boisterous characters who rely on airing controversial opinions ahead of their own to stay relevant." MICHAEL POTTS - Sport Editor, RadioTimes.com
23. David Benioff and Dan Weiss
24. Charlie Brooker
25. Russell T Davies
SPOTLIGHT ON: Russell T Davies
“With Years and Years, Russell T Davies combined the slow burn character genius of Queer as Folk with his forward-thinking Doctor Who imagination to create a blistering, damning yet incredibly entertaining look at the world we now live in – and where we’re headed. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else pulling it off.” HUW FULLERTON - Sci-Fi and Fantasy Editor, RadioTimes.com
26. Laura Kuenssberg
27. Ryan Murphy
28. Lisa McGee
29. Jamie Demetriou
30. Gillian Anderson
31. Jeff Pope
32. Piers Morgan
33. Alan Sugar
34. Nina Gold
35. Ava DuVernay
36. Natasha Lyonne
37. Natasia Demetriou
SPOTLIGHT ON: Natasia Demetriou
"A bumper year with iconic roles in What We Do In The Shadows, Stath Lets Flats and her own sketch show Ellie & Natasha (pilot 2019, series 2020). A star was born, had a little brother [Jamie Demetriou] and shared the limelight." SHANE ALLEN - Controller, BBC Comedy Commissioning
38. Graham Norton
39. Sharon Horgan
40. Niamh Algar
41. Charlie Covell
42. Jed Mercurio
43. Bradley Walsh
44. Josh O’Connor
45. Cillian Murphy
46. Ant and Dec
47. Emerald Fennell
48. Maisie Williams
49. Mo Gilligan
50. Sarah Phelps
51. Brit Marling
52. David Attenborough
53. Charlie Cooper
54. Daisy May Cooper
55. Annabel Jones
56. Guz Khan
57. Lenny Henry
58. Daisy Haggard
SPOTLIGHT ON: Daisy Haggard
"[BBC Three's] Back To Life was Daisy’s first television series as a writer and creator and when she pitched the idea to us, we jumped at the chance to work with her. Miri’s story came from Daisy’s passion for telling underdog stories and the different treatment women get in relation to crime than men, especially in the media. She’s managed to create a wonderfully complicated character, fighting for a second chance in a world that makes it so desperately hard for her. Daisy is a unique talent and a true hero and I can’t wait for fans to see where she will take Miri’s story in series two." SARAH HAMMOND - Two Brothers Pictures
59. Ruth Madeley
60. Mobeen Azhar
61. Brian Cox
62. Louis Theroux
63. Nabhaan Rizwan
64. Jodie Whittaker
65. Samson Kayo
66. Oti Mabuse
67. Shane Meadows
68. Emilia Clarke
69. Romesh Ranganathan
70. Jessica Barden
71. Susan Wokoma
72. Chris Mason
SPOTLIGHT ON: Chris Mason
"As if being a BBC political correspondent isn't enough to keep someone busy in an age of Brexit, Chris Mason, has not only managed to keep up with the relentless schedule as one quarter of the brilliant Brexitcast presenting team and take over from Jonathan Dimbleby after 32 years as chair of Any Questions?.. but also became a social media star when his "I think you might as well ask Mr Blobby for his analysis," interview about Brexit saw him go global from the pages of Le Parisien to the attention of HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." TIM GLANFIELD - Editorial Director, RadioTimes.com
73. Akemnji Ndifornyen
74. Nish Kumar
75. David Harbour
76. Heidi Thomas
77. Simon Cowell
78. Helena Bonham Carter
79. Aidan Turner
80. Sally Wainwright
81. James Corden
82. David Olusoga
83. Keeley Hawes
84. Ade Adepitan
85. David Tennant
86. Mishal Husain
87. Holliday Grainger
88. Freddie Fox
89. Asim Chaudhry
90. Gary Lineker
91. Sandra Oh
92. David Oyelowo
93. Emma Mackey
SPOTLIGHT ON: Emma Mackey
“Sex Education has been nothing short of a global phenomenon since exploding onto Netflix in 2019, helped in no short part thanks to a critically acclaimed lead performance from Emma as Maeve Wiley. With season two hitting our screens in January, it looks like there’s more success to come for Emma very soon…” EMMA POWELL - News Editor, RadioTimes.com
94. Sophie Rundle
95. Stephen Mulhern
96. Nicola Walker
97. Joe Barton
98. Lesley Manville
99. Helen McCrory
100. Liz Bonnin
Authors
Morgan Jeffery is the Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all editorial output across the brand's digital platforms. He was previously TV Editor at Digital Spy and has featured as a TV expert on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Atlantic.
