Beth Ditto: Which living person do you most admire, and why?

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Beth Ditto said elsewhere, not written here

There are far too many to choose.

The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 July 2012 source ↗

Others on this question

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Renée Zellweger

Jimmy Carter. Michelle Obama. Barack Obama. Geoffrey Canada. Tank Man. Marian Wright Edelman. Madeleine Albright. King Abdullah II of Jordan. Norman Lear. Malala Yousafzai. Beyoncé Knowles.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, February 2017 source ↗

Rafael Nadal Spanish professional tennis player, 2001–2024

Just normal people from my hometown, from my country.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, October 2010 source ↗

John Malkovich American actor

I admire the mother of my children a great deal, because she’s interesting, smart and funny.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 March 2018 source ↗

Bear Grylls

I love and admire Julia Roberts, one of our Running Wild guests, for the way she has a few close friends, is loyal to her family, doesn’t believe in all the fame stuff and can laugh at herself.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 January 2026 source ↗