King's College London

This year, seven new recipients were awarded Fellowships during our summer graduation ceremonies at the Royal Festival Hall. They shared inspiring speeches with new graduates, reflecting on the life experiences that have brought them to this point. 

Jasvir Singh CBE (History, 2001)

Jasvir is a prominent family law barrister, media commentator, social activist and co-founder of South Asian Heritage Month. He has received several high-profile honours for his services to charity, faith communities and social cohesion.

In 2023, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire, becoming the youngest Sikh to receive this honour at the time. In the same year, Jasvir was named Alum of the Year in the King’s Distinguished Alumni Awards. This accolade recognised his dedication to the KCL community through mentorship and advocacy

Jane Tranter CBE (English Literature, 1984) 

Made a CBE and a recipient of the BAFTA Special Award for her contribution to television in 2025, Jane is one of the TV industry’s most experienced executives.

Jane previously served as the BBC’s Controller of Drama and Controller of Fiction. She then moved to Los Angeles to found and run commercial production companies BBC Worldwide Productions and Adjacent Productions. 

In 2015, she returned to the UK and co-founded the production company, Bad Wolf. Her credits include numerous Emmy and BAFTA-winning titles including Doctor Who and Succession, where she also served as Executive Producer.

Howard Dawber OBE (German with French, 1991) 

As a student at King’s, Howard served as Editor‑in‑Chief of Roar and he was closely associated with the creation of the Student Union’s TuTu’s venue in the Macadam Building.

Howard's career included roles as Managing Director at Canary Wharf Group, where he was involved in the development of the Elizabeth Line and supporting the 2012 Olympic Bid and Olympic Legacy. He also worked on commercial inward investment projects in tech, health and life sciences, and financial services.

Howard is currently Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth. Since 2019, he has been sharing his insights and experience with King's students, both through placements and as a guest speaker on academic modules.

JB Gill (Theology)

JB Gill is an award-winning singer, broadcaster, radio host, author, entrepreneur and philanthropist, best known as a member of the BRIT Award-winning, multi-platinum-selling group JLS.

With a career spanning music, television, radio and publishing, he has become one of the UK’s most versatile and respected personalities. Alongside his work in entertainment, JB is a passionate advocate for British farming and sustainability, and he is committed to supporting charitable causes that positively impact children, families and communities.

Antony Radakin (Defence Studies, 2000) 

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin is a retired senior Royal Navy officer who served as the UK's Chief of the Defence Staff from 2021 to September 2025. He was the first naval officer in two decades to do so.

A qualified barrister, his notable career featured a 40-year tenure, including commanding HMS Norfolk and coordinating Western military support during the Ukraine conflict.

Robert Blackburn

Robert Blackburn, Professor of Constitutional Law at King’s, has served the University with great distinction for more than 40 years. 

He has taught generations of King’s undergraduates and graduate students, often in innovative courses that he designed. He has led his department and key programmes within it, and he has generated research which has resulted not only in scholarly acclaim but also in marked impact beyond academia. 

He is an expert in democratic elections, human rights, the Crown and Royal affairs, parliamentary law and procedure, and the codification of constitutional law.  Robert is a model of the distinguished and well-rounded academic.

Sunny Mann (Law, 1997)

Sunny is the Global Chair of Baker McKenzie, a leading international law firm employing more than 12,000 people across 70+ cities. Sunny has many proud connections to King’s – as an alumnus (LLB Law, 1997), a visiting lecturer since 1997 and a visiting professor since 2025.

Sunny has been supporting King’s and our students for many years – he has often hosted events for English Law & French Law LLB students, and he established the Rajinder Mann bursary to support undergraduate students from under-represented backgrounds during their time studying law at King’s.

Other previous Fellowship awardees include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, comedian Jo Brand and Olympic athlete Dame Katherine Grainger.