Olivia Arben
Model Olivia Arben was 16 years old when she lost her dad to heart disease. Olivia has been dedicated to working with the British Heart Foundation since 2017, taking part in various retail campaigns such as #BoughtAtBHF, helping promote pre-loved shopping and sustainability.
Olivia knows the devastating impact of heart and circulatory diseases and she is passionate about working with the BHF to raise awareness. Olivia’s support has been invaluable on many social media campaigns and corporate partnerships and most recently she attended the Beating Hearts Ball and was a judge and presenter at the Heart Hero Awards.
Gemma Atkinson
We have worked closely with actress Gemma Atkinson for many years. Gemma lost her dad to a heart attack when she was just 17. This prompted her to start supporting the BHF.
As a long-time supporter of the charity, Gemma has taken part in our TV appeal, Manchester to Blackpool Night Ride and fronted our Bag It Beat It campaign to help raise awareness of women and heart disease. Gemma has also been involved with our annual Heart Hero Awards.
As someone who lost a loved one, Gemma is keen to help others who have suffered from a similar loss or living with a heart condition. After years of support, we are proud to have Gemma as an ambassador and look forward to the future work we can do together.
Roger Black MBE
Olympic silver medallist and world champion, Roger Black MBE, is a long-time supporter of the BHF after being diagnosed with congenital heart disease aged 11.
Over the years, Roger has been involved in various campaigns, press opportunities and events including most recently the BHF’s My Step Challenge. Roger is passionate about encouraging people of all ages to exercise and get moving - particularly those in the heart patient community.
Yinka Bokinni
Yinka is a Capital XTRA DJ and hosts the weekday breakfast show. When not on radio, you’ll also find Yinka on your screen, presenting numerous music events, festivals and TV documentaries.
Yinka has been involved with the BHF for a few years including hosting behind the scenes content and being a judge at our annual Heart Hero Awards. Yinka has also hosted a talk with the One Beat members, BHF’s support group for young people living with heart conditions. As someone with her own heart condition, Yinka enjoys meeting supporters, other people with heart conditions and learning more about the research we do.
Through her role as Ambassador, Yinka is passionate about providing hope and encouragement for other young people living with similar conditions.
Lindsay Davis
Lindsay is a former Miss Ohio who retired from her promising career as a dancer after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) aged 17. She is a passionate advocate and campaigner who has championed legislation mandating CPR and defibrillator training in several US states. She led the passage of the eponymous “Lindsay’s Law” which protects children from sudden cardiac death.
Lindsay has received numerous awards for her work, including the President George H W Bush’s Point of Light Award, Salim Yusuf Emerging Leader from the World Heart Foundation and The Bakken Invitation. Through her role as BHF Ambassador she is raising awareness of our lifesaving work, building new networks of supporters and fundraising for cutting-edge research, including the CureHeart initiative which aims to develop cures for her condition.
Becky and Ellie Downie
Becky and Ellie Downie are known for being Olympic gymnasts (Ellie has recently retired from the sport).
The BHF is a charity that is extremely close to their hearts. Their brother Josh died from a sudden cardiac arrest in 2021 whilst he was playing cricket. CPR was attempted before he was taken to hospital, but nothing could be done to save him. He was just 24. They later found out that he had a condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, which is genetic and something they continue to be monitored for.
Becky and Ellie are passionate about supporting the BHF and know there is more research that needs to be done, which could prevent others from losing their loved ones.
They have supported us in a number of campaigns and events since 2021, including London Marathon 2022 and they also judged and presented an award at our annual Heart Hero Awards.
The BHF are thrilled to have Becky and Ellie as ambassadors for the British Heart Foundation and we look forward to their future support.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Ranulph is a long-time supporter of the BHF and knows first-hand the dangers of heart disease. In 2003, he suffered a heart attack followed by several cardiac arrests. He then underwent an emergency heart bypass performed by our heart surgeon Professor Angelini.
Despite leading an active lifestyle, Ranulph has demonstrated that heart disease can strike almost anyone.
Ranulph fully credits the amazing work of our very own Professor Angelini for saving his life and in allowing him to carry on doing what he loves taking on huge climbs, all-terrain marathons and other extreme challenges.
Ranulph has supported many campaigns and events including most recently our Beating Hearts Ball.
Sarah Ferguson
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York is passionate about helping highlight the devastating effects of heart and circulatory diseases, particularly amongst women. Sadly, she knows first-hand the devastating impact of heart disease, which tragically took the life of close family friend Miles Frost, son of the late Sir David Frost.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has been involved in numerous initiatives, campaigns and events including visiting our research centres, speaking at events and most recently taking part in our annual Heart Hero Awards as both a judge and presenter.
David Ginola
David Ginola suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a charity match in 2016. Since this life changing moment, David has been committed to help spread the importance of learning CPR in an attempt to save more lives.
David has done many things for BHF over the years including presenting the CPR Hero Award at our annual Heart Hero Awards. He has also been involved in BHF’s Heart Month campaign and promoting RevivR, our 15 minute online CPR training.
David’s main passion is CPR – he wants as many people as possible to learn it as this is what saved his life.
The BHF are delighted to have David as an official Ambassador and through this role, we look forward to working together to push the importance of CPR, ensuring as many people as possible learn this life saving skill.
Vernon Kay
Vernon Kay is one of the most experienced and versatile broadcasters in the UK, with a career spanning over 20 years across live entertainment, magazine shows and sports broadcasting. Vernon also has a daytime show on BBC Radio 2.
Vernon has been involved with the BHF for a number of years hosting our annual Heart Hero Awards for five years in a row. The BHF Heart Hero Awards are a really special evening where we recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution from our supporters – from young children who have bravely undergone multiple heart surgeries and families who’ve raised thousands for the BHF in memory of a loved one, to those who’ve performed CPR in an effort to save another’s life.
Vernon has been a wonderful supporter of the BHF over the years and we are looking forward to continuing to work together to raise awareness and vital funds for the BHF’s life-saving work.
Mac twins
The Macfarlane twins, Lisa and Alana, are DJs, presenters, authors and founders of The Gut Stuff – a place that advocates for good gut health.
In 2014, Lisa and Alana’s lives changed forever when their father, Kenny, suddenly died from a heart attack whilst playing golf at the age of 58. Since this tragic incident, Lisa and Alana have been committed to supporting BHF’s life saving research.
Over the years, the twins have done many things to support the BHF, from running the London Marathon in memory of their father, to attending and DJing at many of our fundraising events such as our annual Heart Hero Awards. They most recently hosted a cook along with one of our corporate partners, Mindful Chef.
Lisa and Alana have been such wonderful supporters of the BHF over the years and we are delighted to have them as Ambassadors.
Pippa Middleton
Pippa has supported the BHF for many years, getting involved in several fundraising initiatives, and campaigns including the epic 3,000-mile Race Across America cycling challenge and BHF’s flagship London to Brighton Bike Ride.
Pippa has attended events, donated prizes, supported corporate partnerships and has raised vital funds for our life saving research by creating a heart healthy recipe book, Heartfelt, which is available in our online shop.
Luke Pritchard
Front man with legendary indie rock band, The Kooks, Luke Pritchard has a very personal connection to the BHF. He was just three years old when his father died of a heart attack – an event that has influenced his career and his music. Luke understands the devastating reality of experiencing heart and circulatory disease which is why it’s so important to Luke to support the BHF.
Luke has supported the BHF over the past few years including being involved in our Heart Hero Awards as a judge, presenter and performer. It is an honour to have Luke as a BHF ambassador and we look forward to seeing what we can create together.
Ollie Proudlock
Ollie Proudlock currently balances several businesses, a successful YouTube channel and collaborates daily with highly recognisable fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands on his Instagram channel. Stepping into the public eye as an original cast member on E4’s Made in Chelsea, Ollie has since founded his first business, a fashion and jewellery brand titled Serge DeNimes.
Ollie lost his dad to heart disease and has been committed to raising awareness of the BHF for many years. Ollie has been involved in many of our BHF campaigns and events, such as the Beating Hearts Ball, as a judge at our annual Heart Hero Awards and has supported retail and corporate campaigns.
After years of dedication to the BHF, we are proud to have Ollie as an ambassador and look forward to the future work we can do together.
Dame Esther Rantzen
Journalist and TV Presenter Esther Rantzen first started supporting us when she used our home stores free collection service to help with her house move.
Esther's late husband, documentary maker Desmond Wilcox, battled heart disease for years, which is why she is also passionate about our life-saving research.
Over the years, Esther has supported on various initiatives including retail campaigns and our volunteer programme. She continues to be a regular donor to our BHF shops.
S Club
Pop group S Club have been supporting the BHF since 2023 in memory of their much-loved band member Paul Cattermole who died in April 2023 at the age of 46, from an underlying heart condition.
The band know first-hand the heartbreaking impact of heart and circulatory diseases and in September 2023, they supported our Spotlight On campaign to raise awareness of the devastating impact of hidden heart conditions. As part of this, S Club encouraged fans and people across the country to post a picture on social media with the hand heart gesture to show their support and tagging their post with #showyourhearts.
S Club also dedicated the first night of their 25th anniversary reunion Good Times Tour in Manchester to the BHF in Paul’s memory.
As part of Heart Month, S Club visited Clapton Girls’ Academy in Hackney to take part in Classroom RevivR, the BHF’s free tool to help students learn lifesaving CPR, by joining pupils to master the skills needed to help save a life.
The BHF are delighted to announce S Club as BHF Ambassadors. They have been wonderful supporters and are truly passionate about raising awareness of the charity and its lifesaving work.
David and Frankie Seaman
David and Frankie Seaman became BHF Ambassadors in September 2021, having been fantastic supporters of the BHF for many years. They have been involved with many different events and campaigns including our flagship London to Brighton event that saw David take to his bike, Frankie was on the committee for the Beating Hearts Ball, David hosted our online football quiz alongside fellow former footballer Glenn Hoddle, and they have both judged our Heart Hero Awards twice.
It is an honour to have them both as Ambassadors for the BHF and we look forward to their further involvement in our work.
Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness, the former Liverpool FC Manager, was diagnosed with coronary heart disease after 3 of his arteries were blocked. Throughout his life, Graeme has undergone several operations and has suffered from a heart attack.
Graeme knows first hand the impact of heart and circulatory disease and is passionate about supporting people going through similar experiences. Graeme has been involved in numerous campaigns and events, he has visited our labs to learn more about our research and has met heart patients. Most recently Graeme was involved with our annual Heart Hero Awards.
James Taylor
Former England cricketer James Taylor was forced to retire from professional cricket when he was diagnosed with the inherited heart condition arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).
James is passionate about supporting our life saving research to find new ways to prevent, detect and treat heart conditions like ARVC. Over the years James has visited our research lab at St Thomas’ Hospital with fellow BHF Ambassador Graeme Souness, he has supported various campaigns and fundraising events and he was involved with BHF’s Heart Hero Awards as both a judge and presenter.
Dr Hazel Wallace
Hazel was just 14 years old when she lost her dad to a stroke. It was for this reason that Hazel went on to become a doctor and started The Food Medic – an educational platform that advises on the latest thoughts and developments in nutrition and other lifestyle factors.
Hazel’s interest in health stems from her passion to help prevent others losing their parents and loved ones before their time.
Hazel has been supporting the BHF since 2017 in many different ways such as hosting various events, using her platform to help educate the public about heart disease.
She has supported corporate partnerships including our current partnership with Tesco, and most recently she featured prominently in the Heart FM x BHF ‘World Heart Day’ collaboration. In addition, Hazel often posts information about the BHF and the work we do, educating and raising awareness among her many followers.