No Brianer? Five great lives of Brian

It’s not been the easiest few weeks for Brians, what with Brian Blessed collapsing on stage during a production of King Lear. Now a Thames Valley Police horse of the same name may have it changed to Hercules.

Is this, then, the beginning of the end of the Brian era? We think not.

Here are five Brians whose legacy proves there’s still life in the old name yet.

Brian Cox

Once a member of 1990s rock group D:Ream, Brian Cox grew to become the country’s best-known physicists and TV broadcasters. His ability to simplify the complicated has won him numerous plaudits.

Brian May

The guitar god has written some of the world’s most memorable rock anthems. His band Queen is a global phenomenon. Now the 67-year-old is carving a career in activism, with interests that include animal rights and astronomy.

Brian Mulroney

In 1984 he led the federal Conservatives to the biggest election victory in Canadian history. In nearly a decade his leadership was praised on a number of controversial including free trade and taxes. Both are factors that dramatically changed the political landscape in Canada.

Brian Eno

Described as Britain’s “great cultural chameleon”, Brian Eno has shaped contemporary British music. After he left Roxy Music in 197 he produced for David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2.

Brian Blessed

The booming-voiced 78-year-old is one of the country’s best-known actors – in a career that spans more than six decades. The veteran actor recently withdrew from a production of King Lear after collapsing on stage.