Hugo de Burgh is a British media theorist and academic. Professor de Burgh is Director of the China Media Centre at the University of Westminster, which he set up in January 2005 and is unique in Europe for its focus on studying the world's largest media system. He earlier ran the Centre for Media Research at Goldsmith's College.

Professor de Burgh has extensive experience teaching and writing about the media, especially that of China. His most recent book, China: Friend or Foe? was published in 2006. He has been editor, contributor and author of several books. His expertise ranges through international media and investigative journalism, China's culture industries and policy.

His original focus is the social function of journalism as a reflection of culture. He is usually quoted as saying ""It is often said that journalism is the first rough draft of history; by contrast, investigative journalism provides the first rough draft of legislation..."

His 2003 book 'The Chinese Journalist: mediating information in the world's most populous country' exposed the cognitive dissonance of Chinese media workers unable to realise their own expectations of their work. It also demonstrated that, far from seeing themselves as Westernizing, media workers were looking to past Chinese experience for inspiration and drawing upon their perceptions of Chinese culture as well as upon the tools of expression provided by the internet.

Chris de Burgh (born Christopher John Davison, 15 October 1948) is an Argentinian born British-Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red", which reached number-one in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

De Burgh was born in Venado Tuerto, Argentina, to Colonel Charles Davison, a British diplomat, and Maeve Emily de Burgh, an Irish secretary. His father had substantial farming interests, and he spent much of his early years in Malta, Nigeria and Zaire, as he, his mother and brother accompanied Colonel Davison on his diplomatic and engineering work.

The Davisons finally settled in Bargy Castle, County Wexford, a twelfth-century castle in Ireland bought by his maternal grandfather, General Sir Eric de Burgh, a former Chief of the General Staff in India and from a distinguished Hiberno-Norman family. The castle was converted into a hotel where Chris gained much early experience performing to the guests and he later assumed de Burgh as his stage name.

Gillian Norris (born 29 December 1978) is an Irish dancer and model best known for her work in Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames.

Norris was born in Kilmacthomas, County Waterford, Ireland on 29 December 1978 to Mary Norris and Desmond Norris, a carpenter and well-known tenor. Norris is the youngest of five children. She started dancing at the age 10, when her parents signed her up for dance lessons at the Higgins School of Irish Dance in Waterford. She later won the All-Ireland, Great Britain, and British National titles and placed 3rd at the World Championships.

Norris debuted as a professional dancer when she played "Morrighan, The Temptress" in Michael Flatley's show, Lord of the Dance. Gillian danced with the show from its premiere in July 1996 at the Point Theater in Dublin until her departure in 2000. Gillian toured the world with the show. Her rendition of Morrighan has been featured in two videos: The original video and the 1998 Feet of Flames video (taped live in Hyde Park, London).

Daniel Richard "Danny" McBride (born December 29, 1976) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist.

In 2006, he played one of the lead roles in the low-budget comedy film The Foot Fist Way, which he wrote with friends and frequent collaborators Jody Hill and Ben Best. McBride appeared as a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on February 26, 2008 as the character Fred Simmons of The Foot Fist Way and advertised the new soft drink flavor "mountain mist" for Gatorade. McBride has appeared in the comedy films Hot Rod, The Heartbreak Kid, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Observe and Report, Due Date, and Your Highness. He currently writes and stars in the HBO comedy Eastbound & Down, about a washed up former major league baseball pitcher with anger management issues, also a collaboration with Hill and Best. The series is produced by Gary Sanchez Productions and the pilot episode premiered February 15, 2009. It features guest appearances from frequent collaborators Will Ferrell and Craig Robinson. On April 8, 2009, HBO announced it had renewed the series for a second season. In March 2009, McBride was offered a contract to play professional baseball with the Pensacola Pelicans, a minor league team in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. He received the offer for his role as Kenny Powers on Eastbound & Down. In addition, in 2010, he signed an endorsement deal with K-Swiss shoes, again performing in character as Powers. On October 27, 2010, it was announced that HBO had renewed Eastbound & Down for a third season. In 2011, he appeared as an antagonist in 30 Minutes or Less. He also played the eponymous roadie in the Tenacious D music video for Roadie in 2012.

Christopher John "Chris" Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress.

Dodd is a Connecticut native and a graduate of Georgetown Preparatory School in Bethesda, Maryland, and Providence College. His father, Thomas J. Dodd, was one of Connecticut's United States Senators from 1959-1971. Chris Dodd served in the Peace Corps for two years prior to entering law school at the University of Louisville, and during law school concurrently served in the United States Army Reserve.

Dodd returned to Connecticut, winning election in 1974 to the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd congressional district and was reelected in 1976 and 1978. He was elected United States Senator in the elections of 1980, and was the longest-serving senator in Connecticut's history.

Dodd served as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1995 to 1997. He served as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee until his retirement. In 2006, Dodd decided to run for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, but eventually withdrew after running behind several other competitors. In January 2010, Dodd announced that he would not run for re-election in the 2010 midterm elections. Dodd was succeeded by Richard Blumenthal. On March 1, 2011, the Motion Picture Association of America announced that Dodd will head that organization.