I’ve spent a long stretch of my working life around TV sets, studio corridors, and the outer rings of red carpets, and one thing becomes clear after a while: real star power isn’t common. You can watch dozens of launches and premieres and feel nothing special. And then every once in a while, a person comes in, and the entire room changes. That spark is difficult to define, but you’ll recognise it when you see it. And at this moment, February 2026, there’s a clear difference in who is commanding attention and conversation.
The impact Jewish celebrities are having on the UK’s creative and sporting scene feels especially strong at the moment. It’s not just one breakout moment or a single headline name. It’s a wave. New wins, major deals, sold-out shows, record moves. The kind of stretch where different fields light up at the same time.
From comics finally getting proper credit after years of grind to athletes landing huge contracts and rewriting expectations, the stories landing this month are the kind people end up talking about for years. Miss these ten Jewish celebrities, and you’re basically skipping the most interesting part of what’s happening right now.
Daniel Radcliffe: The Prince of the Pivot
Most people still picture him as the kid with the lightning scar, and fair enough, that role stuck in pop culture forever. But Daniel Radcliffe showing up in 2026 feels like a totally different actor than the one people grew up with.
He’s leading the new NBC sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, playing a scrappy documentary filmmaker trying to rebuild a fallen sports star’s reputation. The big update this week, dated 6 February, is that Megan Thee Stallion has joined the cast as his on-screen love interest, which sounds unexpected but somehow works.
The pilot that aired after the playoffs surprised a lot of viewers in a good way. What stands out most is how steady he’s stayed through all the fame, while quietly building one of the most varied careers around.
Nigella Lawson: The Queen of the Tent
When the announcement dropped on 26 January, it spread fast and loud. Nigella Lawson is stepping in as a judge on The Great British Bake Off, taking over from Prue Leith. For a show some fans felt was getting a bit too comfortable, the replacement feels like a real refresh.
Nigella brings deep food knowledge, but never in a stiff or lecture style. It’s warmer, sharper, and a little playful at the same time.
Seeing her sit beside Paul Hollywood for the technical rounds is likely going to turn each episode into must-watch television when the new season lands. It’s the kind of casting move that gets people talking before a single cake hits the table.
Naomi Girma: The Million-Dollar Wall
If you’ve watched even a few of her matches, you get it straight away. Naomi Girma plays like someone who hates chaos and takes it personally. She reads the game early, steps in at the right second, and makes tough forwards look ordinary.
The Ethiopian Jewish defender hit the global news cycle with that reported $1.1 million switch to Chelsea FC Women, a fee that turned plenty of heads across the sport.
With the women’s side growing year by year, she’s now widely seen as one of the most dependable centre-backs around. When she lines up at Stamford Bridge, the back line just looks more settled. Teammates push higher because they trust what’s behind them.
Leo Reich: The Voice of the Chaos
The first time I saw Leo Reich was in a cramped little venue where the mic kept cutting, and nobody cared. The jokes still landed. That’s usually a good sign. Roll forward to 2026, and his name keeps popping up everywhere in British comedy chats.
He’s landed a part in Lena Dunham’s Netflix show Too Much, and his Channel 4 project It Gets Worse is already attracting interest before its full run has even been released. His humour is not tidy or polished, and that’s the point.
It’s awkward, fast, a little self-roasting and very on purpose. The mess is part of the rhythm, and audiences appear to be enthusiastically along for the ride.
Claudia Winkleman: The Traitor-in-Chief
Try putting together a list of British TV names right now, and it’s hard not to land on Claudia Winkleman within seconds. The fringe, the dark outfits, the half-serious, half-cheeky delivery, it’s all become part of the package.
She’s right in the middle of another strong stretch with the latest season of The Traitors and a brand new talk show running alongside it. What makes her work is that she never sounds like she’s reading a script, even when the moment is clearly staged.
One minute she’s building tension in that drafty castle setting, the next, she’s cracking a sideways joke that breaks it completely. Viewers stick with her because she feels natural, not polished to death, and that’s rarer than it sounds.
Kit Rakusen: The Heritage Star
Kit Rakusen is one of those names that keeps showing up in cast lists, but suddenly you realise it’s not random anymore. He’s been landing roles across big family titles like The Famous Five and the expanding Sonic the Hedgehog universe.
There’s also an interesting family thread behind him. He’s the great-great-grandson of Abraham Rakusen, who founded the well-known matzo company in Leeds, so there’s a slice of British Jewish history in the background there.
Even with that legacy, his current attention is coming from the screen work, not the surname. The early signs point to a career that’s only just getting started.
Bertie Newman: The Hackney Folk Hero
Bertie Newman is one of those musicians people discover and then feel oddly proud of, like they found him early. His start was pretty simple — singing in a synagogue choir in Hackney, learning how to hold a note before he ever touched a studio mic.
That background still shows, even though the songs he puts out now sit firmly in the lo-fi indie lane.
His latest track, Wasted On Me, has been stuck in heavy rotation for a lot of listeners, me included. The stream counts are high now, properly high, but the feel hasn’t changed much. He still comes across like the same East London open-mic regular who just happens to have a much bigger audience.
Judit Polgár: The Chess Legend
If you are at all interested in chess, you will already know of Judit Polgár’s place in the game—but she is back in a broader dialogue again thanks to Netflix’s new documentary, Queen of Chess, which was released on February 6, 2026.
It provides a narrative of her story that began in Hungary as a child through those headline-grabbing wins against top grandmasters, among them Garry Kasparov. No hype needed — the match records speak for themselves.
What stands out is how calmly she handled positions where others would fold. The film does a good job of showing the pressure as well as the precision. Even today, many players continue to cite her as the strongest female competitor the board has ever seen.
Sacha Baron Cohen: The Master of Disguise
With Sacha Baron Cohen, silence usually means something is cooking. He tends to disappear a bit before turning up with a project nobody had on their radar. That’s exactly where things sit in 2026. There’s work in progress, but details are locked down tight; even industry reporters are guessing.
His pattern hasn’t really changed over the years: build the character, drop into the world, let the situation expose itself. The humour hits because it isn’t soft or careful. It goes straight at the target. When he commits to a role, he stays in it long enough to make people forget there’s an actor underneath. That’s still his signature move.
Rachel Weisz: The Quiet Powerhouse
Rachel Weisz is in London at the moment, shooting a new psychological thriller, and word around the set is that it’s some of her best work in years. What’s always so noticeable about her performance, though, is how little of “herself” you see once she’s in character.
The posture changes, the tone changes, and even the way she holds a pause feels different from role to role. She can smoothly transition from impersonating a historical thinker to embodying a tough action figure and not look out of place in either.
There is nothing flashy about how she manages fame, and maybe that’s the point. Widely reported feuds and louder personalities may make the headlines, but her steady, craft-first style keeps earning respect across British cinema.
The Verdict on 2026’s Star Power
Put all of this together, and the pattern is hard to miss. From sport to comedy to television and film, these names keep showing up at the centre of the moment. Different fields, different styles, same impact. There’s a real range there.
I’m still curious to see how the Bake Off table feels with Nigella in that judge’s chair and whether she can crack Paul Hollywood’s serious face at least once. Good casting usually shows itself quickly.
Right now it feels like talent and background are lining up in a way that comes across as natural, not staged. If this group is any preview, the months ahead won’t be dull.
FAQs about Jewish Celebrities in 2026
Is Nigella Lawson really joining Bake Off?
Yes! It was announced in late January 2026. She is taking over from Prue Leith and judging with Paul Hollywood, who will start this summer.
Who is the most expensive female footballer?
Naomi Girma now has that title, after her $1.1 million transfer to Chelsea. She is a proud Ethiopian Jewish athlete and one of the top defenders in international football.
What is Daniel Radcliffe’s new show called?
It’s a sitcom known as The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. It also features Tracy Morgan and features Megan Thee Stallion as a guest star.
Where can I watch the Judit Polgár documentary?
Queen of Chess is available to stream on Netflix as of 6 February 2026.
Sources and References
- Nigella Lawson confirmed as new Great British Bake Off judge
- Megan Thee Stallion to star alongside Daniel Radcliffe in new sitcom
- Faces of the future: The Jewish stars to watch in 2026
- Chelsea FC: Naomi Girma joins in world record transfer deal
- Netflix: The Queen of Chess documentary release and review
