Oona King's Biography

Oona King was born on the 22 October 1967 in Sheffield, and brought up in Camden in north west London.

Her father, Preston King was a professor of political science, and her mother Hazel was a teacher.

Like her contemporaries, David and Ed Miliband she went to Haverstock Comprehensive Secondary School.

She gained a first class politics degree from York University and a scholarship to Berkeley, California.

Oona King was elected to parliament in 1997 when she became the Labour MP for Bethnal Green & Bow. She stayed there until 2005, when she was defeated by George Galloway.

Oona King was appointed Baroness King of Bow in January 2011.

Her roles since losing her seat have included being a Diversity Executive at Channel 4.

In 2010 she lost out to Ken Livingstone in a bid to be selected as the Labour Party's candidate for London Mayor.

In 1994 she married Tiberio Santomarco.

She told Times Higher Education her favourite joke is:

"Knock knock.

Who's there? Oona.

Oona who? That's politics for you."

In 2013, she was paired with Mark Hanretty in Dancing on Ice. They were the third couple to be voted off the show.