50 facts about model David Gandy

Gandy's flatmate entered him into a model-search competition on ITV's This Morning hosted by Richard and Judy, and that's how his career began! Learn 50 facts about English model David Gandy.

1. Gandy was born in Billericay, Essex, England.

2. Is the son of working-class parents who ran a property and freight company.

3. In his youth, he wanted to be a veterinary surgeon but his school marks were not high enough.

4. While attending university, he went to work for Auto Express, delivering the latest Porsches and Jaguars to the track for testing.

5. Before graduating from the University of Gloucestershire, where he was studying multi-media computing and marketing, Gandy's flatmate entered him (without his knowledge) into a model-search competition on ITV's This Morning hosted by Richard and Judy.

6. On 27 June, 2001, the 21-year-old Gandy won the competition which included a contract with Select Model Management in London.

7. His full name is David James Gandy.

8. He is an English model.

9. After winning a televised competition in 2001, Gandy became a successful model.

10. In an industry dominated by skinny males, Gandy's muscular build caught the eye of Italian fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana. For several years, the duo featured him in their campaigns and fashion shows, ultimately leading other designers to move to a more masculine standard.

11. Gandy has been the face of D&G's Light Blue fragrance since 2006, shooting multiple campaigns and touring internationally as the brand's ambassador.

12. Having gained a reputation for his personal style, Gandy began writing a blog for British Vogue and lifestyle articles for Telegraph Men.

13. He also launched two mobile apps: one for physical fitness and the other for style tips.

14. Gandy was appointed by the British Fashion Council to their committee for 'London Collections: Men' to be a representative of the British fashion industry.

15. In 2014, he moved beyond modelling to designing his own range of underwear, lounge-wear and swimwear for Marks & Spencer, which became one of the company's top-selling clothing lines.

16. Gandy was repeatedly included on British GQ's list of 'Best Dressed Men' and was named the 'Most Stylish Man of the Year' in 2015 at their Men of the Year awards gala.

17. Gandy started his own production company and has invested in small companies and film projects.

18. He has also participated in numerous charity fundraisers, most prominently as the celebrity ambassador for the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Style for Soldiers charity and the 'Blue Steel Appeal', his own non-profit foundation.

19. He is a car enthusiast.

20. Gandy started writing car reviews for GQ in 2010 and has made televised appearances on Classic Car Show.

21. He obtained a racing license in 2012.

22. Competed in the 2013 and 2015 Mille Miglia Italian endurance races as well as powerboat races with Martini Racing.

23. During the early years of his career, Gandy modelled for a variety of companies including: Shiatzy Chen, 7 for all Mankind, Zara, Gant U.S.A., Hugo Boss, Russell & Bromley, H&M, Carolina Herrera, Massimo Dutti and others.

24. In 2009, portrait and fashion photographer Rankin recreated seven iconic photographs in a BBC Four Special entitled, "Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion." He selected Gandy to recreate 'Fred with Tires', originally shot by Herb Ritts in 1984.

25. In 2011, the fashion house published "David Gandy by Dolce & Gabbana", a 280-page photographic coffee table book of images chronicling their years of collaboration and they hosted public events in Milan where Gandy met fans and signed autographs.

26. In 2012, he began to model for British retailer Marks & Spencer and was named the brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker Blue Label

27. In September, Gandy and Jaguar released a short film called "Escapism" which featured Gandy driving models such as the C-Type, E-Type, XKSS as well as the new F-Type.

28. Gandy was named the face of SM Men's Fashion (one of the largest department stores in the Philippines) and made a brief runway appearance during Philippine Fashion Week.

29. In May 2014, Gandy was cast as Jennifer Lopez's love interest in her "First Love" music video. The video, directed by Anthony Mandler, was shot on location in the Mojave Desert during a sandstorm.

30. In August, Savile Row tailor Henry Poole & Co announced they were expanding into the Japanese fashion market and that Gandy would be the lead model for their campaigns and adverts.

31. In October 2011, London's Evening Standard invited Gandy to be guest writer/editor of their Men's Issue.

32. His physique has inspired fitness-industry interviews, exercise videos as well as his own fitness app which was released in Dec 2012.

33. After receiving his racing license in 2012, Gandy was invited to be one of the drivers in the 2013 Mille Miglia ("1,000 Mile") regularity trial in Italy.

34. Gandy participated in the Mille Miglia again in 2015; his new co-driver was television presenter Jodie Kidd. The pair drove a Jaguar XK120 and came in 171st out of more than 400 cars that participated.

35. On 25 August, 2015 Vector Martini announced Gandy was one of six celebrities joining their Speedboat Racing Team. On 6 September, Gandy was on the Vector Martini Powerboat team in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race. They won both legs of the race and were the overall winners.

36. In 2008, Spanish Glamour magazine named Gandy "Most Beautiful International Male Face".

37. The Evening Standard included Gandy in their list of "London's 1,000 Most Influential People" for 2011 and again for 2012.

38. On 10 March, Gandy received the first Man of the Year award at the 2014 Rodial Beautiful Awards.

39. Received the first Founders Award from the annual Scottish Fashion Awards "...for his support of Scottish and British fashion over the last nine years".

40. In December, Harper's Bazaar included Gandy in their list of "Best Dressed Men of 2014".

41. In 2015, specialty publisher Debrett's, originally known for its listing of British peerage, included Gandy on their list of the "500 Most Influential People in Britain - 2015" under the Fashion category. They described Gandy as "...the most famous male model to come out of Britain" and noted his successful design work with Marks and Spencer.

42. On 8 September, Gandy was named "Most Stylish Man of 2015" by British GQ at their annual Men of the Year Awards Gala. He was also featured on the cover of the magazine for the first time.

43. GQ Australia named him the "International Style Icon" at their 2015 Men of the Year Awards event in Sydney.

44. Gandy has an older sister, who lives in Spain.

45. In 2011, he dated Mollie King, a singer with the girl band The Saturdays but ten months later, the couple announced they had broken off their relationship.

46. He dated English model Sarah Ann Macklin for about a year from May 2012 to their break-up in 2013.

47. In 2015, Gandy and King confirmed that they had reconciled.

48. Gandy participated in the 'Fashion for Relief' fashion show on 19 February 2010. The event was organized by Naomi Campbell to raise money for victims of the Haitian earthquake.

49. On 17 April 2011, Gandy was part of the "Oxglam" team who ran in the London Marathon to raise funds for Oxfam. Other members of the 'Oxglam' team included model Agyness Deyn and fashion designer Henry Holland.

50. In May 2011, Gandy modelled a shirt designed by fashion designer Katharine Hamnett. Proceeds from sales of the shirt went toward the Environmental Justice Foundation's "Save The Sea" campaign.