The Daily Mail on Friday published a classification of high-profile "nepo babies," placing well-known offspring of celebrities into tiers from A to Z and summarising industry impressions of how each has navigated parental advantage.
Written by Dolly Busby, the piece traces the term "nepo baby" — coined in 2020 as part of a wider Gen Z critique of celebrity privilege — and asserts that while some star children have leveraged family connections, others have gone on to win critical or commercial success in their own right. The feature relies heavily on unnamed "industry" sources and gossipy observations to explain its rankings.
At the top of Busby’s list, the A-tier includes actors and public figures the article describes as having both pedigree and demonstrable achievement. Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor, daughter of Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor, is presented as a case of a performer who "outdid" a parent by successfully establishing a Hollywood career. Lily Collins, the Netflix lead of Emily in Paris and daughter of musician Phil Collins, is cited for insisting she forged her own path despite a reported £24 million net worth. Mia Threapleton, whose mother is Oscar-winner Kate Winslet, is noted for roles in British television and a part in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme. The piece also highlights Rocco Ritchie, Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s son, who sold paintings under a pseudonym before being publicly identified and is said to be relocating to Mexico to distance himself from fame. Princess Andre, the daughter of Katie Price and Peter Andre, is described as unabashedly monetising her background through reality television and commercial deals.
In the B-tier, Busby groups the children of renowned models and performers who have secured high-profile modelling and entertainment work but, according to the article’s sources, lack certain charisma or perceived depth. Iris Law and Lila Moss — daughters of Sadie Frost and Kate Moss respectively — are characterised as successful faces in luxury fashion campaigns, with unnamed acquaintances describing them as less engaging in conversation. Cruz Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham, is listed for his social media presence and emerging music ambitions; the article says his parents have introduced him to industry contacts and cites a deleted Instagram post in which Cruz described Jesus as "also a nepo baby."
The C-list collects figures whose early attempts at independent careers are framed as mixed or halted. Romeo Beckham, once training as a footballer and later moving into modelling, is described as having a less successful sporting career than his father. Anais Gallagher, daughter of Noel Gallagher, is depicted as an influencer and photographer who accepts questions about nepotism with humour; Lennon Gallagher, son of Liam Gallagher, is described as comfortably earning from fashion campaigns and living without a conventional day job. The article also singles out Scarlett Thomas, the 16-year-old daughter of actors Ryan Thomas and Tina O’Brien, for leaving school and pursuing acting roles, a decision the piece says has caused family tensions.
D-tier entries are characterised by behaviour the article’s sources deem more problematic. Gene Gallagher, another of Liam Gallagher’s sons, is described as someone who "drops" his family connections into conversation. Rafferty Law, son of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, is portrayed as a controversial casting figure in some theatrical circles, with unnamed industry commenters suggesting he benefits from parental ties; the piece quotes a line attributed to him in a fashion campaign referencing visits with his father. Rafferty’s brother Rudy Law is depicted as largely idle and reliant on family wealth in the article’s account.
At the bottom of Busby’s ranking are the so-called Z-listers, whom the piece singles out for repeatedly trading on parental fame without apparent professional success. Brooklyn Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham, is criticised in the piece for failed public ventures in photography and cooking and is described as now selling a "premium" hot sauce. George Lineker, son of broadcaster Gary Lineker, is summarised by the article as having courted tabloid attention for personal incidents and now running a business that provides a second phone number service.
The Mail’s roundup frames the discussion as part of a broader cultural conversation about nepotism in entertainment. Busby’s piece argues that, five years after the phrase "nepo baby" entered popular parlance, public and industry views on celebrity offspring have nuanced into a distinction between those perceived as legitimately talented and those seen as trading primarily on family name.
The article intersperses direct quotes attributed to anonymous "industry" sources and recounts reported anecdotes about the subjects’ careers and behaviour. It does not appear to present independent verification of every claim and relies on gossip-style sourcing for character judgements. Critics of such lists have previously said they can conflate youthful missteps with professional failure, while supporters argue they highlight persistent inequalities in access to opportunities.
The debate over familial advantage in show business remains active as new generations of performers, models and creators emerge. Commentators and social-media users continue to weigh the balance between inherited opportunity and demonstrable talent, and outlets such as the Daily Mail contribute to that conversation by cataloguing public perceptions and industry rumours about named individuals.