Ethel May Collins

Ethel May Caterham (; born 21 August 1909) is an English supercentenarian who, at the age of , has been the world's oldest verified living person since the death of Inah Canabarro Lucas on 30 April 2025. She is also the oldest British person in recorded history (with nobody else from the United Kingdom reaching the age of 116), the last surviving validated person born in the 1900s decade, and the last surviving subject of King Edward VII. Her sister, Gladys Babilas, reached the age of 104. In 1927, at 18 years old, Caterham travelled to British India, where she worked as an au pair for a military household until the age of 21.

In 1931, following her return to England, she met Norman Caterham at a dinner party. He went on to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Pay Corps. Norman died in 1976, and Gem died in the early 2000s. She had lived in an annex within the home of her younger daughter, Anne, until Anne's death in February 2020 at the age of 82. Shortly before her 111th birthday, she was interviewed by BBC Radio Surrey, where she attributed her longevity to "taking everything in my stride, the highs and the lows."

On 18 September 2025, aged 116, Caterham met King Charles III, with whom she exchanged pleasantries and recalled his investiture in 1969.

Longevity On 22 January 2022, following the death of Mary "Mollie" Walker, Caterham became the oldest living person in the United Kingdom. the first to do so since Annie Jennings in 1999.

On 7 April 2025, Caterham surpassed the age of Charlotte Hughes to become the oldest person ever from the United Kingdom. 23 days later on 30 April, following the death of Inah Canabarro Lucas of Brazil, she became both the world's oldest living person and the last known person born in the 1900s decade.

On 21 August 2025, Caterham marked her 116th birthday, becoming the first person in British history to reach this age. She received a congratulatory message from João Marinho Neto of Brazil (born 5 October 1912), the world's oldest living man – reportedly the first documented exchange between the world's oldest verified woman and oldest verified man.

Upon her 117th birthday on 21 August 2026, she once again received a congratulatory message from Marinho Neto, as well as fellow English supercentenarian Hilda Luck, and Welshman Owen Filer, who is recognised as the current oldest known living man in Wales. Looking back over the recent past, she observed that "even at 117, I have had many firsts this year, from stroking a llama to holding hands with the king." She went on to say that her secret to long life is "never arguing with anyone; I listen, and I do what I want”.