It’s fun to look at a town or city and see how many famous people come from that place. Let’s take a look at Chester and see what famous faces hail from the Northwestern city. Do you remember Russ Abbot? He is the comedian, musician and actor best known for Russ Abbot’s Madhouse and The Russ Abbot Show which aired on televison in the 1980’s. Ever heard the song ‘Atmosphere’ at a cheesy disco? Yes, that was him too and that tune reached number 7 in the charts in 1984! He was born in Ellesmere Port in 1947.
Not only can Chester boast a famous face but what about a Hollywood Star? None other than James Bond himself, actor Daniel Craig was born in Chester in 1968. He has appeared in numerous films but is most recognised as the current 007 who he has portrayed since taking over from Pierce Brosnan in 2005. Fancy being driven around like a star? Leave the car at home and book a Taxi Chester. For more information, visit http://www.chestertaxiservice.co.uk/.
Michael Owen used to be a footballer who made many appearances for both Liverpool and England. He was born on 14th December 1979 in Chester and made 216 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 118 goals. He received 89 caps for England and scored 40 goals. He now acts as a pundit and co-commentator on BT Sport football coverage and also become a successful racehorse breeder and owner.
Another famous sportsperson who grew up in Bunbury, Cheshire is the Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle. She is retired from the sport now but was the first British female gymnast to win a medal at the European Championships, World Championships and Olympic games.
There seems to be a disproportionately high number of footballers from Chester. There must be something special in the water! Here’s a few names from the footballing world who were born in the city: Reg Barton, Chris Blackburn, David Brett, Ray Carter, Mark Cartwright, Nigel Clutton, Brian Croft, Lloyd Ellams, Keith Griffiths, Tom Heaton, Gary Jones, Mike Jones (referee), Levi Mackin, Alan Morris, Danny Murphy, Gary Potter, Gary Roberts, George Spruce, Martin Tyler (football commentator) and Brian Woodall – to name just a few!
Emma Cuniffe is an actress born in 1973 who is currently appearing on television in the series Father Brown. She has also appeared twice in Doctor Who, alongside Matt Smith and Christopher Ecclestone. She has appeared in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road.
Speaking of Coronation Street, another famous face from Chester is Malcolm Hebden who played Norris Cole. He was born in Chester in 1939 and first appeared in Corry in 1994 for three years before leaving and returning again in 1999. He has also been in Last of the Summer Wine.
Staying on a Corry theme, Adam Rickett was born in Crewe in 1978 and played Nick Tilsley in the soap between 1997 and 1999 and then again between 2002 to 2004. He is an actor, singer and model and is currently part of the pop group 5th Story.