16 famous faces that you might not know have a Shropshire connection

On its own, Wem can lay claim to Shropshire's very own Taskmaster Greg Davies and Game of Thrones actor Peter Vaughan.

So we've complied a list of 16 celebrities who have either hailed from or decided to make Shropshire their home.

Greg Davies

The Taskmaster himself, Greg Davies was born in St Asaph in Wales in 1968.

His Welsh parents lived in England at the time, but the comedian says his father drove his mother across the border to make sure he was born in Wales so that he would be eligible to play rugby for the Wales national team.

Davies grew up in Wem, attended Thomas Adams School and still considers the small town his home. Just last month, the star returned to Wem to partake in a raffle draw at the town's swimming centre.

Before his comedy career, he taught drama for over a decade in several secondary schools.

In 2007, his stand-up career began to really take off and he was nominated three times in the Chortle Awards. His appearance as head of Sixth Form Mr Gilbert in the E4 comedy The Inbetweeners made him a familiar face on TV screens and he's been there solidly ever since.

Since 2015, Davies has been the host of the popular panel game show, Taskmaster.

Anna Richardson

Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson was born in Wellington, Telford in 1970.

The daughter of Canon James Richardson, OBE, vicar of Great Brington, Northamptonshire and a religious education teacher, Anna was educated at an Anglican girls' independent boarding school in Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire.

She became a familiar face on screens after fronting Channel 4's The Sex Education Show in 2008.

Anna has presented the channel's infamous Naked Attraction since it began in 2016. The show involves a clothed single person presented with a gallery of six hidden-but-nude potential partners who concurrently reveal themselves from the bottom up.

Mary Beard

Shrewsbury-born scholar, Dame Mary Beard might be the only 'classicist' many of us can name off the top of our heads.

Her regular media appearances and occasionally controversial public statements have led to her being described as "Britain's best-known classicist".

Beard was educated at Shrewsbury High School before being accepted at Cambridge University where she thrived in a male-dominated field.

In December 2010, on BBC Two, she presented Pompeii: Life and Death in a Roman Town before going on to present Meet the Romans with Mary Beard in 2012, Caligula with Mary Beard in 2013 and Pompeii: New Secrets Revealed with Mary Beard in 2016.

Nick Owen

As a child, Midlands Today news presenter Nick Owen was sent off to boarding school in the county from his home in Hertfordshire. He was educated at Kingsland Grange - an independent boys school in Shrewsbury that closed in 2007.

The news presenter still looks back fondly on his time in Shrewsbury, recalling in a Shropshire Star podcast with Eric Smith: "I loved walking round the Quarry, the Dingle and the narrow streets. All that character, Fish Street and Grope Lane, around St Alkmund's - it's a wonderful, wonderful town. I still find it fascinating today."

Alistair McGowan

Master of mimicry, Alistair McGowan was born in Worcestershire, but has called Ludlow his home since 2020.

The impressionist, actor and musician is probably best known to British audiences for The Big Impression, a comedy sketch show that ran on BBC One between 1999 and 2003.

He has since appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, and in 2017 released an album featuring piano performances of several short classical pieces.

McGowan now serves as patron of Ludlow Fringe - an annual two week festival bringing dance, music and art to the historic town.

On living in Ludlow, he said it was a "a lovely small town" adding: "The countryside on our doorstep is just amazing, although I don't like telling too many people how nice it is; we like it that not many people know about Shropshire and Ludlow.

"It's an absolutely fantastic place."

Shane Embury

Napalm Death bassist, Shane Embury was born in Broseley in 1967. He joined the grindcore and death metal group in 1987 and is the longest-standing member of the band.

Shane was reportedly a fan of Napalm Death before he joined, first seeing them perform at The Mermaid in Birmingham the previous year and becoming close friends with drummer Mick Harris.

The rocker said growing up in Broseley he "stuck out like a sore thumb" and last year published his autobiography, detailing how he went from being a shy Shropshire schoolboy to a member of one of the world's most extreme bands.

Hermione Baddeley

Also from Broseley, Hermione Baddeley is probably most recognisable as from her role as Ellen, the maid, in the 1964 Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews.

Baddeley also voiced Madame Adelaide Bonfamille in the 1970 Disney movie, The Aristocats and won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Nell Naugatuck on the TV series Maude.

She continued to work in film and television until shortly before she died in 1986.

Carol Decker and T'Pau

T'Pau's Carol Decker moved from Liverpool to Wellington in Telford when she was seven. The band was formed in Shrewsbury in 1986 and soared to the top of the charts around the world in the 80s and 90s, with hits including the mega-selling China in Your Hand, Heart and Soul, Secret Garden and Valentine, co-written by Carol and her then partner, guitarist Ronnie Rogers.

The singer once called her flat with Rogers above Pengwern Boat Club in Shrewsbury "one of the best places I've ever lived".

Pete Postlethwaite

While born in Warrington, Pete Postlethwaite eventually settled near Bishop's Castle and lived there until his death from cancer at the age of 64.

Director Steven Spielberg once called Postlethwaite "the best actor in the world", to which he responded: "I'm sure what Spielberg actually said was, 'The thing about Pete is that he thinks he's the best actor in the world.'"

After minor television appearances including The Professionals, Postlethwaite's first major success came with his appearance in Distant Voices, Still Lives. He went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for In the Name of the Father, portrayed the mysterious lawyer Mr. Kobayashi in The Usual Suspects and soon became a household name.

One of his children, Billy Postlethwaite, once said growing up in Shropshire "shaped every fibre of [his] being".

Amir Wilson

His Dark Materials actor Amir Wilson was born in Shrewsbury in 2004. Growing up in Monkmoor, he attended St Giles' Primary School and his first encounter with showbiz was as an eight-year-old when he accompanied his sister to Munchkin auditions run by Get Your Wigle On.

Speaking to the Shropshire Star back in 2020, the then 16-year-old said his success has been "affected a lot by where I come from in Shrewsbury.

"I know I spent a lot of time at Sundorne Skatepark, I've got a lot of friends still," he said. "I used to go to Shrewsbury Town games and scream 'Salop!' from the stands."

After appearing in a few local productions at the Theatre Severn, Amir went on to play young Simba in The Lion King on the West End, before being picked up by producers for TV and film.

Ian Hunter

Lead singer of rock band Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter, was born in Oswestry, and for a time lived in Shrewsbury.

Hunter joined the band in 1969 after auditioning "for a laugh" while the group were looking for a singer with a big stage presence.

Mott the Hoople released albums at the beginning of the 1970s but failed to find any success, reportedly on the verge of breaking up, superstar David Bowie encouraged them to stay together and penned their glam-style signature song All the Young Dudes, which became their first hit in 1972.

Hunter left the band in 1974, but they remained together with several line-up changes until their break-up in 1980.

Peter Vaughan

Depending on your age, actor Peter Vaughan is either known to you for his role as Grouty in the sitcom Porridge or as Maester Aemon in Game of Thrones.

Born in Wem in 1923, Vaughan moved to Staffordshire at the age of seven where he attended Uttoxeter Grammar School. After leaving school, he joined the Wolverhampton Repertory Theatre before entering army service during the Second World War.

His role in Porridge brought him a great deal of public recognition despite his character only appearing in three episodes and the 1979 film.

During his career, he starred in many films, including The Remains of the Day with Anthony Hopkins in 1993 and alongside Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons in The French Lieutenant's Woman in 1980.

His final role, between 2011 and 2015, was Maester Aemon in the HBO series Game of Thrones. Vaughan died in December 2016 at the age of 93.

Michael Palin

Legendary broadcaster, comedian, writer and actor Sir Michael Palin attended Shrewsbury School from 1957 to 1961, where he boarded in Rigg’s Hall.

During a visit to his old stomping ground in 2022, Sir Michael revealed that the famous ‘Knights who say ‘Ni’’ sketch from Monty Python and the Holy Grail was inspired by a former Shrewsbury School teacher.

Speaking about the visit he said: “It’s very nice to be back because this is a very important part of one’s life.

“Shrewsbury encourages independent voices and independent ways of looking at things, allowing pupils to make their mind and have their own voice."

John Challis

While Only Fools and Horses' John Challis technically lived just over the border near Leintwardine, the Boycie actor spoke so fondly of Shropshire that it feels wrong to leave him off the list.

A patron of Ludlow's Assembly Rooms, back in 2018, Challis said "Shropshire has always felt like a home" to him and his wife.

A role in the John Sullivan sitcom Citizen Smith led to Challis being cast as Herman Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in Only Fools and Horses. So beloved, Sullivan created a spin-off for Challis, called The Green Green Grass which ran until 2009.

The show centred on the Boycie family setting up home on a farm in Shropshire.

Challis died of cancer aged 79 in September 2021.

Christopher Timothy

Actor Christopher Timothy was born in Bala in Wales but moved to Shrewsbury aged 13, where, like Nick Owen, he attended Kingsland Grange Preparatory School and Priory Grammar School for Boys.

After leaving school, Timothy worked at a Shrewsbury hat shop before securing paid acting work.

He is now perhaps best known for his role as Yorkshire vet James Herriott in All Creatures Great and Small from 1978 to 1990.

His father, Andrew Timothy was an Anglican priest and BBC Radio announcer, who is known for being the original announcer of the comedy series The Goon Show.

Keith Chegwin

TV presenter Keith Chegwin is best remembered for fronting TV's Swap Shop, Cheggers Plays Pop and Saturday Superstore.

The popular Liverpool-born TV personality passed away at his home in Shropshire in February 2017.

The presenter and actor said he and his wife Maria had moved from Berkshire, and settled in a country home between Whitchurch and Wem, partly because they were keen to be closer to family further north.