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9 TV stars who live in Norfolk
TV presenter Jake Humphrey, Loose Women panelist Janet-Street Porter and star of Normal for Norfolk Desmond MacCarthy. Picture: Antony Kelly/PA - Credit: Antony Kelly/PA
From TV presenter Jake Humphrey to Loose Women star Janet-Street Porter, there are plenty of famous faces that call Norfolk home.
1. Jake Humphrey, Norwich
Jake was born in Peterborough, but moved to Norwich with his family when he was nine and attended Framingham Earl High School and went to sixth form at the Hewett School.
He still lives in the city with wife Harriet and their two young children and is a huge fan of the football club and is regularly spotted at Carrow Road.
After starting out presenting CBBC shows such as Bamzooki and Fame Academy, Jake went on to present BBC Sport’s Formula One coverage from 2009 to 2012 and is now the main presenter of BT Sport football coverage.
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2. Terry Molloy, Bawburgh
Terry is best known for playing Davros in Doctor Who during the 80s, who was the mad scientist that created the Daleks.
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He has also had roles in Crossroads, Harry Hill’s TV Burp as Eric Clapton and has also played Mike Tucker on BBC Radio 4’s The Archers since 1973.
He now lives in Bawburgh, near Norwich, and is regularly spotted around the village.
3. Stephen Fry, West Bilney
Actor, comedian and presenter Stephen Fry spent his childhood in Booton, near Reepham, and now splits his time between London and Norfolk and has a home in West Bilney, near King’s Lynn.
Stephen is a lifelong Norwich City fan and he has also been a strong supporter of Norfolk Day, which launched in 2017, and often speaks about how proud he is to come from Nelson’s County.
His love of the area was also cemented when he chose to marry partner Elliot Spencer in Dereham in 2015.
4. Desmond MacCarthy, Wiveton
The eccentric owner of Wiveton Hall, located in the idyllic north Norfolk coast, was catapulted to legendary status when he appeared on BBC2 documentary Normal for Norfolk in 2016.
The show, which was so successful it returned for a second series in 2017, followed MacCarthy and the trials and tribulations of managing his ancestral home.
He also runs guided tours of the Wiveton Hall gardens in the summer months, which have proved very popular.
5. Janet Street-Porter, Thurlton
Janet has made a career out of her strong opinions and no-nonsense nature but when it comes to her personal life she would rather keep things low key.
The journalist and Loose Women panellist revealed she had moved from Yorkshire to Thurlton in south Norfolk last summer and said it was “exactly like The Archers” and praised the “chatty and enthusiastic” staff she encountered in the village shop.
One thing she hasn’t enjoyed so much about moving here is the transport and often complains about delayed Greater Anglia trains on Twitter.
6. Martin Shaw, Hingham
Martin Shaw, who was born in Birmingham, is best known for his roles on Judge John Deed, The Professionals, The Chief and Inspector George Gently.
He now resides in Norfolk and is the patron of the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in the village of Frettenham, six miles north of Norwich.
In 2006, he also presented a six-part Discovery Real Time series Martin Shaw: Aviators which followed the restoration of his plane at Old Buckenham Airfield.
7. Liza Goddard, near Fakenham
Actress Liza Goddard is best known for her work in the 70s and 80s for shows such as Bergerac and Give Us a Clue.
She was previously married to Colin Baker and Alvin Stardust and sadly lost her third husband David Cobham in 2018 who was a founding member of the Norfolk-based Hawk and Owl Trust.Goddard’s Norfolk home is full of rescued animals and she does a lot of charity work with organisations including the RSPCA.
8. Brendan Coyle, Heacham
Brendan Coyle is best known for playing John Bates, the valet to the Earl of Grantham, in hit ITV historical drama Downton Abbey which earned him a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actor in 2011.
He also played Nicholas Higgins in mini-series North & South, Robert Timmins in Lark Rise to Candleford and Terry Starling in Sky comedy series Starlings.
Brendan now lives in Heacham in west-Norfolk, three miles south of Hunstanton.
9. Graham Linehan, Norwich
Graham created award-winning sitcoms Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd and is also a successful comedian.
Linehan was born in Dublin but now lives in Norwich and appeared in the sitcom I’m Alan Partridge as one of the Irish TV producers considering the hapless radio host for a contract.
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