The 14 celebrities you (probably) didn’t know were from Oldham

From TV stars and presenters to footballers, there is a very long list of well-known celebrities who hail from Oldham.

While most have moved away from the region, their Northern tones can still be detected in their voices.

Have a read and see what you think and let us know if we’ve missed any.

Kelvin Fletcher

Best known for playing the role of Andy Sugden in ITV soap opera Emmerdale, from 1996 to 2016, Fletcher was born and raised in the town of Oldham. The 35-year-old featured on the 17th series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he won the series alongside his professional partner Oti Mabuse. Now the former soap star is trying his hand at motor racing where he finished fifth in the latest season.

Philip Schofield

Born in Oldham, but raised in Newquay, Cornwall, Schofield is a TV legend. He is the co-presenter of This Morning and Dancing on Ice alongside Holly Willoughby. His other work includes presenting The Cube, All Star Mr & Mrs and Five Gold Rings. Schofield has also been involved in radio as he launched Radio Plymouth in Devon and has added theatre work to resume with a couple of performances in the West End. Not bad for an Oldham lad!

David Platt

The former England footballer was born in Chadderton. He started his youth career at Chadderton, before being signed for Manchester United as an apprentice. Platt appeared for England at one World Cup and Two European Championship tournaments. His club career includes time at Arsenal where he won the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1998, as well as time in Italy at Bari, Juventus and Sampdoria.

Sarah Lancashire

Another TV legend from Oldham, Sarah Lancashire is best known for her roles in TV dramas produced by the BBC and ITV, forgetting her role in the soap opera Coronation Street from 1991 to 2000. Lancashire has won numerous awards throughout her career, that spans four decades, including two British Academy Television Award wins out of five nominations. She was given an OBE in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to drama.

Mark Owen

Best known for being a member of Take That, Mark Owen is from Oldham. The singer-songwriter has sold over 500,000 records worldwide as a solo artist, as well as 45 million records as part of the band Take That. Owen was born in Oldham and played football for Chadderton FC, prior to auditioning and becoming a member of Take That in 1989.

Barbara Knox

Barbara Knox, a true soap opera icon, is best known for playing newsagent Rita Fairclough in Coronation Street. She has played the beloved character for 48 years and is second in the longest serving cast members, behind William Roache. Knox has many accolades to her name including winning the British Soap Award for best on-screen partnership with Malcolm Hebden, and she was made an MBE in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Nick Grimshaw

Another Oldham native to make it onto our list is BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw. Grimshaw started his career at the University of Liverpool radio, ICON radio, whilst still a student. He is mainly known for hosting the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show between the years of 2012 to 2018, and now does the Drivetime show. On TV, he was involved in the Album Chart Show on Channel 4 and has also been a judge on season 12 of the ITV show The X Factor.

Siobhan Finneran

Best known for her role on ITV comedy series Benidorm as Janice Garvey, Siobhan was born in Oldham. She is also known for appearing in TV dramas such as Happy Valley and Downton Abbey. Finneran also took the lead female role in the stage play On the Shore of the Wide World and was awarded the Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for best actress in a leading role. She also had a one-year stint in Coronation Street, from 1989 to 1990.

Olivia Cooke

The actress is best known for her role as Becky Sharp in the period drama Vanity Fair. Beginning her career in the theatre and then moving into films and TV shows, Cooke has also appeared in the horror film Ouija and the comedy-drama Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Anne Kirkbride

Another Oldham soap legend, she is best known for her role in Coronation Street as Deirdre Barlow. Anne spent 42 years of her life in the role and won the outstanding achievement award at the 2015 British Soap Awards. Sadly, she died at the age of 60 in January 2015.

Christopher Biggins

The TV star was born in Oldham but raised in Salisbury, Wiltshire. One of his early jobs was playing Lukewarm in the BBC sitcom Porridge. He has also appeared on TV games shows such as The Chase and Catchphrase. In 2007, Biggins won the seventh series of I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here.

Nicola White

A sports superstar makes our list as Olympic Gold medallist Nicola White, was born in Oldham. White won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, and a Bronze medal at the 2012 London games as part of Team GB field Hockey team. The 31-year-old plays club hockey in the Investec Women's Hockey League Premier Division for Holcombe.

Ralf Little

The Oldham-born comedy actor is known for starring in TV comedies such as The Royle Family, and the first six series of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. He also appeared in the second season of BBC's Robin Hood. Ralf Little was also a semi-professional footballer, playing for Maidstone United and Staines Town in the early 2000s. He has got back on the pitch since, playing in charity matches such as Soccer Aid.

Kevin Sinfield

Our last celebrity in the list is former Rugby League player Kevin Sinfield. Sinfield captained Leeds Rhinos and has now become the Director of Rugby at the same club. He managed to captain England 26 times in his career and decided to switch to Rugby Union in 2015 and play for the Yorkshire Carnegie.