We don't have a city or major urban centre, but our lovely Dorset has seen a large number of celebrities born here and live here over the years.

We've definitely got our fair share of talent, with these stars of music, film and sport all heralding from Dorset.

Perrie Edwards 

Dorset Echo:

Perrie Edwards from Little Mix

Former Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards attended Radipole Primary School in Weymouth and learnt her dance moves at June Hornby’s Weymouth Dance Studio before moving to South Shields.

She, along with ex-bandmates Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, won X Factor in 2011 and carved out hugely successful music careers. The band announced it was to split last year.

Bo Bruce

Lady Catherine Anna Brudenell-Bruce is a singer-songwriter, known for her appearance on talent show The Voice UK.

Bruce, who attended Port Regis School in Shaftesbury, made it to the finals of The Voice in 2012. 

Chris Martin 

Dorset Echo:

Co-founder and lead singer of Coldplay, Chris Martin (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and philanthropist, Chris Martin, spent his childhood in Dorset.

Coldplay’s co-founder and lead singer attended Sherborne School for Boys.

The hit Coldplay song, Yellow, was filmed at Studland Bay in 2000, the song went on to reach number four in the UK singles charts.

The school has an impressive alumni of famous faces including: 

  • Jeremy Irons
  • Hugh Bonneville
  • Tom Bradby
  • John Le Carre 
  • Alan Turing

Alan Carr 

Dorset Echo:

Alan Carr (PA)

Comedian Alan Carr was born in Weymouth. He can be seen regularly on the stand-up circuit, on tour  and on TV. 

In 2001 he won the BBC Best New Stand Up award and in 2008 Carr won Best Entertainment Personality at the British Comedy Awards.

Talking to the Dorset Echo back in 2015, Alan said: "I had two stints in Weymouth. The first was when I was my dad was a footballer for Weymouth, I was only about three then.

"I don't have many memories of that time, I was born in 1976 and my mum told me about the amazing hot summer then.

"I came back when I was 17 for a summer before I went to university and I had a wonderful time."

PJ Harvey MBE 

Dorset Echo:

PJ Harvey (Yui Mok/PA)

Polly Jean Harvey is a musician, singer-songwriter, writer, poet, and composer.

She was born in Bridport and grew up on the family’s farm in Corscombe.

Harvey attended school in Beaminster where she received guitar lessons from folk singer-songwriter Steve Knightley.

Martin Clunes OBE 

Dorset Echo:

Martin Clunes (Lauren Hurley/PA)

Martin Clunes OBE is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV drama series Doc Martin and Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly.

He lives in Beaminster with his second wife Philippa. They organise the annual Buckham Fair to benefit a range of charities.

The event was set to return in 2021.

Ian Gillan

Rock vocalist and songwriter Ian Gillan found commercial success as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. He lives in Lyme Regis.

Last year we reported he was funding a community website for Lyme Regis’s Marine Theatre.

He was made an honorary patron for the theatre in 2018.

Kate Adie OBE

Dorset Echo:

Kate Adie holding her CBE medal for services to media following an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

Journalist Kate Adie is perhaps best known for being chief news correspondent for BBC News, reporting from war zones around the world.

She is also a prolific author on a range of subjects, including women in World War One, and presents From Our Own Correspondent on Radio 4.

Adie lives near Cerne Abbas and recently started her tenure at fifth Chancellor at Bournemouth University.

Previously we reported how Kate Adie was the star of the show at Bridport's Rotary Club.