The 11 famous people who are from east Bristol and Yate

Famous faces from east Bristol and Yate - picture above is of Barrs Court in Oldland Common

Bristol is a breeding ground for creativity with the city and surrounding towns providing the platform for seriously talented people, from artists to footballers to scientists.

Recently, we’ve taken a look at the famous people who went to school in Bristol, and the sports stars from the city, now we’re looking specifically at people who were born or/and grew up in the eastern suburbs of Bristol, and the town of Yate.

So, as well as this region having some of the most beautiful spots and important historical landmarks, we’ve discovered it has the people to back it up. Have a look through our list, and email us if you think we’re missing anyone.

Larrissa found fame through Skins in which she played the character Jal Frazer in the first two series. She’s also appeared on television in Holby City, Kingdom and The Town. She grew up in Kingswood where she attended John Cabot Academy.

The former England cricketer was born in Keynsham in 1975 and attended St Anne’s Primary and Sir Bernard Lovell School in Oldland Common. While at St Anne’s, he was chosen to play for Avon School where his high batting scores attracted interest from Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. He played for them, before moving to Somerset where he had a successful career. He also played for England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals.

The late planetary scientist was born in Kingswood in 1943. He attended Kingswood Grammar School. He found fame through his work on the Beagle 2 Mars lander project, part of European Space Agency’s 2003 Mars Express mission. It saw the space craft successfully touch down on the surface of Mars. Pillinger was awarded a CBE in 2003. He sadly died in 2014.

It only seems like yesterday when Josie came onto our screens and won the 11th series of Big Brother. She’s since forged a successful career and often appears on This Morning. Josie grew up in Yate and attended Brimsham Green School. Here she is, pictured, at the National Television Awards 2022

The singer became an instant star after he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2007. His performance singing Nessun Dorma shocked judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan - and he went on to win the series. But it all began in Kingswood. The son of Roland and Yvonne, Paul was born in Kingswood and was raised in Fishponds. He attended St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School and sang with choirs at several Bristol churches. He later moved to Wales, and it was while he was living there that he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent.

Hanham Secondary School ex-pupil Stephen Merchant began his career performing stand-up at Bristol’s Comedy Box - today he’s a renowned writer, director and actor. Most recently, he brought the comedy drama The Outlaws, set in Bristol, to our screens. He is still involved in the city and is a support of a campaign to save an art deco cinema in Redfield.

Bristol Rovers legend Ian Holloway was born in Kingswood, and grew up in Cadbury Heath, studying at Sir Bernard Lovell School in Oldland Common. And in 1980, he began his career as an apprentice at Rovers before making more than 400 appearances over three stints, including his final spell as player manager. He’s gone on to become a football celebrity and can now be seen on television working as a football pundit.

Ok, so we can’t be sure as it’s never been made public who Banksy is. However, if reports are to be believed, Banksy is Robin Gunningham, who was said to be born in Yate in 1973.

Ok, so he might not be famous to everyone, but people following football will know who Cole Skuse is. The 37-year-old now plays for Colchester United, but back in 2015, while playing for Ipswich Town, then manager Mick McCarthy said the player had the talent to play in the Premier League such was the promise he showed. Cole was born in Yate and went through the youth system at Bristol City, where he played almost 300 times before signing for Ipswich in 2013. He left Ipswich in 2021 for Colchester United. Cole attended King Edmund Community School, which was later opened as a Yate International Academy in 2009.

JK Rowling needs no introduction. The author is behind the Harry Potter series which has sold more than 600 million copies, and has been translated into 84 languages. She was born and raised in Yate, before moving to Tutshill in the Forest of Dean. Herfather, Peter, was an aircraft engineer at the Rolls Royce factory in Bristol and her mother, Anne, was a science technician in the Chemistry department at Wyedean Comprehensive in Gloucestershire.

The only person in our list with a school named after him, Sir Bernard Lovell was a world-renowned physicist and pioneering radio astronomer. He was the first director of Jodrell Bank Observatory. HIs life started in Oldland Common and he attended Kingswood Grammar School before going on to Bristol University to study physics. At Jodrell Bank, he thought up the idea of using a huge radio telescope which was the largest in the world when built. He died in 2012, aged 98.