List of people from Wirral

The following is a list of notable people who are associated or born within the area known as the Wirral Peninsula.

A

• Nigel Adkins (born 1965), footballer and football manager
• Freya Anderson (born 2001), Olympic gold medal swimmer
• Ian Astbury (born 1962), lead vocalist, The Cult

B

• Shirley Ballas (born 1960), ballroom dancer & TV personality
• Elizabeth Berrington (born 1970), actress
• Chris Boardman (born 1968), cyclist
• Ian Botham (born 1955), cricketer
• Adrian Boult (1889–1983), conductor
• John Bowe (born 1950), actor
• Jim Bowen (1937–2018), comedian & TV personality
• Paul Bracewell (born 1962), footballer
• Peter Bromley (1929–2003), sports broadcaster
• Margaret Brownlow (1916–1968), illustrator, writer, herb farmer and garden designer
• Fiona Bruce (born 1964), TV presenter
• Pete Burns (1959–2016), singer/songwriter
• William John Burton (1908–1985), draftsman, archer & rifleman

C

• Cathy Cassidy (born 1962), children's author
• Jimmy Cauty (born 1956), musician, artist, one half of The KLF
• Niamh Charles (born 1999), footballer for England
• Alan Clarke (1935–1990), film director
• Lewis Collins (1946–2013), actor, The Professionals
• Elvis Costello (born 1954), singer/songwriter - lived in Birkenhead
• Alex Cox (born 1954), filmmaker and author
• Daniel Craig (born 1968), actor, born in neighbouring Chester but grew up on the Wirral

D

• Peter Davenport (born 1961), footballer
• Dickie Davies (1928–2023), presenter
• Matt Dawson (born 1972), rugby player and TV personality
• Dixie Dean (1907–1980), footballer
• Mike Dean (born 1968), football referee
• Louise Delamere (born 1969), actress
• Lottie Dod (1871–1960), Wimbledon tennis champion
• Robbie Davies (1949–2017), Olympic boxer

E

• Helen Edmundson (born 1964), playwright, screenwriter and producer
• Taron Egerton (born 1989), actor
• Arthur Charles Evans CBE (1916–2011), author, ex-PoW and ex-General Secretary of the Police Federation
• Lee Latchford Evans (born 1975), actor and singer with pop group Steps

F

• Michael Farnworth (born 1959), British Columbia politician born in Bromborough
• Jenny Frost (born 1978), TV presenter and singer with Atomic Kitten
• Robbie Fowler (born 1975), Footballer

G

• John Gorman (born 1936), singer with The Scaffold, presenter on Tiswas
• Roger Lancelyn Green (1918–1987), children's writer; lived at Poulton Hall in Poulton Lancelyn, Bebington
• Wilfred Grenfell (1865–1940), "Grenfell of Labrador"
• Miro Griffiths (born 1989), academic and activist

H

• Tony Hall (born 1951), Baron Hall of Birkenhead; former Director-General of the BBC
• Emma Hamilton (1765–1815), mistress of Horatio Nelson
• Austin Healey (born 1973), rugby player
• Paul Heaton (born 1962), singer and songwriter for the Beautiful South
• Adrian Henri (1932–2000), poet and artist
• Dave Hickson (1929–2013), footballer
• Paul Hollywood (born 1966), baker and TV judge
• Malcolm Holmes (born 1960), musician
• Barry Horne (born 1962), ex-Everton and Wales footballer and captain
• Stephen Hough (born 1961), pianist
• Geoffrey Howe (1926–2015), Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary (N.B. Associated through service as MP for Bebington
• Geoffrey Hughes (1944–2012), actor
• Shirley Hughes (1927–2022), children's author and illustrator
• Paul Humphreys (born 1960), musician, member of OMD
• Rita Hunter (1933–2001), Wagnerian soprano
• James Hype (born 1989), DJ, Producer

I

• Andrew Irvine (1902–1924), Everest climber
• Eric Idle (born 1943), member of Monty Python; lived in Wallasey as a child

J

• Glenda Jackson (1936–2023), actress and politician
• Megs Jenkins (1917–1998), actress

K

• Miles Kane (born 1986), musician
• Lindsay Kemp (born 1938), dancer, actor and choreographer

L

• Charlie Landsborough (born 1941), singer/songwriter
• Mark Leckey (born 1964), Turner Prize-winning artist
• Saunders Lewis (1893–1985), politician, playwright, poet and literary critic
• Phil Liggett (born 1943), cycling commentator
• Craig Lindfield (born 1988), professional football player
• Selwyn Lloyd (1904–1978), Conservative Party Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Jackie Lomax (1944–2013), singer-songwriter
• Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957), writer
• Nigel Lythgoe (born 1949), producer and TV personality, best known for being a judge on Popstars

M

• Justin Madders (born 1972), MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston
• Simon Mason (born 1973), rugby union player, played for Ireland and won the 1999 Heineken Cup with Ulster.
• Valerie Masterson (born 1937), opera singer
• Jason McAteer (born 1971), footballer
• Andy McCluskey (born 1959), musician, member of OMD
• Mike McGear (born 1944), photographer, musician, member of The Scaffold, brother of Paul McCartney
• Alison McGovern (born 1980), MP for Wirral South

N

• Paul Nowak (born 1972), trade union leader
• Sally Nugent (born 1971), BBC journalist & presenter

O

• Paul O'Grady (1955–2023), comedian and TV personality
• Wilfred Owen (1893–1918), one of the greatest poets of the First World War; grew up in Tranmere

P

• Tom Palin (born 1974), painter
• John Peel (1939–2004), disc jockey and radio presenter
• Dom Phillips (1964–2022), journalist
• Dominic Purcell (born 1970), actor

R

• Jan Ravens (born 1958), actress and impressionist
• Simon Rimmer (born 1963), celebrity chef
• Kate Robbins (born 1958), impressionist
• Ted Robbins (born 1955), comedian
• Amy Robbins (born 1971), actress
• Alan Rouse (1951–1986), climber
• Patricia Routledge (born 1929), actress
• Maude Royden (1876–1956), suffragist and preacher
• Mike Rutherford (born 1950), guitarist with Genesis; went to boarding school in Hoylake
• Bill Ryder-Jones (born 1983), musician from West Kirby

S

• Joanna Scanlan (born 1961), actor
• Cyril Scott (1879–1970), composer
• Lucy Sibbick, Oscar Winner
• FE Smith (1872–1930), Lord Chancellor
• Matthew Smith (born 1966), 80s computer game programmer
• Jay Spearing (born 1988), footballer
• Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950), writer; spent much of his life in West Kirby and Caldy, and many landscapes mentioned in his works can be identified
• Ralph Steadman (born 1936), artist
• Philip Wilson Steer (1860–1942), impressionist painter
• Ray Stubbs (born 1956), sports commentator

T

• Jodie Taylor (born 1986), footballer
• David Thompson (born 1977), footballer
• Bill Tidy (1933–2023), cartoonist
• Philip Toosey (1904–1975), hero of the real Bridge on the River Kwai incident

V

• Graham Vick (1953–2021), opera director and producer

W

• Jonathan Walters (born 1983), Stoke City F.C. striker
• William Henry Webster (1850–1931), Church of England vicar and malacologist
• Andreas Whittam-Smith (born 1937), founder of the Independent
• Cliff Williams (born 1949), bassist for AC/DC
• Bethany Williamson (born 1999), trampoline gymnast
• Marty Willson-Piper (born 1958), guitarist for The Church
• Harold Wilson (1916–1995), Prime Minister - Head Boy of Wirral Grammar School
• Steve Wilson (born 1967), BBC football commentator
• Tim Wright (born 1967), computer games composer

See also

• List of people from Merseyside

References