Last week saw Kettering’s IT consultant, Karthik Nagesan, enter the Celebrity Big Brother house. His appearance on the show comes after his 7 week (bitter) sweet stint on the Apprentice late last year. As the famously confident entrepreneur settles into the Big Brother House and survives his first eviction night, here we take a look at some other famous faces who all hail from the town of Kettering:
Charley Hull, Professional Golfer:
21-year-old Charley was born in Kettering and is currently Britain’s number one female golfer. She is also ranked at 25th in the world. Throughout her childhood, she would be found advancing her already astounding skills at Kettering Golf Club. By the age of just 9, she won her first adult event at Turnberry. Charley was ranked third in the World Amateur Golf Rankings when she was 16 and turned professional in 2013. Since then she has achieved successes on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour (winning Rookie of the Year). Charley was also the youngest competitor to participate in the international Solheim Cup and became a champion on the European circuit in 2014, before turning 18. In 2016, she won the prestigious CME Group Tour Championship, the season-ending event of the LPGA Tour and represented Great Britain in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
James Acaster, Comedian:
Best described as one of the UK’s finest comedians, James Acaster has received acclaim worldwide for his many comedic awards. He won the 2015 Chortle Award for Best Show and Best International Show Award at the 2014 New Zealand International Comedy Festival! Besides being a TV and Radio regular, James also carries out independent projects, including his comedy series ‘Sweet Home Ketteringa.’ Here he visits different locations in Kettering to reconnect and reminisce about the town he grew up in.
Sean Dyche, Premier League Football Manager:
Former professional footballer and now top flight manager, Sean worked wonders to keep Burnley in the Premier League last season. Sean was born and raised in Kettering Town, and kick-started his career in football with Ise Lodge YFC. He then joined Nottingham Forest as a youth-team player. He then went on to play for Chesterfield, Bristol City, Luton Town, Millwall, Watford and Northampton Town before gaining a managerial position for Watford in 2011 and Burnley in 2013.
Hugh Dennis, Comedian:
The comedian, actor, writer and impressionist was born in Kettering, 1962, and later moved to the East End of London. Hugh is best known for performing in the BBC’s Mock the Week, and playing Pete Brockman in the series, Outnumbered.
Andrew Stone, Pineapple Dance Studios Star:
Andrew Stone is the all-singing, all-dancing, former dance instructor at the Pineapple Dance Studios, born in Kettering, 1972. He took part in the popular 2010 television series alongside Louie Spence and Tricia Walsh-Smith. In 2012 Andrew also appeared in the Celebrity Big Brother show.
Faryl Smith, Soprano Singer:
Back in 2008, Faryl Smith gave a stunning soprano performance that took her to the final of Britain’s Got Talent. Following this spectacular achievement, she secured the largest record deal ever awarded to a schoolgirl. Faryl was born and raised in Kettering, and has received a multitude of awards after singing at numerous prestigious events. Her many accomplishments include: singing in the 2009 FA Cup Final in front of 400 million television viewers, the Festival of Remembrance where she performed in front of the Queen, and at many performances at sporting events at Wembley stadium.
The Temples, Rock Band:
The Temples were originally a home studio project, formed in Kettering, 2012. The Psychedelic-Rock band is made up of: James Bagshaw (lead singer and guitarist), Tom Walmsley (bassist), Adam Smith (keyboardist and rhythm guitarist) and Samuel Toms (drummer). They are signed with Heavenly Records, where they released their first debut album. The Temples have already embarked on a headlining tour around Europe, North America and Australia! Other accomplishments include performing their hit single, Shelter Song, on the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2014 and announcing their second studio album, Volcano, in March 2017.