The North East’s
LAUREN LAVERNE ROSS NOBLE CHARLIE HUNNAM SAM FENDER ALLANSAINT MAXIMIN
THE North East is awash with fascinating history and beautiful scenery, but it is the people who really make it stand out from the crowd.
There are some seriously cool people who hail from this region, or who have made it their home, and have helped to put us on the map across the world.
From film stars and sporting heroes to TV personalities and cultural icons, we have the faces to match the places.
Here we chart the region’s very best - some of these faces you will probably recognise, but there may be others you are not familiar with.
One of the most well-respected faces - and voices - in broadcasting for years, Sunderland-born Lauren Laverne has provided comfort to millions of listeners during lockdown.
She is currently experiencing record-breaking audience numbers of her BBC6 Music Breakfast Show, with 1.3m listeners tuning in between January and March this year.
During lockdown, the show has dedicated a slot every Thursday to different key workers that has included charity fundraisers, delivery drivers and shop workers and many have reached out to her to say thank you.
She also reached out to ask how her breakfast show could help support the “emotional/mental health” of listeners forced to stay at home due to rapidly-spreading Covid-19, or afraid because of it.
She said: “When you’re sitting there in your little studio you’re quite sequestered from the world, but your voice is reaching out to places you can’t even imagine.
“And to think of those people wiping the trolleys, putting the bread on the shelves, messaging you to say thank you for thanking them... it reminds you what public service broadcasting is here for.”
The Geordie comedian should have just finished a two-month tour of the UK - but has been keeping himself busy in his adopted home city of Melbourne, Australia.
Fans have been able to get their fix of his surrealist humour with Soho Theatre making six films from his 2016 Brain Dump tour available on demand on its website.
And he will be donating half the money raised from the films to Acting For Others - an organisation that helps people in the arts who need support.
During lockdown Noble has also been holding a Lockdown Lounge show on Instagram every Saturday morning at 11am UK time.
The Newcastle-born star kicked off 2020 by appearing in Guy Ritchie’s latest film The Gentleman.
Although the film was criticised by some for “racist undertones,” the cast, including Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant, were praised for their performances.
Before the cinemas closed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, he also appeared on the big screen in The True History of the Kelly Gang, a highly fictionalised account of the life of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang, based on Peter Carey’s novel.
Where to begin? Fresh from doubling the number of people turning up to the Newcastle Christmas lights switch-on, the North Shields musician had a great start to 2020 when he was asked to perform at Elton John’s annual Oscars party in Los Angeles.
In the same month, he also appeared at the Brits after being nominated in the Best New Artist category but lost out to Lewis Capaldi.
The year also brought some heartbreak when he was forced to postpone some shows due to illness and bereavement. During the coronavirus lockdown - which forced the cancellation of his big Utilita Arena gig planned for this spring plus his festival appearance - Fender has been keeping busy with support for other charities by taking part in live athome music events which invited donations for the Red Cross’s work during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Newcastle United star arrived on Tyneside last summer amid much anticipation from the Geordie faithful and has stood out as a shining ray of light when it comes to getting fans talking. Never one to shy away from the spotlight, the
Gucci headband may have had to be toned down to fit Premier League rules, but there was no diluting the Frenchman’s exuberance on the pitch. He is also a big supporter of the Newcastle United Fans’ Foodbank and he visited their site in Benwell just weeks after joining the Magpies from Nice.
“It’s really important for me [to volunteer at a food bank] because I know where I come from,” he added.
“I wasn’t born with money or a big car, I was born with nothing.”
He also recently spoke out about the death of George Floyd and pledged to do his ‘best to support’ the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It’s a really difficult time because I know these things can happen to a lot of people,” SaintMaximin
Lauren Laverne
told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“You can feel the pain. It’s a difficult time for me but we have to carry on and be careful. I’m so sorry and so disappointed for George and for his family. I know this could happen to a lot of people, it could happen to my father or my brother. That’s why I try to do my best to support. Even though it’s not in my country I think this touches everyone.”
The restaurant takes its name and inspiration from the Swedish word for charcoal and the menu has been crafted by the firm’s executive chef Tony Renwick.