From Corrie stars to sports stars, there's a long list of talented people to come out of East Lancashire in recent years, including a former Stonyhurst College student and a Burnley cricket-playing legend.

While many of our celebs have now moved from the region, their accents can sometimes still give the game away, particularly in the case of a current Radio 1 DJ.

Have a read and see what you think and let us know if we've missed any.

Ian McKellen

Who would’ve thought an actor who has appeared in more than 45 films during a career that has spanned six decades, would hail from Burnley? But it’s true, for Sir Ian McKellen, or perhaps as he’s more famously known, Gandalf, was born in the East Lancashire town but moved to Wigan not long after, before his family finally settled in Bolton. As well as appearing on the big screen, Sir Ian boasts a successful career in theatre. The actor has won six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has received two Oscar nominations, four BAFTA nominations and five Emmy Award nominations.

Sophie Hitchon

The Olympic athlete won bronze and set a British record for the hammer throw at the 2016 Rio Games and was Great Britain's first ever Olympic medal in the event.

The 27-year-old Burnley lass also reached the hammer final at the 2012 London Olympics, and is the 2010 World Junior Champion, the 2013 European U23 Champion, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist.

Malcolm Hebden

You probably know him best as busy-body Norris Cole from Corrie, a role he’s played since 1994. Born in Chester Malcolm grew up in Burnley and began his acting career on the stage. At the beginning of April, Coronation Street bosses reassured fans that Norris would not be leaving the cobbles, following Malcolm Hebden’s absence. Producer Iain MacLeod said they were ‘hoping’ his character would rejoin the cast after it was announced a new family had bought number three from the resident.Hebden’s character Norris Cole has been away from the soap since 2017, when the actor needed surgery following a heart attack.

Will Greenwood

Rugby playing Will was born in Blackburn, and attended Stonyhurst College and Sedbergh School before graduating with a BA in Economics from Hatfield College, Durham. Will was involved in all but one of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup games and scored England’s only try against South Africa. He toured three times with the British and Irish Lions and is now considered one of the most insightful rugby commentators in today’s game.

Jimmy Anderson

Another sporting hero to hail from East Lancashire, is Burnley’s James Anderson. England’s most successful bowler to date, with 851 wickets to his name across all competitions, James made his cricketing debut playing for Lancashire at the age of 19. Regarded by some as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, the former St Mary's and St Theodore's RC High School pupil played cricket at Burnley Cricket Club from a young age, and now has a stand named after him at Lancashire County Cricket ground.

Grace Davies

The 22-year-old singer-songwriter came second in Series 14 of The X Factor which was aired in 2017.

Hailing from Langho in the Ribble Valley, Grace recently released a statement on her Facebook page telling fans she was working on her new album but did not yet have a release date for it.

Sam Aston

Bacup’s Sam Aston shot to fame in 2003, when he stepped onto the cobbled streets to play Chesney Brown in Coronation Street. However, that wasn’t the first TV appearance for the former Haslingden High School pupil, for who could forget the infamous Warburtons bread advert in which he uttered the immortal lines: “don’t be stupid, it’s pouring down with rain!”

John Simm

Although technically not born in East Lancashire, we can still claim the Human Traffic actor as one of our own as he grew up in Nelson and attended Edge End High School. The 39-year-old has had a glittering career in film and TV, taking lead roles in dramas such as, Life on Mars, Mad Dogs and Doctor Who, as well as playing Joy Division’s Bernard Sumner in the 2002 film, 24 Hour Party People.

Julie Hesmondhalgh

Best known for her role as Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street, Julie, 49, was born in Accrington. She won a National Television Award in 2014 and has since starred in shows such as Happy Valley and Broadchurch, as well as treading the boards at theatres in London and Manchester.

Jay Rodriguez

The 29-year-old Burnley lad plays for Championship team West Bromwich Albion but made his footballing debut for his hometown club in 2007, scoring 41 goals in 128 appearances across all competitions. Jay must have footballing blood in his veins as his father, Enrique, trialled for Deportivo de La Coruña before spending some time at Burnley in 1983, appearing for their reserve team.

Jordan North

Another Burnley native to make it onto our celeb list is Radio One DJ and presenter Jordan North. Jordan began his disc spinning career as a teenager, working part-time on the radio station at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. After studying TV and Radio Production at The University of Sunderland, he went on to present on student and community stations, including a stint on Rock FM in Preston. A massive Burnley fan, 29-year-old Jordan was, in 2018, announced as the new host for the Radio 1 Greatest Hits show on Sunday mornings.

Ian McShane

Born in Blackburn but raised in Manchester, Ian McShane is probably best known for playing the roguish antiques dealer in the hit 1980s TV show, Lovejoy. He also starred in Dallas, and HBO’s Deadwood, and played Blackbeard in the fourth instalment of hit movie franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean.

Jim Bowen

Growing up in Clayton-le-Moors and attending Accrington Grammar school, the late Jim Bowen was a dustman for what was Nelson district council, before gracing TV screens hosting the popular Sunday night TV game show, Bullseye. A supporter of Blackburn Rovers, his famous catchphrases included ‘look at what you could’ve won’ and ‘you can’t beat a bit of Bully’. Jim died in 2018, after struggling to recover from a stroke in 2014.

Agyness Deyn

So technically the super model and actress wasn't born in East Lancashire, but she did move to Rawtenstall and attended All Saints Roman Catholic High School, as well as Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School and Sixth Form, Waterfoot, before the catwalk came calling. Agnes, or Laura Michelle Hollins, as she was born, worked in a fish and chip shop in Rossendale and won the Rossendale Free Press 'Face of '99' competition, aged just 16. She moved to London shortly after and was on the cover of American Vogue in 2007.

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Jane Horrocks

The final celeb on our list is Rawtenstall's Jane Horrocks, who is probably best known for her role in the 1998 film, Little Voice, for which she received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, and the character Bubble in Absolutely Fabulous. The actress has also tread the boards in London's West End and has provided voiceovers for films such as Chicken Run and Corpse Bride.