5 of the Most Famous People From Wakefield
Sport, Politics, Music and Art – are just a few of the areas where people from Wakefield have achieved fame. Over the years, people from the former industrial region have dominated their fields, be it for their great achievements or the impact they’ve had on their industry/sport.
Across the city, you’ll find nods to these famous names; you might’ve heard their music in the charts or even spent an afternoon admiring their work.
In this roundup, we’re taking a brief look at some of the most famous people to come from Wakefield.
1. The Cribs
A highly successful Indie band, The Cribs first achieved fame in the early 2000s. Since then, they’ve had 4 albums in the top 10, played some of the biggest festivals in the land and even adopted a member of the Smiths. You might’ve seen them on the Wakefield Walk of Fame, which was installed in 2011. The band is still active and continues to delight fans with their unique sound and the distinct Wakefield accent which they sing with.
2. Geoffrey Boycott OBE
One of the most celebrated English cricketers, with a career spanning from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. He cites over 100 test match appearances for England and was the leading test run scorer for Yorkshire with over 8,000 test runs. Since his departure from active participation, he’s been a prominent commentator on both radio and television and was even awarded an OBE for his contribution to the sport.
3. Helen Worth
Best known as Gail Platt from the UK's longest-running soap Coronation Street Helen Worth’s character is a household name who’s been at the centre of several major storylines. With a career in the soap that spanned over 40 years, she also made an appearance in another British institution, Doctor Who.
4. Barbara Hepworth
Perhaps Wakefield’s most celebrated citizen; Barbara Hepworth was a British sculptor, born in Wakefield in 1903. She has an illustrious career spanning five decades and made her name as one of the leading figures in the international art scene. Forever immortalised with the opening of The Hepworth Gallery – one of Wakefield’s most visited destinations – in 2011, her art is revered in the art world and she was known for being fiercely proud of her Wakefield routes.
5. Jane McDonald
Most famous for being a regular co-presenter of the daytime TV show, Loose Women, Jane McDonald rose to fame after appearing on the BBC show, The Cruise in 1998. Since then, she’s had a string of appearances in TV programmes, as well as winning a British Academy Television Award for Cruising with Jane McDonald in 2017.
