Bath Celebrities

Bath’s beautiful architecture and iconic attractions draw many celebrity visitors to the city, so be sure to keep your eyes open for a star when enjoying the sights! Some celebrity fans and residents of the city include…

A-list Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage, who owns property near Bath turned on the city’s Christmas Lights in 2009, commenting that he “loved Bath and thought it a beautiful city”.

Michael Palin made a special appearance in 2010 to launch the Britain from the Air photographic exhibition, and give a talk at Bath Abbey about his travels around the globe. As a fan of Bath, he commented, "I have never been in a city this size where every building was beautiful… Bath did seem like a real jewel in the country."

If you take a stroll through Milsom Street to Milsom Place, you can find Jamie’s Italian, a restaurant opened by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in 2008. When visiting the city prior to the restaurant opening, he stated that, “Bath is a beautiful place full of history with great people, wonderful produce, and it is one of those places in the world which makes you feel special just being there.”

Bath has continued to attract royalty for hundreds of years, right up to the present day. HRH the Prince of Wales came to open his Highgrove Shop in 2010, with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall switching on Bath’s Christmas lights later that year. At the ceremony she commented, “Bath is a very special city. It's always been my local city and I would recommend it as the best Christmas shopping city in the south west."

Originally from the West Country, comedian and actor John Cleese returned to Bath in 2010, and can often be spotted strolling around the city. When being asked about his move to Bath, he replied, “I just fell in love with the place… It's such a beautiful city… what's so great about it is there's so many really beautiful shops, everything you could possibly need, and you could walk it all." John Cleese and his partner Jennifer Wade also switched on the city's Christmas lights in 2011.

Another famous Bath resident is one of fashion's most inspirational characters, shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, commenting, “Bath is the place I’ve chosen to live; it’s a city I adore!” Manolo will be headlining Bath in Fashion 2012, in conversation with fashion writer Iain R.Webb at the Holburne Museum. 

Actor Anthony Head, famous for appearing in Nescafe adverts, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Little Britain, runs a farm near Bath and is frequently seen in the city. Commenting that he has “always thought of the city as somewhere special,” Anthony supports local charities at the Royal United Hospital of Bath and the Theatre Royal. 

Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kanye West were spotted earlier this year in a central coffee shop in Bath, rumoured to be using a local recording studio just outside of the city. Other big name celebrities such as Kylie Minogue and Pamela Anderson have also enjoyed stays in Bath.

If you enjoy following in celebrity footsteps, download the Bath Movie Map to discover different parts of the city that have been used in famous films such as Vanity Fair, Persuasion and The Duchess.