Did you know Rowan Atkinson was born in Consett?
Rowan Atkinson, one of the United Kingdom’s greatest actors, was born in Consett and spent much of his childhood in this area. Many actors and performers shy away from their roots when it comes to presenting their work to a national or even international audience, however, Atkinson rarely sought to hide his north east beginnings during TV appearances.
The history of celebrity figures can sometimes be the source of controversy, just look at Tulisa and her past partners or recent x-factor winner James Arthur and his brief imprisonment. Rowan Atkinson initially attended the Durham Choristers School, the St. Bees School, and ultimately received a degree in electrical engineering before leaving the north east to further his education – yet after spending so much time in the area it has not been represented as a negative part of his life by himself or the media, as it sometimes was for other local celebrities; including Cheryl Cole.
Rowan Atkinson’s brother, Rodney Atkinson, is a political and economic commentator. Since the early 90s he’s been involved in a huge number of political movements, in 1999 he co-founded the British Declaration of Independence. He was also the Referendum Party candidate in North West Durham in 1997 and the lead United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) candidate for the North East in 1999 which he then lost within just 15 votes in 2000, he later resigned amidst controversy in the conduct of the poll.
The Mr Bean star has strong ties to the region through his family, his parents married in 1945 and his family have lived in the region since that time. He now lives with his partner Sunetra Sastry in Northamptonshire with their two children. Atkinson met his wife during his time at the BBC, where she was the make-up artist for the Blackadder co-star Stephen Fry. Fry commented on the situation in his second autobiography, saying that Rowan approached him to swap make-up artists due to his interest in Sastry.