Today’s famous faces might spend most of their time in luxury London penthouses, sipping champagne and working on new music or preparing for their next movie role, but they all came from humble beginnings.
Today, we’re delving deeper into five of our favourite Irish celebrities – from former Popstars: The Rivals contestants to the world’s biggest boybands…
Jedward
John and Edward Grimes, better known as Jedward, are a twinning singing duo who first appeared on The X Factor in 2009, and went on to become household names in no time at all.
They hail from Dublin, Ireland, and finished the singing competition in sixth place, later going on to be managed by Louis Walsh. The duo has enjoyed a successful singing career ever since, releasing four studio albums and countless singles.
They even represented Ireland in Eurovision back in 2011 with their infectious single Lipstick – we bloody love them!
Danny O’Donoghue
Danny made a name for himself as the lead singer in The Script, but he really stole our hearts when he became a judge on the BBC One singing competition The Voice.
The star was born in Dublin, Ireland, and has remained true to his roots. Today, the band has played hundreds of shows in Ireland from places like the Sugar Club with a capacity of 350 to Croke Park’s 80,000, cementing The Script as one of Ireland’s biggest success stories. Iconic!
Niall Horan
Today, Niall Horan is a household name in his own right, having released hit singles such as Slow Hands and Small Talk. The 27-year-old, from Mullingar, Westmeath, recently spoke to The Late Late Show tonight to perform his latest single Nice To Meet Ya, and revealed what he misses most about his home country when he’s on tour.
The answer might be surprising to you! “Chicken fillet rolls,” he answered enthusiastically. The show’s host presented Niall with a hamper full of Irish goodies complete with Clonakilty black pudding and brown bread. If you’re away from the Emerald Isles and feel like you’re missing out, you can find Gifts from Ireland made in Ireland, whether you’re looking for clothing, homeware, or even jewellery.
Jamie Dornan
It would’ve been pretty difficult to put together five of our favourite Irish celebrities without giving a nod to Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan, who was born in County Down, Northern Ireland. He started his career in the band Sons of Jim, dated Kiera Knightley, and he’s modelled underwear for Calvin Klein, Armani and Dior – honestly, Google the photos!
Nadine Coyle
Finally, we have to acknowledge everyone’s favourite Girls Aloud member Nadine Coyle, who was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. The star appeared in I’m a Celebrity a couple of years ago and has dozens of number-one singles and albums with her bandmates Cheryl, Sarah, Nicola, and Kimberly. Who can forget when she lied about her age on national TV? She recently appeared as a guest star on BBC One’s new gameshow, I Can See Your Voice.