AS THE year comes to an end, we take a look back at the celebrities spotted in North Wales in 2023.
Actress and director Jessica Hynes, famous for her role in Spaced, a family sitcom that she co-created, was spotted filming outside a hall in Denbigh in February.
An eyewitness said it was “so strange” to see a celebrity in the town.
Snooker’s Welsh Open, held in Llandudno that same month, brought sporting royalty to the seaside resort, with former world champions Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy (among others) staying in the town.
O’Sullivan, considered by many to be the greatest player ever, trekked around the Great Orme and even took part in the Conwy parkrun.
Murphy’s Llandudno trip wasn’t one he will forget, with a seagull stealing his Terry’s chocolate orange from his hotel room, leaving the star “fuming”.
The summer months brought more well-known visitors, with Emmerdale actor Danny Miller hosting the Llandudno Live Festival, a fundraiser for Llandudno FC held in June.
Miller was a previous contestant on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2021, when the show was filmed at Gwrych Castle, Abergele – he also visited the castle this year.
In July, filming of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office took place in Craig-y-Don, Llandudno.
Hollywood star Toby Jones, of The Hunger Games, and Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street, were among those seen shooting the show.
Julie’s Corrie colleague Alex Bain, who plays Simon Barlow in the popular soap, perused a Towyn market and posed for pictures with vendors.
A month later, was on hand to help his “good friend” re-open The Barrell pub in Rhyl.
Everton and Wales footballing hero Neville Southall, who was born and grew up in Llandudno, was spotted at a holiday park in Rhyl, with staff saying the ex-goalkeeper was "absolutely lovely" during his short break at the site.
North Wales was seemingly a hotbed for soap opera actors, with Emmerdale actor Andy Moore the latest famous figure to fall victim to seagull theft when his ice cream was nabbed on Llandudno Pier.
Also in August, former England footballer Dion Dublin, now a host on Homes Under the Hammer, visited Porthmadog, Gwynedd to film the property auction show.
Family Fortunes star and recent Strictly Come Dancing contestant Les Dennis overcame his dancing departure with a tour of Llandudno in November.
The ex-Corrie actor checked in at pubs, restaurants and tea rooms in the town, with the businesses saying it was a “pleasure” to host him.
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