Which celebrities live in Sussex? The famous faces who call the county home

What do Hollywood royalty, music icons, and prime-time TV and radio hosts all have in common? A Sussex postcode. Well away from the glare of London and the madness that is LA, this stretch of coast has become something of a haven for celebrity dwellers seeking the best of England’s south coast on their doorstep, all while avoiding the prying lens of the paparazzi.

Across East and West Sussex, homes sit in landscapes that feel storied and historical – old lanes, market towns, stretches of coast and countryside that give each place its own rhythm. The county’s mix of heritage and everyday life creates settings that feel both lived‑in and unexpectedly cinematic.

Here we explore the famous faces who have chosen Sussex as home and the towns and villages that keep them tethered to this beautiful, laid-back county.

Kate Winslet – West Wittering

Tucked away near West Wittering, Winslet’s Grade II-listed 17th-century estate sits along one of the quietest stretches of the Sussex coast. After her catapult to worldwide stardom with Titanic – and subsequent Oscar and BAFTA accolades from hits like The Reader and Mare of Easttown – Winslet has fiercely guarded her private life.

Having been based in both London and Manhattan, she decided to relocate to Sussex in 2013. Its vast, low-key beaches and general air of relaxed familiarity provide a wonderful setting for managing a global film career alongside grounded family life.

Sir Paul McCartney – Peasmarsh

Legendary Beatles frontman Sir Paul McCartney’s East Sussex hideaway is Blossom Wood Farm, a tranquil 160-acre plot of land near Peasmarsh, which has been his country bolthole for more than 50 years. Acquired in 1973, largely to escape the public eye, it functions as a working organic farm - not just a flashy showpiece.

What’s more, it is a short amble from his recording studio, which he now houses in a converted windmill in the village of Icklesham, which allows him to live and work in the rural East Sussex countryside.

Julie Walters – Plaistow

Just outside of Plaistow, you’ll find the 200-acre, working, organic farm, Lee House Farm, which Julie Walters and her husband, Grant Roffey, call home. The BAFTA- and Golden Globe-winning actress, who is probably best known for her roles in Harry Potter, Billy Elliot and Mamma Mia, has been living in this part of the county for two decades.

A long way from simply being a luxurious bolthole, it is a working holding with livestock: cattle, sheep and hundreds of chickens. This operation is largely handled by Roffey, while Walters mixes it with her screen work and rural pursuits.

Fatboy Slim – Hove

Few artists are as synonymous with Sussex as Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim. Living in Hove since his student days at Brighton Polytechnic in the 1980s, the international DJ has resided for decades in an impressive house overlooking the sea on Millionaires’ Row (Western Esplanade) in Hove. Over the years, he bought several beachfront mansions adjoining his complex, and they all housed his family, his private studio, and his private office.

Aside from his home address, the entrepreneur’s touch is to be found in various locations across the area; he jointly owns Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, manages the Big Beach Cafe in Hove Lagoon and organised the legendary 2002 Big Beach Boutique II event on the promenade.

Jodie Kidd – Kirdford

Model-turned-pub-owner Jodie Kidd lives in a 17th-century cottage just outside Kirdford, West Sussex. She told The English Home in a 2020 interview, ‘It’s a gingerbread house… nothing uniform about it; it’s very quirky with big inglenook fireplaces and beams. It’s a unique character property.’

The home, surrounded by rolling open fields, is a brief amble to the middle of the village where she took on and restored the old local pub, The Half Moon, back in 2017.

Hugh Bonneville – Midhurst

Just outside Midhurst, Downton Abbey and Paddington star Hugh Bonneville lives in a converted 19th-century coach house near the South Downs. Most of the original architecture remains at his historic house – the beamed and high-ceilinged room which housed the carriages is now used as a kitchen, and the former hayloft is his study.

The land where he lives, just a stone’s throw from the Hampshire border, offers the star a secluded hideaway immersed in the heart of the West Sussex landscape.

Piers Morgan – Newick

Journalist and broadcaster Piers Morgan has deep ties to Newick, having grown up in the East Sussex village. The main family home here is a white-fronted, ivy-clad country house with oak interiors, a swimming pool, a 5-acre garden and a personal football ground.

Outside the village, near Ashdown Forest, the home serves as his main escape from the studio and the capital city.

Keith Richards – West Wittering

The link between Keith Richards and West Wittering is Redlands, a Grade II-listed, moated, thatched property with origins in the 13th century that he purchased in 1966. The iconic property found its way into rock lore in 1967, the subject of the notorious police raid on Richards, Mick Jagger, and Marianne Faithfull.

Decades later, the secluded coastal estate remains the Rolling Stones guitarist’s primary UK home base and creative sanctuary.

Rag’n'Bone Man – Cross‑in‑Hand

Blues and soul singer Rory Graham, aka Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, lives with his family on three acres in Cross-in-Hand, near Heathfield. The East Sussex native bought the four-bedroom property to serve as a secluded home base and private creative studio.

Located deep among the trees, the secluded country home is ideal for the British hitmaker who wanted to be close to home, just miles from his Uckfield childhood home.

Roger Daltrey – Burwash

Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, resides at Holmshurst Manor, a Jacobean manor house located near the village of Burwash. He acquired this property in 1970 and has spent ten years on its restoration. His 420-acre working farm includes cattle, horses, and the four spring-fed Lakedown Fishery, a trout fishery he dug himself in 1981.

He also runs Lakedown Brewing Co. from the property, a family craft brewery set up with his son Jamie, a business which, along with the farming and village life, gives it a uniquely agricultural and entrepreneurial buzz.

Tom Baker – Rye

The beloved actor who played the fourth Doctor Who, Tom Baker, currently resides just off the famous ancient citadel of Rye in East Sussex. The actor and his wife, Sue Jerrard, moved there having previously resided in London, Kent and France-and have now found ‘paradise’ at their former fruit farm a few miles out of town.

The house is just outside the famous cobbled street of Rye and provides Baker with a tranquil escape where he is still occasionally seen by locals who frequent traditional places such as The Mermaid Inn.

Zoë Ball – Brighton & Hove

Also having previously lived in Lewes, Broadcaster Zoe Ball moved back closer to the coast in 2024 after selling her £2 million countryside home in Newick for a townhouse situated between Brighton and Hove. Located right near her ex-husband Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), the period property underwent a complete makeover with Arior Design.

Swapping country calm for the vibrant hum and personality of their urban dwelling, the ex-Radio 2 Breakfast Show presenter replaced neutral tones with bold pink, rustic Tuscan reds and eclectic artworks in between.

From the sandy beaches of West Wittering to the secret spots of the South Downs, Sussex is truly a special place when compared to the UK’s other famous hideaways. It avoids the manicured polish seen among celebrities who live in Surrey or the country-chic aesthetic popular with celebrities who live in the Cotswolds. Blending individual personality with timeless decorating ideas, these Sussex homes highlight a broad range of interior design styles, though we rarely get a look in.

To experience the stunning countryside surrounding these iconic estates, you can pick up the book Sussex Walks from Amazon and start planning your own trip through the county.