Simon Cowell, David Beckham and Rebekah Vardy: Celebs in 2022

Florence Pugh's new movie had as much drama behind the scenes as on it and we chatted to UB40's Ali Campbell as well as Clarkson's Farm's Kaleb Cooper.

This is the comprehensive guide to celebrities and Oxfordshire throughout 2022: 

David and Victoria Beckham's neighbours backed their plans for a new security cabin - to deter "undesirable elements from venturing into our lovely little village" and allow them to sleep at night.

The celebrity duo were seeking planning permission to beef up their safety measures at their £6million Cotswolds home in response to a number of incidents - including a break in at their London-home and being targeted by a crazed stalker.

READ MORE: David Beckham gives a glimpse of country life in the Cotswolds

In documents relating to the application one neighbour on the Great Tew estate said she supported the need for the cabin - amid "troubled times."

TV talent show mogul Simon Cowell visited Chipping Norton a couple of times and took his son Eric to sample treats from milkshake shop Tickittyshake.

The shop shared on Facebook: "Look who stopped in yesterday to pay us a visit. Simon Cowell and Eric loved the Golden Buzzer Shake named after them."

Mr Cowell visited the store and Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe in August.

At the time Julia Cook, owner of Tickittyshake and neighbouring children’s boutique Tickittyboo, said: “He was very happy to have his photo taken.

“He was extremely kind and lovely, polite and smiley and he was very complimentary about my staff.

“He bought a vanilla shake for his son and some sweets and toys.

“I told the staff to offer it for free but he refused and told the staff he wanted to pay.”

READ MORE: Simon Cowell shakes up Cotswolds town as he picks up treats with son

It isn’t the first time the Tickitty shops have been visited by famous faces.

“We’ve had David Cameron and Alex James in Tickittyshake a few times," she said.

“We’ve had Amanda Holden in Tickittyboo before and we’ve had Lydia Bright from Towie.”

Rebekah Vardy, who spent her younger years in Witney, was embroiled in the 'Wagatha Christie' libel trial. 

The then Becky Nicholson was 21 and working as a barmaid in Witney when she met first husband 18-year-old Mark Godden who was playing in the darts team. 

Speaking to The Mirror in 2017, he claimed they became engaged when Becky Nicholson, as she was then, spotted a ring in a magazine and told him: "I want that. Buy it for me."

It was reported that the pair spent £7,000 on their wedding on the beach in Mexico in 2001, but the marriage lasted just six months. 

After a failed marriage to Steve Clarke, her boss at an Oxfordshire timeshare company, she had a relationship was with footballer Luke Foster, father of one of her sons.

They met in 2007 when he was playing for Conference side Oxford United but he too said he could not keep up with her expensive tastes.

Former Ginger Spice Geri Horner was given planning permission for a barn to house 14 horses but it did not go down well with her neighbours.

Geri, 50, and her husband, F1 boss Christian Horner, applied for part-retrospective planning permission as they had already started building the barn at their country estate near Banbury.

One letter of objection said: "The barn has affected mobile phone signals in the village without a doubt."

Another described the barn as "a hideous blight on the landscape and does not conform."

Kaleb Cooper, the breakout star of Clarkson's Farm, gave us an interview in which he disclosed among other things that despite his constantly changing hairstyle he won't be bringing out a haircare range.

"Depending on what haircut I have depends on the products I use. So if I have a perm I use a product which is like a moisturizer. It’s wavy at the moment, I’m waiting for it to grow out now," he said.

"I’ve gone through so many stages with my hair. I reckon it’s going to be a cold winter. So my tip is, try and grow as much hair as you can and stay warm."

He revealed he fancied launching his own clothing line.

"It would be country – definitely not white trainers and no white jeans. I want to design a really good, well made shirt that’s not going to rip and jeans that are not going to rip for farmers. All a country flavour."

Oxfordshire's Kate Bush broke the record for the longest time taken for a single to reach number one, after she landed in the top spot with Running Up That Hill 37 years after it was released.

Originally released in 1985 as the lead track on her Hounds Of Love album, the new-wave track had a global resurgence in popularity after it was featured in the fourth series of Stranger Things.

The title for the longest-running sleeper hit in the UK was previously held by Wham!, who saw Last Christmas top the Official Singles Chart in 2021, 36 years after its release, following the death of Goring's George Michael.

The festive staple by Wham! could well be Christmas number 1 yet again this year.

In the summer UB40 played at Blenheim Palace's Nocturne.

Frontman Ali Campbell explained that when their first album came out people didn’t know what dub was.

He said: "I was a reggae fanatic and if you love reggae then you love dub. We made our second album, Present Arms, in dub literally to show people what it was.

"A lot of people were taking it back to the shop saying the vocals had gone strange and the record wasn’t working properly."

Legendary songwriter Graham Gouldman of classic 1970s rock band 10CC also told us how he wrote Dreadlock Holiday.

He explained that as it was a reggae song it could have done better in the US but reggae was not being played on the radio there at that time.

He explained: "I co-wrote Dreadlock Holiday after I was on holiday in Jamaica. I was talking to someone about sport and Manchester United. And I said, do you like cricket. He said, no. I love it. He gave me the line."

Rumour had it that Liam Gallagher may be swaggering into the Chipping Norton set.

The notorious bad boy was said to have viewed a £3.5million house in the celeb-studded town.

The Oasis and Beady Eye frontman is no stranger to Oxfordshire and has frequented A-list haunt Soho Farmhouse.

Rock star turned cheesemaker Alex James said he would be thrilled if Liam Gallagher became his neighbour.

The Kingham farmer told Radio X's Johnny Vaughan: “I was delighted to hear that.”

Oxford A-lister Florence Pugh was caught up in tension with the director of her movie Don't Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde, and her then partner Harry Styles.

Among other controversies there was a dispute over how the actor Shia LaBeouf left the project and was later replaced by Mr Styles.

In an interview in Variety magazine Ms Wilde did not say she fired Mr LaBeouf but said he had "a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances.”

In response, Mr LaBeouf sent private emails, texts and video messages to Variety to prove that he actually chose to leave due to lack of rehearsal time.

A video of Ms Wilde trying to convince LaBeouf to stay on was subsequently leaked online.

Ms Wilde says in the clip: “I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo”.

However, one critic said Ms Pugh was the best thing about the movie.

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

Profile: Miranda Norris Journalists news from the Oxford Mail

Profile: Miranda Norris Journalists news from the Oxford Mail