From state schools to highly-regarded private schools, Winchester is home to several fantastic educational institutions. 

So, it comes as little surprise that their halls and corridors were once walked by a number of students who would go on to become stars in their respective fields.

From footballers and comedians to film stars and politicians, Winchester has produced the lot.

So we have compiled a list of 21 famous people who lived and studied in Winchester below.

Fun fact, one of them even worked for the Hampshire Chronicle before advancing on to stardom.

If you feel anyone should be included in our list, let us know in the comments section.

Colin Firth

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Golden Globe winning actor and long-standing heartthrob, Colin Firth, went to what is now Kings' School in Winchester.

Jon Snow

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The journalist and presenter who's best known for being the longest serving host of Channel 4 News went to The Pilgrims' School in Winchester.

Amanda Holden

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Presenter, actress and all-round extraordinaire Amanda Holden spent much of her childhood in Bishop's Waltham, attending Swanmore Secondary School which is now known as Swanmore College.

Wayne Bridge

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Former England, Chelsea and Manchester City footballer Wayne Bridge studied at Kings' School and grew up in Stanmore.

Rishi Sunak

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Born in Southampton, chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, attended Winchester College before moving on to the University of Oxford.

Shappi Khorsandi

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Iranian-born British comedian and author Shappi Khorsandi graduated from King Alfred's College, now the University of Winchester, in 1995, with a degree in Drama, Theatre and Television.

Jos Whedon

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American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer Jos Whedon - who is best known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Toy Story and The Avengers - spent three years boarding at Winchester College from the age of 15.

Mike Bushell 

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Originally from Yorkshire, Mike Bushell obtained a 2:1 degree in Drama & Television at King Alfred's College in Winchester, which is now known as the University of Winchester.

Once he left, he appeared as a Roman Centurion and King Arthur on the streets of Winchester for the tourist board, before taking a role at the Hampshire Chronicle.

He's since gone on to feature regularly as a presenter on BBC Sport and BBC Breakfast.

Emma Chambers

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Best known for playing the role of Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley and Honey Thacker in the film Notting Hill, Emma Chambers went to St Swithun's School.

The actress died of a heart attack in 2018.

Johnny Flynn

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Actor Johnny Flynn, who portrayed David Bowie in the film Stardust, went to The Pilgrims' School in Winchester.

Jack Dee

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Comedian Jack Dee also attended The Pilgrims' School and Kings' School, both of which are in Winchester.

Hugh Dancy

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Perhaps best known for his role in Black Hawk Down, actor Hugh Dancy was educated at Winchester College from the age of 13.

Philippa Forrester

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Philippa Forrester - who has presented shows such as CBBC, Tomorrow's World, Crufts, The Heaven and Earth Show and Robot Wars - was educated at St Bede school, Westgate School and later at Peter Symonds College.

Oswald Mosley

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The late Oswald Mosley was a British politician who rose to fame in the 1920s as a Member of Parliament and later in the 1930s, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, drifted towards fascism, becoming the leader of the British Union of Fascists.

He attended West Downs School, now part of Winchester University on Romsey Road, and Winchester College and has recently come back into the national spotlight after being depicted by Sam Claflin in the most recent series of Peaky Blinders. 

Juliet Howland

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The actress and singer songwriter, from Winchester, has appeared in numerous famous shows including Casualty, Skins, The Bill and EastEnders to name a few. She studied at Kings' School and Peter Symonds College. 

Stuart Brennan

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BAFTA-winning British actor Stuart Brennan studied drama at the University of Winchester.

Tom Sturridge

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Actor Tom Sturridge who played a leading role in The Boat That Rocked studied at Winchester College.

Ian Gow

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Politician Ian Gow also attended Winchester College before serving at Conservative MP for Eastbourne before his assassination by the IRA in 1990.

Lauren Cohan

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The actor, who played Maggie Greene on hit TV show The Walking Dead, graduated from the University of Winchester with degree in Drama and English Literature.

George Nash 

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The three-time world champion rower attended Winchester College, where he was vice captain of the boat club.

Steve Furst 

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Steve Furst, who appeared regularly in the BBC comedy television programme Little Britain, was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester for his work in comedy and written arts in 2019.