13 Sheffield celebrities and the amazing mothers and fathers behind their success

By Robert Cumber

News editor and reporter

Published 26th Oct 2024, 06:52 GMT

Sheffield’s most famous people have excelled at everything from football and cricket to music and movies.

In many cases, they owe much of that success to their upbringing and the support of the parents who raised them.

From doting mums and dads ferrying them to sports practice or band rehearsals, to the tough love shown by those determined to toughen up their children, the parenting approaches vary hugely.

But they have all played a big part in their children’s amazing achievements.

Below, we take a look at some of Sheffield’s biggest celebrities and their mums and dads, from Jarvis Cocker and Alex Turner to Joe Root, Harry Maguire and Sean Bean.

We look at what their parents did, what they have said about their famous offspring, and what their children have said about them.

Joe Root's parents Helen and Matt are pictured here picking up a Yorkshire Young Achievers award in 2013 on behalf of their son, who recently became England's leading run scorer in Test cricket. Helen has worked for many years as a nurse at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, while Matt was a medical rep and is now chairman of the Emprise Group. Joe has previously told how he is 'extremely proud' of what his mother does, adding 'it’s really commendable how she much she cares about other people. She’s at the same hospital – still working hard and she cares as much as ever about her patients'. He has paid tribute as well to the inspirational role his father, who was also a talented cricketer and played for Sheffield Collegiate at Lords, played in his rise to the top. Matt has spoken of his pride in both Joe and Joe's brother Billy Root, who plays for Glamorgan. He once recalled how from a young age his sons would practise first in the living room with a ping pong ball and then in the garden with a tennis ball. Their small back garden backed onto Totley Brook, he said, and he often had to walk round to the field to retrieve balls which had been 'top-edged for six'.

1. Joe Root

Joe Root's parents Helen and Matt are pictured here picking up a Yorkshire Young Achievers award in 2013 on behalf of their son, who recently became England's leading run scorer in Test cricket. Helen has worked for many years as a nurse at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, while Matt was a medical rep and is now chairman of the Emprise Group. Joe has previously told how he is 'extremely proud' of what his mother does, adding 'it’s really commendable how she much she cares about other people. She’s at the same hospital – still working hard and she cares as much as ever about her patients'. He has paid tribute as well to the inspirational role his father, who was also a talented cricketer and played for Sheffield Collegiate at Lords, played in his rise to the top. Matt has spoken of his pride in both Joe and Joe's brother Billy Root, who plays for Glamorgan. He once recalled how from a young age his sons would practise first in the living room with a ping pong ball and then in the garden with a tennis ball. Their small back garden backed onto Totley Brook, he said, and he often had to walk round to the field to retrieve balls which had been 'top-edged for six'. | National World Photo: National World

Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill unveils her star on the Sheffield Legends Walk of Fame in 2011, with her dad Vinne Ennis and mum Alison Powell behind her, and then lord mayor, Councillor Sylvia Dunkley, on the far left, and then council leader Julie Dore on the far right. Jessica has told how her mum introduced her to athletics when she was nine or 10, taking her and her sister Carmel to a summer sports camp at the since demolished Don Valley Stadium. She has described how she gets her 'competitive edge' from her mum, who was a counsellor, but said 'she’s never been a pushy parent, she’s always just supported me'. Jessica may have inherited her sporting genes from her father Vinnie, a painter and decorator, who did some sprinting as a schoolboy in Jamaica before moving to Britain aged 13.

2. Jessica Ennis-Hill

Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill unveils her star on the Sheffield Legends Walk of Fame in 2011, with her dad Vinne Ennis and mum Alison Powell behind her, and then lord mayor, Councillor Sylvia Dunkley, on the far left, and then council leader Julie Dore on the far right. Jessica has told how her mum introduced her to athletics when she was nine or 10, taking her and her sister Carmel to a summer sports camp at the since demolished Don Valley Stadium. She has described how she gets her 'competitive edge' from her mum, who was a counsellor, but said 'she’s never been a pushy parent, she’s always just supported me'. Jessica may have inherited her sporting genes from her father Vinnie, a painter and decorator, who did some sprinting as a schoolboy in Jamaica before moving to Britain aged 13. | Sheffield Newspapers Photo: Sarah Washbourn

Sean Bean with his mum Rita after the When Saturday Comes premiere at Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre in 1996. Sean grew up in Handsworth with mum Rita, who worked as a secretary, and his dad Brian, who owned a fabrication company. He has told how his parents had initially worried it was a 'waste of time' when he told them, aged 17, that he wanted to be an actor. He described how his mother's advice to him growing up had been to 'listen to people and treat people as you find them', and she had told him 'there’s an inherent goodness in most people'.

3. Sean Bean

Sean Bean with his mum Rita after the When Saturday Comes premiere at Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre in 1996. Sean grew up in Handsworth with mum Rita, who worked as a secretary, and his dad Brian, who owned a fabrication company. He has told how his parents had initially worried it was a 'waste of time' when he told them, aged 17, that he wanted to be an actor. He described how his mother's advice to him growing up had been to 'listen to people and treat people as you find them', and she had told him 'there’s an inherent goodness in most people'. | National World Photo: Steve Ellis

The Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner is the son of two secondary school teachers, Penny, who taught German, and David, who taught music and physics. They were both music lovers, with his mum exposing him from an early age to music by the likes of Led Seppelin and David Bowie, and his dad being a fan of jazz and swing music. Alex's dad taught him some scales on the family keyboard before he had professional lessons as a young boy. It was not until he was 15 that his parents bought him his first guitar for Christmas. Alex's mum famously attended Glastonbury in 2013, when the Arctic Monkeys were playing, and the audience sang happy birthday to her. Alex later joked that he had banned her from attending festivals where the band were playing, as he couldn't 'be naughty' if she was on site.

4. Alex Turner

The Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner is the son of two secondary school teachers, Penny, who taught German, and David, who taught music and physics. They were both music lovers, with his mum exposing him from an early age to music by the likes of Led Seppelin and David Bowie, and his dad being a fan of jazz and swing music. Alex's dad taught him some scales on the family keyboard before he had professional lessons as a young boy. It was not until he was 15 that his parents bought him his first guitar for Christmas. Alex's mum famously attended Glastonbury in 2013, when the Arctic Monkeys were playing, and the audience sang happy birthday to her. Alex later joked that he had banned her from attending festivals where the band were playing, as he couldn't 'be naughty' if she was on site. | National World Photo: Dean Atkins

Sheffield Celebrities Parents Joe Root Harry Maguire Jarvis Cocker Parenting

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