A stage name is nothing new in the world of showbiz – the practise of using a different moniker when in the public eye dates way back to the early days of Hollywood.
However, we often don’t know when celebrities are using them, especially as it’s something more commonly associated with actors, rather than TV presenters or reality stars.
With that in mind, here are 28 of the more unlikely stars who go by a different name to the one they were born with…
Tess Daly
We’d always assumed Tess was short for Tessa, but turns out the ‘Strictly’ presenter was born Helen Elizabeth Daly.
Alex Jones
The ‘One Show’ host is usually using her middle name, as her parents called her Charlotte when she was born.
Greg James
Greg James is a strong radio name, so it’s maybe understandable why Greg Milward decided to start using his middle name as his surname.
Jessie Wallace
You may know her best at EastEnders’ Kat Slater, but her real name isn’t Jessie at all – it’s Karen.
Kim Woodburn
The controversial ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ housemate, who made a name for herself by shouting “chicken livered shits” at people in the house, was actually born Patricia.
Meghan Markle
Now referred to as the Duchess Of Sussex, Meghan’s birth name is actually Rachel.
Denise Welch
The ‘Loose Women’ star will always be wor Denzy to us, but her real name is actually Jacqueline.
Dermot O’Leary
Dermot, who has an Irish family, follows a long-standing Irish tradition that sees people called by their middle name, which is why Sean Dermot Fintan O’Leary Jr, is simply known as Dermot.
Louis Walsh
Likewise, Michael Louis Vincent Walsh is more commonly known as little old Louis Walsh.
Anton Du Beke
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pro has jazzed up his name for the ballroom world somewhat, as he is actually called Anthony Beke.
Ola Jordan
Speaking of ‘Strictly’ stars, former pro Ola was actually born with the name Aleksandra, with her maiden name being Grabowska.
Graham Norton
Did you know that we actually tune into ‘The Graham Walker Show’ every Friday night on BBC One?
Mutya Buena
Former Sugababe singer Mutya actually uses one of her two middle names, with her full name being Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena.
Pixie Lott
You probably guessed that Pixie wasn’t her real name, but did you know she was actually born Victoria Lott?
Darcey Bussell
Darcey’s full name is actually rather grand. She was born Marnie Mercedes Darcey Pemberton Crittle, although she took on her stepfather’s surname at a young age.
Chizzy Akudolu
The former ‘Holby City’ actress actually goes by a nickname dervived from her middle name, as her birth name is Andrea Chizoba Akudolu.
Ayda Field
The new ‘X Factor’ judge flicks between using Field and Williams (from her husband Robbie) as her surname, but her family name is actually Evecan.
Gabrielle
Gabrielle is one of few artists who is known by just her first name – although even that’s not what we thought it was. It’s actually Louise (Gabrielle is her middle name, with her surname being Bobb).
Paul Daniels
Paul was one of the country’s best-loved magicians, but it turns out he magicked up the name Paul too, as his real name was Newton Edward Daniels.
Liam Gallagher
Liam actually uses a shortened version of his name, William.
Matt Di Angelo
Former ‘EastEnders’ star Matt, who played Dean Wicks, was born Mario Angelo Constantinou.
Kelly Brook
Kelly changed her surname from Parsons to Brook when she became a model.
Calvin Harris
He may be a world-famous DJ, but would you probably wouldn’t recognise his real name, which is Adam Wiles.
Tulisa
The former ‘X Factor’ judge was called Tula at birth, but Tulisa is Greek for ‘Little Tula’.
Rylan
Rylan has achieved mononymous status, but his real name is actually Ross, and he only began using ‘Rylan’ when trying to break into showbiz. His family also still call him Ross.
Lionel Blair
The legendary entertainer borrows his middle name, as he was born Henry Lionel Ogus.
David Tennant
The former ‘Doctor Who’ star’s real name is much more Scottish – David McDonald.
