In September’s Sidmouth Magazine, BBC television and radio presenter Jeremy Vine shared his love about the town. This is why he says he wants to be a local.

For broadcaster Jeremy Vine, Sidmouth is more than an escape to the seaside, it is a place that he loves to share with his two daughters and the home of the best ice cream…if he can get to the front of the line.

Entertaining the nation every weekday on Radio 2, the television and radio presenter is not shy to praise the town, which he visits with wife Rachel and children Martha, 12, and nine-year-old Anna. He said: “We always go down to Sidmouth, the number one place is the White Horse. It has got a marvellous manager and it’s so friendly.

“There is an ice cream shop [Taste of Sidmouth] that does the best ice cream in the world. I said to my daughters, someone recommended it, and the sun had just come out and the line was 60 people long. You couldn’t get in there.”

Jeremy’s wife Rachel grew up in Tipton St John and the couple were married at the village church on September 14, 2002.

Their reception was 100-yards away in Rachel’s parents’ home. Her father, Chris Schofield, still lives in the village.

Jeremy said: “It was the just the most beautiful day, the sun was out and there was not a cloud in the sky.”

2015 proved a busy year for the Eggheads presenter, forming part of the General Election coverage team and making it to week eight of Strictly Come Dancing with partner Karen Clifton.

In August 2016, the Thin Lizzy and Elvis Costello fan compèred Sidmouth Town Band’s Last Night of the Proms and, on the same weekend, opened the 1st Sid Vale Scouts’ new HQ.

Following the performance, he blogged: “The band were brilliant, musical director Adrian Harvey a wonder, the music very powerful and I felt total love coming back at us from the crowd.

“It was an honour to be there [to open the scout centre] and I congratulate Brian Manwaring, especially for having the vision to see the project through to its impressive completion. I wish both scouts and brass banders huge success!

He concluded: “And as for Sidmouth itself — the sea, the Agatha Christie style hotel fronts on the promenade, fish and chips at the White Horse — I totally love the place. I’m not local, but I kind of want to be.”