I visited the tiny seaside village that's Cornwall's celeb hotspot and 1 thing shocked me

As I drove through the winding countryside on the cliff tops which towered over golden sands, I found myself eagerly researching the celebrities I might casually bump into. Jason Statham, Chris Martin, and Cate Blanchett are just a few of the big names who own homes in the Cornish village of Mawgan Porth. With a guest list like that, you might expect a place dripping in glamour. But you'd be wrong.

As we descended into the village, we parked in the only public car park, located right on the beachfront. Payment was taken by an elderly couple manning the entrance - no parking meters here just yet. I stepped out onto what passes for the main road, which runs parallel to the beach. After a quick glance from left to right I noticed the town has a single street, home to roughly eight shops.

The beach is undeniably the main attraction, nestled between two dramatic cliffs. Behind it, you'll find a pitch-and-putt course, an old Cornish pub, and a handful of independent cafés and shops - and that's about it.

While this may not surprise locals, I couldn't help but wonder: what exactly is it about this tiny village that draws so many A-list celebrities?

I chatted to a few locals in the area who spoke of the big names which they serve. One café assistant mentioned she regularly serves Olly Murs, Cate Blanchett, and Gordon Ramsay.

"An F1 driver is just building the house over there," Jasmine James, 25, told the Express.

"When I was a kid, it was a more laid-back beach place. Now it's like it's a lot posher with all these bigger cars. The amount of Porsches that come down here - we wonder why they pick Mawgan Porth," she said. I was left wondering the same thing.

Chris Martin, Jamie Dornan, and Gary Barlow are also rumoured to have homes here, hidden away in the cliffs that overlook the beach.

House prices in Mawgan Porth have reached a whopping average of £1,250,000 over the last year. Rightmove reports that sold prices over the last year were 20% up on the previous year.

A detached property there costs on average £1,975,000.

Emma Johnson, 54, from Leicestershire, has been visiting the area for 18 years. "It's just such a pretty place," she said, adding that her family loves to bodyboard here each summer.

For holidaymakers like Emma, the draw of a peaceful coastal escape is easy to see. But for the film stars? I still find myself wondering: what do they do all day?