Orlando Bloom, Tom Daley and Billy Connolly support City of Culture bids Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom has backed East Kent's bid, saying the area "awakened his passion" to act as a child. Bloom, who was born and raised in Canterbury, said he was "spellbound" by the street performers on the city's high street when he was younger, and had appeared on the Marlowe Theatre stage by the age of four. After the pair had tweeted out their support of Plymouth's bid to more than 2.4 million Twitter followers, the Facebook page for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport gained unprecedented interest: nearly 1000 Facebook users "liked" an image of Plymouth, 163 shares and 102 comments. By contrast, a picture of contending city Aberdeen had just one like, and Swansea gained a meagre six thumbs up, with a comment saying: "it's definitely not winning this award." However, while Aberdeen may not be succeeding on the social media front, the city does have Glaswegian comedian Billy Connolly, crime writer Stuart MacBride and percussionist Evelyn Glennie supporting its bid. Rita Stephens, Aberdeen's bid manager, said: "We could be creating the next generation of Billy Connollys, Stuart MacBrides and Evelyn Glennies." The English contenders for the 2017 title are below, and a shortlist will be announced in June after being decided by an independent panel, chaired by Grange Hill creator Paul Redmond. Aberdeen Chester Dundee East Kent (Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Thanet) Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea Hull Leicester Plymouth Portsmouth and Southampton Southend on Sea Swansea Bay (Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath and Port Talbot).