Ross Kemp

Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, reporter and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. His other roles include Graham Lodsworth in Emmerdale and Detective Inspector Monk in Birds of a Feather. Kemp presented the BAFTA Award–winning documentary television series Ross Kemp on Gangs (2004–2009).

Early life

Kemp was born on 21 July 1964 in Barking, Essex.^[1] His mother Jean was a hairdresser and his father John was a detective superintendent in the Metropolitan Police. He grew up in Rainham, London with his parents and younger brother.^[2]

Kemp attended Shenfield High School in Essex and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.^[3]

Career

Acting

Early career

After leaving drama school, Kemp received his Equity card when appearing alongside John Thaw and Richard Wilson at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea.^{[citation needed]}

Kemp went on to feature in training films for the Ministry of Defence and the ITV soap opera Emmerdale Farm (now Emmerdale) as Graham Lodsworth. Guest appearances in London's Burning and Birds of a Feather followed, before he had a minor role in the 1987 film Playing Away alongside Neil Morrissey.^[4]

In 1990, Kemp appeared in an edition of the Anglia Television police drama The Chief. The episode, entitled "Call Sign Bravo", saw Kemp play the role of Police Constable Dennis Scovell. Around the same time he also starred in a golf-themed advert for Kellogg's Fruit & Fibre cereal.^[5]

EastEnders

Kemp's best-known role is that of hard man Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Making his debut in February 1990, his character quickly became part of the soap's key storylines during the 1990s, particularly troubled marriages to Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and then Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon), as well as the "Sharongate" storyline, which saw brother Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) having an affair with Grant's wife, which was uncovered two years after it began.

Kemp announced on 24 March 1999 that he would be leaving the soap later that year after nearly 10 years. His exit was aired in October 1999 when his character moved to Brazil after surviving a car crash. Kemp refused to rule out an eventual return to EastEnders, and various media reports over the next few years speculated that he would return to the series at some stage. In early 2005, the BBC confirmed that Kemp would be returning to EastEnders in the autumn of that year after six years away. It was co-star Barbara Windsor who convinced him to return, even though his comeback would only be a relatively brief one.^[6] His first comeback lasted just a few weeks from October 2005, but he returned again in March 2006, before departing once again in June that year.

In January 2016, it was confirmed that Kemp would make a brief return to the show for the death of Grant's on-screen mother, Peggy Mitchell (played by Windsor), appearing in three episodes during May of that year.^[7] He later filmed a further three weeks and returned again for brief stints from 4 July to 9 September 2016.

It was confirmed on 1 January 2025 that Kemp will reprise his role as Grant again in honour of the show's upcoming 40th anniversary.^[8] He returned on 13 February and departed on 27 February.

It was announced on 14 February 2026, that Kemp will be returning to EastEnders later in the year for a longer stint.^[9] Grant's return aired on 27 April.

Other roles

Following his initial departure from EastEnders, Kemp moved from the BBC to ITV for a reported £1.2 million two-year deal.^[10] Kemp's first role for ITV was in Hero of the Hour. During its filming, on 27 October 1999, Kemp required hospital treatment after being shot in the face when a stunt went wrong. He suffered cuts to his chest and face after safety glass shattered, and was also hit in the face by the discharge from a blank round. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and made a full recovery.

In 2000, Kemp starred in ITV's A Christmas Carol. He took the lead roles in the television series Without Motive and In Defence in 2000, and in 2002's Ultimate Force, where he played Army Staff sergeant Henry Garvie from the British Special Air Service. He continued to appear in this role until 2006. He also played "Cinna", the lanista (gladiators' combat instructor), in the 2004 TV film, Spartacus.

In 2005, Kemp appeared in an episode of BBC's Extras and in a two-part adaptation of the Gerald Seymour novel A Line in the Sand for ITV. He has also presented on The Friday Night Project and appeared as a stand in host on The Paul O'Grady Show (2007, 2008).

Kemp appeared in the 4th episode of Series 14 of BBC's motoring show Top Gear. He was the "Man in Boot" of a Renault Twingo Sport being tested by Jeremy Clarkson. The test ended with Clarkson driving the car off the quayside of Belfast Harbour, after which Clarkson joked that Kemp had been killed.^[11] Kemp also appeared in Series 1, where he did 1 minute 54 seconds (wet) in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment.

In 2022, Kemp began presenting the game show Bridge of Lies, airing on weekdays on BBC One,^[12][13] as well as a series of celebrity specials broadcast on Saturday evenings.^[14] Kemp told The Sunday Post: "I am the last person that should be hosting a game show, but it seems to work [...] the landscape of TV has changed significantly in the last six, seven years. Actors once upon a time didn't do commercials, now A-listers do them. If you worked in television, you couldn't be in movies or if you were in movies you'd never touch TV [...] that snobbery I would suggest is dissolving. And that's got to be a good thing I guess."^[15]

Kemp is set to appear on the second series of The Celebrity Traitors in autumn 2026.^[16]

Documentary presenter

In 2004, Kemp filmed Ross Kemp on Gangs.^[17] He followed this up with the documentaries Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates, Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon and Ross Kemp: Extreme World.

In 2022 Kemp, who had previously taken part in deep sea dives for the television channel Sky History, had planned to mark the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic by recording a documentary in which he would undertake a dive to the wreckage using the submersible Titan. The project was shelved after production company Atlantic Productions deemed the submersible to be unsafe and not "fit for purpose".^[18]

In September 2024 Kemp launched a new documentary series titled Mafia and Britain.^[19]

Writing

Kemp has written several books. Initially focusing on tie-ins to his various TV documentaries, 2011 saw the publication of his first fictional story, Devil to Pay. A novel, Moving Target, was released in summer 2012.^[20] In September 2023, Kemp released Take Nothing for Granted: Tales from an Unexpected Life; a retrospective look back at his career.^[21]

Political views

In 1999, Kemp was elected as Rector of the University of Glasgow as the candidate of the Glasgow University Labour Club^[22] but did not attend local meetings.^[23] In October 2000 the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council passed a motion requesting him to resign,^[24] and within weeks he did.^[25] Kemp was the first rector in 50 years to leave the position prematurely and was succeeded by Scottish actor Greg Hemphill.^[23][26]

In August 2014, Kemp was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.^[27]

In June 2017, Kemp endorsed the Labour Party at the 2017 general election, and took part in campaigning for Labour candidates.^[28][29][30]

In 2022, Kemp declared his support for a "National Thank You Day" to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.^[31]

In 2023, Kemp publicly endorsed Keir Mather of the Labour Party in the 2023 Selby and Ainsty by-election, where he formerly resided.^{[citation needed]} Mather won the by-election and was elected to Parliament.

At the 2024 general election, Kemp publicly endorsed Rayleigh and Wickford Conservative Party MP Mark Francois. Francois, described by Kemp as a "fantastic MP", kept his seat.^[32]

Personal life

On 11 June 2002, Kemp married Rebekah Wade, the then editor of The Sun. In November 2005, Wade was arrested following an alleged assault on Kemp.^[33] Kemp refused medical attention for a swollen lip and no action was taken.^[34] In March 2009 Kemp and Wade divorced,^[35] and in October 2010, Kemp fathered a boy with his partner, Nicola Coleman, who was his make-up artist.^[36]

Kemp married the Australian Renee O'Brien in 2012.^[37] They have three children, a boy and twin girls.^[38][39]

In May 2025, Kemp appeared on the BBC television series Who Do You Think You Are?^[40] He discovered that his maternal grandfather survived the sinking of the SS Duchess of York during World War II at the age of 50.^[41]

Filmography

Stage

Awards and nominations

References

1. ^ "ON THIS DAY: July 21". Swindon Advertiser. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
2. ^ Anderson, Charlotte (7 May 2025). "Ross Kemp's Rainham childhood on Who Do You Think You Are?". Romford Recorder. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
3. ^ "Kemp to return to Albert Square". Manchester Evening News. 23 May 2005. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
4. ^ "Ross Kemp – Awards". IMDB.
5. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Hitman & Her: Full Show Flicks Brechin Summer 1990", 5 February 2015, retrieved 4 March 2021
6. ^ "Ross Kemp finally lured back to 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy. 21 May 2005.
7. ^ "Ross Kemp returning to EastEnders for Barbara Windsor's exit". BBC News. 18 January 2016.
8. ^ Knight, Lewis. "EastEnders confirms Ross Kemp return as Grant Mitchell for "significant" 40th anniversary role". radiotimes.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
9. ^ https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/14/eastenders-confirms-grant-mitchell-return-two-huge-storylines-26902698/amp/
10. ^ "KEMP IN£1.2M ITV DEAL"
11. ^ "Video: Top Gear Season 14 Episode 4". Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
12. ^ Heritage, Simon (14 March 2022). "Bridge of Lies: 'Ross Kemp has found his fourth age – daytime quizshow presenter'". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
13. ^ Jefferey, Morgan (11 March 2022). "Ross Kemp wants soaps special of BBC game show Bridge of Lies". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
14. ^ "The bridge is back! Ross Kemp returns to BBC One for celebrity series of hit quiz show Bridge of Lies". BBC. August 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
15. ^ Crae, Ross (7 January 2023). "Ross Kemp is relishing his role as quizmaster in Glasgow-filmed The Bridge of Lies". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
16. ^ Lambert, Guy (2026-05-02). "Celebrity Traitors 2026: Full line-up of series two confirmed". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
17. ^ "Ross Kemp on Gangs (TV Series 2006– )". IMDb
18. ^ Russell, Rachel (24 June 2023). "Ross Kemp had planned to film TV show on Titanic sub". BBC News. BBC. Archived 23 June 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
19. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (2024-09-10). "Ross Kemp: Mafia and Britain review – it's astounding he gets gangsters to open up this much". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
20. ^ Dainty, Sophie (19 May 2016). "EastEnders legend Ross Kemp: 10 random facts about the Grant Mitchell star". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
21. ^ "Take Nothing For Granted: Tales from an Unexpected Life (Hardback)". waterstones.com. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
22. ^ O'Hare, Paul (2 February 1999). "Grannie competes with EastEnders hardman for university rector's post". The Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
23. ^ "Five in the running for rector at Glasgow University". The Herald. 2 February 2001. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
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25. ^ "Kemp quits university post". BBC News. 8 November 2000. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
26. ^ Belcher, David (2 March 2001). "Greg's university challenge Glasgow's new student rector, funnyman Greg Hemphill, will be taking the role very seriously.". The Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
27. ^ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
28. ^ "Ross Kemp adds muscle to Labour campaign". Express & Star. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
29. ^ Seddon, Sean (5 June 2017). "See Ross Kemp campaigning for Sunderland Labour candidate ahead of general election". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
30. ^ Allison, David (5 June 2017). "TV star Ross Kemp in Sunderland to back Labour candidate ahead of election". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
31. ^ "National Thank You Day: Ross Kemp talks royal celebrations and his favourite cake". BBC News. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
32. ^ Hazell, Will (2024-07-04). "Watch: Ross Kemp gives surprise endorsement to Conservative Mark Francois". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
33. ^ Laville, Sandra; Wells, Matt; Dodd, Vikram (4 November 2005). "The editor, the actor, the (ex) cabinet minister and a night behind bars". The Guardian
34. ^ "Editor free after Kemp 'assault'". BBC News. 3 November 2005. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
35. ^ "Ross Kemp granted quickie divorce". Digital Spy. 6 March 2009.
36. ^ "BABY JOY! Former EastEnders star Ross Kemp becomes a dad – now". Nowmagazine.co.uk. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
37. ^ Wilson, Benji. "Ross Kemp: confronting danger". Reader's Digest. Archived from the original on 20 September 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
38. ^ Davis, Rachael (6 April 2021). "How EastEnders star Ross Kemp went from having no kids in his mid 40s to a doting dad of 4 in his mid 50s". MyLondon. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
39. ^ "Ross Kemp shares incredibly rare personal photo with fans". 27 May 2021.
40. ^ "Who do You Think You Are? - Series 22: 3. Ross Kemp"
41. ^ "Who do You Think You Are? - Series 22: 3. Ross Kemp"
42. ^ "ITV commissions new Ross Kemp documentary on the trail of Britain's Tiger Kings". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
43. ^ "Searching for Michael Jackson's Zoo with Ross Kemp". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
44. ^ "WHAT'S COMING UP ON 'ROSS KEMP: DEEP SEA TREASURE HUNTER' S2". history.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
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46. ^ "Ross Kemp returning to acting 7 years after last EastEnders stint". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
47. ^ "Ross Kemp: Mafia and Britain". tv.apple.com. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
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49. ^ "Who Do You Think You Are? spring 2025 line-up revealed". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
50. ^ "Ross Kemp: Lost Boys, Deadly Men". crimeandinvestigation.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
51. ^ "Ross Kemp wins Best Investigation award for Extreme World: India - Asian Media Awards". 10 November 2014. Archived 10 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine.