Ross Kemp shocked fans when he revealed his mother had been rushed to hospital, forcing him to abandon plans to cover the World Cup third-place match. The EastEnders legend has won over legions of new fans during the 2026 Fifa World Cup with his colourful online coverage of the games.
On Saturday night, England faced France in an electrifying match that ultimately saw the Three Lions take home the bronze prize after beating their opponents 6-4. But for Kemp, 61, there was an anxious day of updates as he rushed to aid his mother, who had been hospitalised.
Kemp Shares Update from Hospital
Taking to social media over the weekend, the TV star—who found fame playing Grant Mitchell in long-running BBC soap EastEnders—revealed his mother, Jean Kemp, was "stable" following a medical emergency. He did not explain exactly what had happened but informed his online followers that she was "okay."
Opening up in a video shared via Instagram Stories, Kemp said: “Huge thank you to the paramedics who’ve helped me get my mum to hospital tonight. Clearly, I will not be posting about the football. That is not because I don’t care. I love England and I hope they win. But there are some things like your mum that are more important than football. All right, come on, England, and we’ll be back there in four years’ time, and hopefully we’ll win it.”
England Victory and Mother's Condition
After England secured their third-place position with a stunning 6-4 victory, Kemp returned to social media with a further update. He told fans: “The good news is my mum is okay. She’s stable. England won the football and we beat the Argentinians at rugby in their own backyard, so not a bad result after all. Good night.”
Sunday night will see either Argentina or Spain crowned winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following almost six weeks of spectacular football. A lively grand final has been planned at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with celebrations and music set to take centre stage alongside the final match.
World Cup Final Ceremony and Betting Drama
A closing ceremony will take place ahead of the first whistle, with performances by Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, IShowSpeed, and Jennifer Hudson. For the first time, there will be a half-time show spectacle, tipped to run for 18 minutes. Music legend Madonna will perform, with Shakira, BTS, and Justin Bieber also expected to appear. The glitzy final is expected to raise $100 million (£740,000) for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
Football fans have predicted Spain will win the tournament, after Canadian star Drake placed a $1.5 million (£1.2 million) bet that Argentina would win. The rap sensation has suffered a terrible run of bad luck with recent bets, as the bets he placed lost their matches. He recently placed a $1 million (£740,000) bet on Conor McGregor winning his UFC comeback fight, but the Irish fighter injured himself in the first round and then suffered a TKO loss. A website called TheDrakeCurse.com was set up to track his poor betting choices, claiming the music star has lost $1.56 million (£1.16 million) through 87 bad bets.
The World Cup final kick-off will take place at 8pm BST on Sunday, with Spain facing Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium.
