Ross Kemp has announced the death of his father, John Kemp, at the age of 88. The EastEnders star, 61, shared a black-and-white photograph of his father in army uniform on social media, writing: “John Kemp 1937–2025. Served his country, served his community, served his family. My hero. Love you always, Dad.”
Ahead of the funeral, Kemp described his father as his “hero, role model and a great dancer”. The tribute prompted an outpouring of condolences from former co-stars and colleagues, including James Farrar, Patsy Palmer and Lucy-Jo Hudson.
John Kemp served in the Metropolitan Police as a detective. Ross was born in Barking, Essex, and grew up with his father and his mother Jean, a hairdresser. He once recalled realising what his father did for a living after seeing him come home with a gun under his arm.
Instead of following his father into the police, Ross pursued acting, training at the Douglas Webber Academy of Acting before landing his first major role in Emmerdale as Graham Lodsworth, an army deserter. He later became visibly emotional during an episode of BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? while learning about his ancestors’ military service.
Ross has been a long-time ambassador for the Royal British Legion and a supporter of the armed forces. Last year, he trained with the Gurkhas to raise funds for the charity, highlighting the unseen scars of military service.
