John Simm, star of ITV's crime drama Grace, is back on screen as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace for a sixth series. The show ended on a cliffhanger, with his boss revealed as corrupt and having an affair with Grace's late wife. Filming began in May 2025, and Simm said: 'This is the longest I’ve been involved in any show! But it’s such a joy to do.'
Beyond his acting career, Simm, 55, has been married to former EastEnders actress Kate Magowan since 2004. Magowan played Sadie Young on the soap from 2013 to 2014 and also appeared in Sky's Dream Team. The couple have two children, Ryder and Mollie, and moved from London to Brighton during the pandemic. Simm told The Guardian: 'I couldn't work out why I kept waking up and thinking, what's that sound? It was actually silence.'
Before settling down, Simm had a brief romance with Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice of the Spice Girls. They met in a studio canteen, where Bunton, a fan of his show The Lakes, 'freaked out' upon seeing him. Simm asked her out 'just for the laugh' but found they got on 'like a house on fire'. He described her as the 'sweetest girl imaginable', 'funny', 'charming', and 'much cooler' than expected.
However, the relationship faced challenges due to Bunton's fame. Simm found the attention overwhelming and felt pressure from her inner circle, who believed he 'wouldn't have been good for her image'. He remarked: 'I certainly wasn't Spice boyfriend material.' The romance ended amid disputes over who leaked details to the press. Simm said he felt 'sorry' for Bunton, adding: 'She's a lovely girl, and the same thing must happen to her over and over again. She deserves better.'
The new series of Grace starts on March 29 at 8pm on ITV and ITVX, airing weekly.
