Ross Kemp, best known for his iconic role as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, has returned to Walford for an emotional storyline involving his on-screen friend Nigel Bates. The 61-year-old actor first appeared on the BBC soap in February 1990 and remains one of Albert Square's most beloved characters.
Away from the cameras, Kemp's personal life has seen significant changes. He was previously married to journalist Rebekah Wade, whom he wed in Las Vegas in 2002. The couple separated in 2006 and divorced in 2009. Wade later described their relationship as a 'rollercoaster' and admitted to having an affair before their split.
Kemp became a father for the first time in 2010 at the age of 46, welcoming son Oliver with then-partner Nicole Coleman. In 2012, he married Australian-born lawyer Renee O'Brien. The couple have three children together: son Leo, born in 2015, and twins Ava and Kitty, born in 2017.
Speaking about his marriage, Kemp revealed that O'Brien had no knowledge of his soap fame when they met. 'She just thought I was some kind of grumpy old bald bloke in a bar,' he told Metro Online. He credited his wife with helping him change his ways, admitting he 'behaved quite badly' in the early stages of their relationship.
Reflecting on fatherhood in a 2019 interview with the Daily Mail, Kemp expressed contentment: 'I'm very happy I've got my children and wouldn't have it any other way.' The family largely keeps their private life out of the public eye.
