Ross Kemp is a TV legend – but it’s fair to say he’s had a rather wild love life – including a messy divorce from his ex-wife.
Since shooting to fame as Grant Mitchell on BBC’s EastEnders in the 1990s, Ross, 60, has become a staple on screens.
From his documentaries to hosting BBC’s Bridge of Lies – which is on today (May 3) – the actor has kept himself busy. However, away from the TV sets, Ross’ love life has often made headlines over the years.
But why did his first marriage end in divorce? Who is his current wife? And how many children does he have? Keep reading to find out…
Ross Kemp’s first marriage to wife
Ross Kemp’s first marriage was with journalist Rebekah Wade. The pair met in the 1990s while Rebekah was working for the News of the World and Ross was on EastEnders.
In 1996, Ross and Rebekah got engaged. However, a year later in 1997, they put their relationship on hold “due to work pressures”.
Fast forward to June 2002 though, and Ross and Rebekah tied the knot in a Las Vegas ceremony.
Thinks sadly took a turn a year into their marriage when Rebekah was arrested following an alleged assault on her husband.
Ross and Rebekah’s ‘rollercoaster’ marriage
The alleged incident took place on November 3, 2005 and Rebekah was released without charge with the police taking no further action.
Ross and Rebekah then decided to separate in 2006. Their divorce was finalised three years later in 2009.
Reflecting on her marriage with Ross, as MailOnline reports, Rebekah said in 2014: “Our whole relationship was a bit like a rollercoaster.
“Sometimes it was really good and sometimes it wasn’t. If Ross was here now, he would say the same thing,” she added.
Ross Kemp became dad for first time
Following the end of his relationship with Rebekah, Ross found love again with makeup artist Nicole Coleman.
After initially meeting on the EastEnders set, the pair dated on and off for four years. However, Ross and Nicole eventually split up.
Shortly after in November 2010, Nicole revealed she had given birth to Ross’ first child; a boy called Oliver.
“I have had a baby boy and Ross is the father. He will be involved,” she said at the time, as Mirror reports.
Ross’ wife Renee ‘had no idea’ he was Grant
Ross later started a relationship with Australian-born Renee O’Brien. The pair took the next step in their romance in 2012 and tied the knot.
The private couple are parents to three children, Leo, born in 2015, and twins Ava and Kitty, born in 2017.
In 2022, Ross opened up about his marriage with Renee during an appearance on the Plot Twist podcast.
“Renee’s pretty practical, she’s Australian, she’s a lawyer, she’s very straight,” Ross said, when asked why their marriage has lasted.
“She’d never seen EastEnders. She had no idea I was Grant Mitchell or anything like that and she didn’t really understand that I was doing documentaries.”
Ross on Renee ‘straightening’ him out
Soap star Ross also shared that Renee “straightened” him out in the early days of their romance.
“I’d just come back from Afghanistan when I first met her and I generally behaved quite badly the first four or five weeks,” Ross revealed.
He continued: “I’ve changed now, obviously, but I used to go on a bit of a bender with some of the guys, and she sort of straightened me out.
“But she knows what I do and you know, there’s a great saying, particularly used by mates of mine in the armed forces, which is ‘quick goodbyes and long hellos’.”
Watch Ross on Bridge of Lies on Saturday (May 3) at 5:40pm on BBC One.
Read more: EastEnders: Fans deflated by Grant return ‘Did they bring him back for decoration?’
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