Ross Kemp's wild love life - 'rollercoaster' marriage and wife who 'straightened' him out
Former EastEnders star Ross Kemp might be a well-known face on TV - but he prefers to keep his private life out of the spotlight. Here's everything we know about his love life
Ross Kemp is back on screens this week, researching his ancestors for the hit series, Who Do You Think You Are? But how much do you know about his family life at home? From his rollercoaster first marriage through to the arrival of his four children, we've taken a closer look at the EastEnders star's private life away from the cameras...
Rebekah Wade
Ross met his first wife, Rebekah Wade, at a golf tournament when she was deputy editor of News of the World and he was starring as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders. The couple got engaged in 1996, but in 1997 took a brief break 'due to work pressures'. They soon reunited and, in June 2002, they got married in Las Vegas.
They encountered a rocky relationship, and Rebekah later revealed that their marriage was a 'rollercoaster', with her admitting to having an affair. They separated in 2006 and divorced in March 2009. That same year, Rebekah married racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks.
Speaking about her split from Ross, she said: "I think we were both working incredibly long hours… in completely different industries. The whole relationship was a bit of a roller coaster. Sometimes it was really good, and sometimes it wasn't so. I think that's how he would describe it."
Renee O'Brien
In 2012, Ross married his second wife, Australian-born Renee O'Brien, and the couple remains happily married to this day. The family like to keep their personal life private, and little is known about Renee. But Ross has briefly spoken about his wife in the past.
While discussing his intense filming schedule, the former EastEnders actor revealed his guilt about leaving his family. He told Metro Online: "Guilt, I think that's part and parcel of it. But I think, my wife didn't really know me from my soap days […] So when we [he and Renee] first got together, she just thought I was some kind of grumpy old bald bloke like in a bar – and she's probably right about that today, I'm still a grumpy old bald bloke in a bar."
In an interview on the Plot Twist podcast in 2022, he went into more detail and explained why his marriage has lasted. "Renee's pretty practical, she's Australian, she's a lawyer, she's very straight. 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 said.
He also revealed how he misbehaved in the early days of their relationship, but Renee 'straightened him out'. "I'd just come back from Afghanistan when I first met her and I generally behaved quite badly the first four or five weeks," he admitted.
"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'."
Children
Ross is a proud father of four. After his divorce from his first wife, Rebekah, he welcomed his first child, a boy, with his former partner and makeup artist, Nicole Coleman. He and Renee also share three children together; a son Leo, born in 2015, and twins Ava and Kitty, born in 2017.
Speaking to the Mail Online in 2019, Ross said: "I'm very happy I've got my children and wouldn't have it any other way. I could have done it about a decade earlier though, I should've done.
"I was old, I was in my 40s, I was quite selfish before, in terms of you put yourself first, you look at what's going to be best for you and that totally goes out the window when you have children, you put your children way in front of everything you do."
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Scottish Sun
41 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Soap awards' most scandalous moments…from star sacked over backstage brawl to Danny Dyer's beef with Phillip Schofield
An Emmerdale star was sacked after making a shocking threat towards a fellow actor DING GONGS Soap awards' most scandalous moments…from star sacked over backstage brawl to Danny Dyer's beef with Phillip Schofield IT'S hardly surprising that a room full of soap actors generates its fair share of drama - and this year's British Soap Awards did not disappoint. There were audible gasps from the audience when EastEnders star Patsy Palmer took to the stage after receiving the Best Comedy Performance gong for her role as Bianca Jackson. 12 Patsy Palmer went on a bizarre tangent about vaginas during her acceptance speech Credit: Shutterstock Editorial After thanking people for voting for her, the actress, 53, went on a bizarre tangent about women's privates. She told the crowd: "I'm glad I was there for the 40th [anniversary of EastEnders] because that was really where we celebrated the woman's vagina. "I think vaginas have always been funny." There was reportedly more, but ITV deemed it too explicit for broadcast and cut it down - though the stunned expressions of her co-stars in the audience suggested viewers missed a treat. A source said: 'It was so bizarre. One minute she's doing a pretty normal acceptance speech and the next she's launched into her own vagina monologue. 'And it just kept going and going. It was pretty odd.' That wasn't the only drama on the night - as a bomb threat later sparked an emergency evacuation at the show's after party. Pictures showed cops arriving at London's Hackney Town Hall, where the glitzy bash was held, just before 1am, with stars spotted streaming out of the venue in their finery. A source told The Sun: "It was surreal. One minute we were celebrating, the next we were out on the pavement wondering what was going on." Here we take a look at previous soap awards which ended up with dramas of their own - from boozy brawls worthy of Albert Square to worse-for-wear celebs being turned away at the door. Patsy Palmer leaves British Soap Awards host Jane McDonald and viewers shell-shocked with bizarre 'vagina' speech Backstage brawl 12 Jamie (left) and Asan (right) had to be pulled apart Credit: Mirrorpix 12 Jamie was furious at Asan's jibes Emmerdale star Asan N'Jie got into a fight with rival soap actor Jamie Lomas at the 2019 TV Choice Awards, which ultimately cost him his job. Asan, 31, began taunting the Hollyoaks' hardman, aiming a 'sarcastic jibe" at him. In a scene resembling a punch-up at The Woolpack, Jamie, 50, went for the Dales star and cast members had to pull them apart. Asan was allegedly heard threatening to knife Jamie, and a clip of the bust up shows him scream: 'Do you think you are a f*****g big man? I'm going to f*****g kill you." He was thrown out of the bash and sacked from his role as Ellis in the show over the scuffle. Ender Bender 12 Jessie in the taxi with a pal before she arrived Before the 2018 British Soap Awards, Jessie Wallace indulged in a sport of pre-loading - and never even made it on to the red carpet. The EastEnders star - who plays Kat Slater - allegedly started boozing hours before the ceremony and posted a drunken picture in a taxi, at 3.47pm, with the caption: "Off to the awards we go." But, when she carried on drinking at the bar in the venue, and refused to take her seat, EastEnders bosses booked her a cab home at 7pm. Jessie, now 53, was said to be "furious" at being sent away. 'Self harm' controversy 12 Jacqueline was seen talking to Lacey Turner When Hollyoaks landed a Best Storyline gong at the 2018 British Soap Awards, viewers spotted Jacqueline Jossa making an ill-advised comment to fellow EastEnder Lacey Turner. She found herself at the centre of a row after allegedly sniping: "I think they all self-harm on that show." The EastEnders star, 32, was forced clarify her comment, saying she was referring to the winning storyline. She posted a comment reading: "Just to clear things up, Lacey asked me what the storyline was, as we couldn't hear. I answered with, 'I'm not actually sure, I think they all self-harmed on the show'." She added: "I haven't watched the show recently so don't actually know, but always love it and wasn't discrediting. "I know that self-harm isn't a joke, obviously, and love any soap that tackles hard stories. It's been taken out of context!" Trouble and strife 12 Jacqueline and Dan were said to have rowed at the party Credit: Greg Brennan Jacqueline was in a fresh drama the following year, when she appeared to have a bust up with hubby Dan Osborne at the National Television Awards (NTAs) after accusing him of flirting. A source told the Mirror the EastEnders actress burst into tears after finding Dan, 33, flirting with a group of women at the afterparty, telling him: "I want to go NOW." Dan was reportedly keen to stay, leading to a heated exchange between the couple, who have two girls - Ella, 10, and Mia, six. The source said: "It was awkward because everyone was having fun and they weren't hiding their fight from those around them.' Fix claims 12 ITV were accused of foul play over the win Credit: Getty BBC bosses were left fuming when Coronation Street won the Best Soap gong at the NTAs in 2010, claiming ITV had fixed the result. The gong was awarded shortly after a three-minute video celebrating the show's 50th birthday aired at the event, but rival EastEnders, which had turned 25, was given no such tribute. BBC insiders called the reel a "pretty blatant advert right in the middle of voting", adding: "It's as if they fixed it for Corrie." The independent body who oversees voting cleared the organisers, saying Corrie was already winning throughout the live voting and the video has no "material impact". Three years later ITV was accused of rigging the vote again by airing an hour-long Corrie before the show and axing Emmerdale. A BBC source moaned: "It seems ITV will stop at nothing to win NTAs. The stars tweet reminding people to vote – then they put a big Corrie episode on moments before the show starts. It is such an obvious tactic and not the first time they have played unfairly when it comes to the NTAs." An ITV source responded: "These claims of a fix are just sour grapes. The best soap won and our ratings are better than EastEnders, too." Ouch! Dyer gag 12 Danny Dyer had a stand off with the presenter Making EastEnders hardman Danny Dyer a butt of the joke didn't pan out well for Phillip Schofield. The pair clashed for two years running at the British Soap Awards, with the host admitting Danny was "scaring the life out of him". In 2018, in what may have been a planned stunt, Danny got irritated at the host repeatedly asking if he was "alright". He eventually stood and squared up to Phillip, barking: "What, you want to make one with me?" Phil joked: "Leave it you, back off. Sit down I'm in charge here mate." The following year Danny sat stoney-faced as Phillip made a gag about him being a fan of "trim down South" - in reference to Corrie's Trim Up North barber shop. The actor failed to respond and turned to the person sitting next to him, ignoring Phil, who laughed awkwardly. Host controversy 12 Phillip Schofield pulled out of hosting the British Soap Awards this year Credit: Rex Speaking of Phillip Schofield, he threw the awards into chaos in 2023 when he was forced to withdraw from hosting duties, following revelations of an affair with a much younger runner that he had concealed from ITV bosses. Despite singer Jane McDonald stepping in to present the show at the last minute, protestors gathered outside the The Lowry in Salford. Along with the soap fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols, people were holding placards with photographs of Schofield and his former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby. Bright night 12 Kellie British had a snooze in the cab Credit: James Curley Kellie Bright looked like she'd had a fabulous night as she left the Inside Soap Awards in 2017. The 48-year-old actress - who plays landlady Linda Carter - was pictured having a snooze in the taxi home. She'd already got in a spot of bother with screen hubby Danny Dyer, 47, after losing their Best Soap Partnership gong at the afterparty. Hollyoaks vs Hollywood 12 Eddie Redmayne said Hollyoaks actors behaved badly Credit: Paul Rogers - The Times Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, 43, once worked as a waiter at the British Soap Awards and says he was humiliated by the Hollyoaks cast - whom he dubbed "b*****ds". He told Glamour magazine: "They feed all these soap stars with alcohol and then put them in the studio for the awards, so they're more rowdy and it makes for better television. "So, as a waiter, I had to stand there with a tray waiting for them to put their empties on before going in. "I remember this whole group of actors from Hollyoaks piling on with loads of champagne glasses and it being full, and one of them saying, 'Guys, guys, watch this! I'm going to put one more on, I'm going to put one more on...' "And I was thinking, 'No, please don't put another...' and them smashing everywhere. All these Hollyoaks actors were in hysterics and I was like, 'You b*****ds!'" Tumble time 12 Jennifer fell foul of towering heels Credit: Flynet Pictures Hollyoaks' Jennifer Metcalfe was less than steady on her feet when she left the 2017 Inside Soap Awards. The Mercedes McQueen star, 41, stumbled out of the glitzy bash and had to be helped to the car as she almost took a tumble. Those towering heels may have been the culprit.
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Soap awards' most scandalous moments…from star sacked over backstage brawl to Danny Dyer's beef with Phillip Schofield
IT'S hardly surprising that a room full of soap actors generates its fair share of drama - and this year's British Soap Awards did not disappoint. There were audible gasps from the audience when EastEnders star Patsy Palmer took to the stage after receiving the Best Comedy Performance gong for her role as Bianca Jackson. After thanking people for voting for her, the actress, 53, went on a bizarre tangent about women's privates. She told the crowd: "I'm glad I was there for the 40th [anniversary of EastEnders] because that was really where we celebrated the woman's vagina. "I think vaginas have always been funny." There was reportedly more, but ITV deemed it too explicit for broadcast and cut it down - though the stunned expressions of her co-stars in the audience suggested viewers missed a treat. A source said: 'It was so bizarre. One minute she's doing a pretty normal acceptance speech and the next she's launched into her own vagina monologue. 'And it just kept going and going. It was pretty odd.' That wasn't the only drama on the night - as a bomb threat later sparked an emergency evacuation at the show's after party. Pictures showed cops arriving at London's Hackney Town Hall, where the glitzy bash was held, just before 1am, with stars spotted streaming out of the venue in their finery. A source told The Sun: "It was surreal. One minute we were celebrating, the next we were out on the pavement wondering what was going on." Here we take a look at previous soap awards which ended up with dramas of their own - from boozy brawls worthy of Albert Square to worse-for-wear celebs being turned away at the door. Patsy Palmer leaves British Soap Awards host Jane McDonald and viewers shell-shocked with bizarre 'vagina' speech Backstage brawl 12 12 Emmerdale star Asan N'Jie got into a fight with rival soap actor Jamie Lomas at the 2019 TV Choice Awards, which ultimately cost him his job. Asan, 31, began taunting the Hollyoaks' hardman, aiming a 'sarcastic jibe" at him. In a scene resembling a punch-up at The Woolpack, Jamie, 50, went for the Dales star and cast members had to pull them apart. Asan was allegedly heard threatening to knife Jamie, and a clip of the bust up shows him scream: 'Do you think you are a f*****g big man? I'm going to f*****g kill you." He was thrown out of the bash and sacked from his role as Ellis in the show over the scuffle. Ender Bender Before the 2018 British Soap Awards, Jessie Wallace indulged in a sport of pre-loading - and never even made it on to the red carpet. The EastEnders star - who plays Kat Slater - allegedly started boozing hours before the ceremony and posted a drunken picture in a taxi, at 3.47pm, with the caption: "Off to the awards we go." But, when she carried on drinking at the bar in the venue, and refused to take her seat, EastEnders bosses booked her a cab home at 7pm. Jessie, now 53, was said to be "furious" at being sent away. 'Self harm' controversy 12 When Hollyoaks landed a Best Storyline gong at the 2018 British Soap Awards, viewers spotted Jacqueline Jossa making an ill-advised comment to fellow EastEnder Lacey Turner. She found herself at the centre of a row after allegedly sniping: "I think they all self-harm on that show." The EastEnders star, 32, was forced clarify her comment, saying she was referring to the winning storyline. She posted a comment reading: "Just to clear things up, Lacey asked me what the storyline was, as we couldn't hear. I answered with, 'I'm not actually sure, I think they all self-harmed on the show'." She added: "I haven't watched the show recently so don't actually know, but always love it and wasn't discrediting. "I know that self-harm isn't a joke, obviously, and love any soap that tackles hard stories. It's been taken out of context!" Trouble and strife Jacqueline was in a fresh drama the following year, when she appeared to have a bust up with hubby Dan Osborne at the National Television Awards (NTAs) after accusing him of flirting. A source told the Mirror the EastEnders actress burst into tears after finding Dan, 33, flirting with a group of women at the afterparty, telling him: "I want to go NOW." Dan was reportedly keen to stay, leading to a heated exchange between the couple, who have two girls - Ella, 10, and Mia, six. The source said: "It was awkward because everyone was having fun and they weren't hiding their fight from those around them.' Fix claims 12 BBC bosses were left fuming when Coronation Street won the Best Soap gong at the NTAs in 2010, claiming ITV had fixed the result. The gong was awarded shortly after a three-minute video celebrating the show's 50th birthday aired at the event, but rival EastEnders, which had turned 25, was given no such tribute. BBC insiders called the reel a "pretty blatant advert right in the middle of voting", adding: "It's as if they fixed it for Corrie." The independent body who oversees voting cleared the organisers, saying Corrie was already winning throughout the live voting and the video has no "material impact". Three years later ITV was accused of rigging the vote again by airing an hour-long Corrie before the show and axing Emmerdale. A BBC source moaned: "It seems ITV will stop at nothing to win NTAs. The stars tweet reminding people to vote – then they put a big Corrie episode on moments before the show starts. It is such an obvious tactic and not the first time they have played unfairly when it comes to the NTAs." An ITV source responded: "These claims of a fix are just sour grapes. The best soap won and our ratings are better than EastEnders, too." Ouch! Dyer gag 12 Making EastEnders hardman Danny Dyer a butt of the joke didn't pan out well for Phillip Schofield. The pair clashed for two years running at the British Soap Awards, with the host admitting Danny was "scaring the life out of him". In 2018, in what may have been a planned stunt, Danny got irritated at the host repeatedly asking if he was "alright". He eventually stood and squared up to Phillip, barking: "What, you want to make one with me?" Phil joked: "Leave it you, back off. Sit down I'm in charge here mate." The following year Danny sat stoney-faced as Phillip made a gag about him being a fan of "trim down South" - in reference to Corrie's Trim Up North barber shop. The actor failed to respond and turned to the person sitting next to him, ignoring Phil, who laughed awkwardly. Host controversy 12 Speaking of Phillip Schofield, he threw the awards into chaos in 2023 when he was forced to withdraw from hosting duties, following revelations of an affair with a much younger runner that he had concealed from ITV bosses. Despite singer Jane McDonald stepping in to present the show at the last minute, protestors gathered outside the The Lowry in Salford. Along with the soap fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols, people were holding placards with photographs of Schofield and his former This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby. Bright night Kellie Bright looked like she'd had a fabulous night as she left the Inside Soap Awards in 2017. The 48-year-old actress - who plays landlady Linda Carter - was pictured having a snooze in the taxi home. She'd already got in a spot of bother with screen hubby Danny Dyer, 47, after losing their Best Soap Partnership gong at the afterparty. Hollyoaks vs Hollywood 12 Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, 43, once worked as a waiter at the British Soap Awards and says he was humiliated by the Hollyoaks cast - whom he dubbed "b*****ds". He told Glamour magazine: "They feed all these soap stars with alcohol and then put them in the studio for the awards, so they're more rowdy and it makes for better television. "So, as a waiter, I had to stand there with a tray waiting for them to put their empties on before going in. "I remember this whole group of actors from Hollyoaks piling on with loads of champagne glasses and it being full, and one of them saying, 'Guys, guys, watch this! I'm going to put one more on, I'm going to put one more on...' "And I was thinking, 'No, please don't put another...' and them smashing everywhere. All these Hollyoaks actors were in hysterics and I was like, 'You b*****ds!'" Tumble time Hollyoaks' Jennifer Metcalfe was less than steady on her feet when she left the 2017 Inside Soap Awards. The Mercedes McQueen star, 41, stumbled out of the glitzy bash and had to be helped to the car as she almost took a tumble. Those towering heels may have been the culprit.
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Coronation Street star gloats as ITVX goes down and slams soap awards as show fails to win
CORONATION Street star Luca Toolan mocked his soap rivals during the The British Soap Awards 2025. The 21-year-old actor played Mason Radcliffe for two years on the ITV drama and attended soap's big night on Thursday with his fellow Corrie stars. 4 4 Like many people trying to tune in to the big night, Luca noticed the transmission on ITVX was not working and used the opportunity to poke fun at Corrie's competitors. The programme was delayed by seven minutes with just a message from the broadcaster, that read "we're sorry for the disruption," on top of a black screen. Luca took a photo of a screen showing the error message and posted it to his Instagram stories. "Oh no what a shame, now nobody can see me and all of Corrie win all of the awards!" he wrote. But Luca was later forced to eat his words, as Corrie went home empty-handed. He was even spotted by eagle-eyed ITV viewers looking disappointed after Corrie lost an award. Luca looked upset when BBC rival EastEnders scooped the award for Best Single Episode. The actor's chances of picking up an award were dashed when it was announced that EastEnders' special flashback episode about Phil Mitchell's Psychosis had won. Those watching at home claimed Luca looked "furious" with the result. One wrote: "The Mason actor didn't look too happy there." "Oh no! Luca Toolan looked gutted," a second said. Luca's character Mason was tragically killed off during the nominated episode. Shocking scenes saw Mason attacked by his brothers and flee - but the thugs chased him down. And when Dylan tried to intervene - bringing Mason's knife - it was taken from him and used to stab Mason. He stumbled into the playground and hallucinated a future where he reunited with Betsy and planned for his new life in Germany. Rushed to hospital with a weeping Betsy and Abi with him, the doctors battled to save his life. But sadly there was nothing they could do and Mason died in the hospital leaving Betsy devastated. BBC rival EastEnders swept the board after collecting a total of eight gongs in its 40th anniversary year - more than double its nearest rival, Channel 4's Hollyoaks who got three awards. 4 4
