'My sons don't watch anything I've done!'

TV’s Ross Kemp on fatherhood, the secret of a happy marriage, and how he’s missed acting

- VICKI POWER

Ross Kemp has spent 30 years as a TV hardman, first as EastEnden Grant Mitchell, then making documentaries in some of the scariest corners of the planet. At home in Berkshire, however, Ross is just 'Dad' to his four children - son Oliver, 12, from a previous relationship, son Leo, eight, and five-year-old twins Ava and Kitty with his wife Renee O'Brien.

'The girls have me wrapped around their little finger,' says Ross, 58, with a chuckle when we meet to discuss his latest TV role in Channel 5's thriller Blind Spot. 'And my sons don't watch anything I've done. Obviously, I wouldn't let them watch most of it, but they could watch the game show [Bridge of Lies] or my diving series [Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter].

'I dropped one of them off at school the other day and two boys went, "We watched you diving on shipwrecks last night!" and I said to my son, "See?" But they only want to watch Match of the Day.'

An animated Ross clearly adores his kids and it's clear that parenthood has transformed his life. He only became a dad in middle age and now finds himself with a sizeable young brood.

'In hindsight, I would have had them younger, although I probably wouldn't have been able to afford to have them!' he laughs. And my career would have taken a very different route. So, you may get what you want in life, but you're not necessarily going to get it in the order you want.'