Ross Kemp announces sad death of his dad age 88 as he pays tribute to his ‘hero and role model’ ahead of funeral

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Ross Kemp announced the sad death of his dad on Thursday as he paid tribute ahead of his funeral. 

The 61-year-old EastEnders actor shared a beach photo of John, calling him his ‘hero and role model’ as a way of saying goodbye.

Ross shared a touching tribute on Instagram, announcing the passing of his father, John Kemp (1937-2025). He described his dad as a devoted patriot, community member, and family man, calling him his hero and expressing his enduring love.

In a separate post, the actor shared a black and white image of John serving in the army. 

He captioned it: ‘Burying my Dad, tomorrow. My hero, my role model and a great dancer!’ 

On a recent episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, Ross became emotional after discovering a long-held family secret he’d always wondered about.

I was completely hooked in the latest episode! It was amazing to see Ross Kemp – you probably know him best as Grant Mitchell from EastEnders – discover the story of his family. It was such a personal journey for him, and really fascinating to watch.

While filming the show, Ross researched his mother’s family history, particularly his great-grandfather, nicknamed “Pop” by relatives. Pop grew up in Portsmouth, helping out at the family pub, and had a large family with ten siblings.

Ross remembered his mother telling him a story about her father unexpectedly appearing at their door dressed in a US military uniform. Everyone initially thought he’d been shipwrecked in the South China Sea, but the actor later discovered the real explanation.

The narrator explained that on July 11, 1943, Pops’ troop ship, the Duchess of York, and its convoy were more than 300 miles from the coast of Portugal when three German planes launched from France and began approaching them.

Ross spoke with historian Sarah Louise Miller, who explained that the ship was struck twice, lost power, and then caught fire.

While Louise recounted the events, Ross grew visibly upset and wiped away a tear. She then warned him that even though they had left the ship, they weren’t out of danger yet.

Ross told Louise: ‘Sorry I’m getting emotional.’ 

‘It would have been a very scary situation,’ she told him.  

As his voice cracked, Ross asked: ‘But he survived, yeah?’ Louise replied: ‘He did survive.’  

The voice over explained: ’89 lives were lost from the Duchess of York that night. 

The next day, the damaged ship sank to the ocean floor. Even on one of the rescue ships that saved him, Pop remained in danger.

Honestly, watching them, I just felt so much for those survivors. They were really in a desperate situation – with no good options left, they had to attempt this incredibly dangerous 700-mile trip across the sea. Casablanca was the closest port run by the Allies, so that’s where they were aiming for, hoping to find safety. It was a huge gamble, but they didn’t really have any other choice.

Ross explained that even though it might seem strange, he was actually double-checking if the shipwreck story was true after learning what really happened.

He noted it felt strange. While he creates many documentaries on various topics, making one about himself or his family was a much more personal and impactful experience.

‘It really does. Oh Pop, what a life he had.’ 

Ross shared that it’s a strange feeling to learn about someone his grandmother and mother often talked about – a fascinating traveler. He’s realizing he shares some of the same qualities with this person.

I’m realizing so much about myself by learning about my great-grandfather. He really lived by his own rules, always doing what he felt was right, and it’s amazing how much of that I see in me too.

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2025-10-30 18:16