Kiell Troy Smith-Bynoe was born on 5 March 1989 in the London Borough of Newham and grew up in East Ham. His mother, Jen, worked for the NHS’s London Ambulance Service, having moved to London from Barbados as a child. His father, Fitzburn, was a semi-professional cricketer who died in 2018; Kiell has 12 paternal half-siblings.

He trained in improvisation through the junior group at Theatre Royal Stratford East and later at East 15 Acting School. His early career included sketch and web-series work before breaking through with roles in Stath Lets Flats, Man Like Mobeen and, from 2019, the BAFTA-nominated BBC One sitcom Ghosts, in which he played Mike Cooper until the show ended in 2023.

After appearing as a celebrity contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee‘s 2021 Christmas special, he was invited by judge Patrick Grant to host the show’s 2023 Christmas special and then its full 10th series (2024) on BBC One, stepping in for regular host Sara Pascoe.

He lives in London with his girlfriend whose name is undisclosed and no children have been publicly reported.