Nigel Allan Havers was born on 6 November 1951 in Edmonton, Middlesex, the younger son of barrister (later Attorney General and Lord Chancellor) Sir Michael Havers and Carol Elizabeth Lay. He grew up in a family steeped in the law — his grandfather, aunt and elder brother were all judges or barristers — but chose acting instead.

He broke through with a BAFTA-nominated turn as Lord Andrew Lindsay in Chariots of Fire (1981), followed by roles in A Passage to India (1984) and Empire of the Sun (1987). On television he became a household name via Don’t Wait Up, Coronation Street (as Lewis Archer, 2009–2019) and Downton Abbey.

Since 2020, Havers has presented The Bidding Room on BBC One, an antiques show in which members of the public negotiate prices for their items with a panel of expert dealers.

He currently lives in a converted barn in Wiltshire with his third wife, Georgiana “George” Bronfman, whom he married in 2007. He also continues to work as a stage actor, pantomime performer and, more recently, a solo touring show.