Ross James Kemp was born on 21 July 1964 in Barking, Essex. His mother Jean was a hairdresser and his father John was a detective superintendent in the Metropolitan Police. He attended Shenfield High School, where he was remembered as an excellent athlete, before going on to study drama at the Webber Douglas Academy.

He has rarely been out of work since leaving the academy in 1985, with his first credited television appearance in 1986, playing Graham Lodsworth in Emmerdale Farm. His career-defining moment came when he joined EastEnders in February 1990 as the iconic hard man Grant Mitchell, a role he held for nearly a decade and revisited several times.

After EastEnders, Kemp redefined himself through documentary work that tackled crime, conflict, masculinity, and dangerous realities. His Ross Kemp on Gangs series (2004–2009) explored global gang cultures and earned a BAFTA Award for Best Factual Series. He followed this with acclaimed series in Afghanistan, on piracy, and around the world in Extreme World.

In 2022, Kemp began presenting Bridge of Lies, a game show airing on weekdays on BBC One, as well as celebrity specials on Saturday evenings. The 60-year-old now resides in Berkshire with his wife Renee O’Brien and his four children.