Russell Grant facts for kids

Russell Grant is a well-known British astrologer and TV personality. He was born on February 5, 1951. Russell is famous for writing many books about astrology. He also creates daily horoscopes for newspapers.

You might know Russell Grant from his appearances on popular TV shows. He danced in Strictly Come Dancing in 2011. He also showed off his cooking skills on Celebrity MasterChef in 2014.

Russell's Early Life

Russell Grant grew up in a council house in the 1950s. His dad worked selling car parts. Later, both his parents worked at Pinewood Studios. His mom, Jo, handled contracts, and his dad designed movie sets.

Russell spent a lot of his childhood with his grandparents. After losing both grandmothers to Alzheimer's disease, Russell felt very sad and unwell for a time.

Russell's Career Journey

Starting Out in Show Business

Russell Grant first started his career as an actor. He appeared in different plays and shows. One of his roles was in Tom Brown's Schooldays. He acted alongside Keith Chegwin, who also moved from acting to TV.

Russell also worked as a Redcoat at Butlin's Holiday Camps. Redcoats are entertainers who help guests have fun.

Becoming a TV Astrologer

Russell first appeared on TV to talk about astrology in 1979. This was on a show called Extraordinary. He then became the regular astrologer on Live from Two from 1980 to 1981.

He became very well-known for his appearances on morning TV. From 1983 to 1986, he presented the Your Stars section on BBC's Breakfast Time. After that, he joined TV-am as their astrologer until 1990. From 1992 to 1995, he gave astrology advice on This Morning.

In 1983, Russell Grant and a group called the Starlettes released songs. They covered "No Matter What Sign You Are" and "Where Is Love?".

Russell has also hosted several TV shows himself. He hosted Star Choice, a quiz show about celebrities and the zodiac. In 1991, he co-hosted People Today. In 1994, he had his own six-episode series called Russell Grant's All Star Show.

When Channel 5 started, Russell presented Wideworld. This show encouraged people to record their family histories. He also directed and starred in Russell Grant's Postcards from 1998 to 2002. These were short travel videos made by his own company.

TV Shows and Reality TV

In 2003, Russell presented Russell Grant's Sporting Scandals for ITV. In 2004, he hosted The Russell Grant Show for Sky One.

Russell also took part in reality TV shows. In 2006, he was on Celebrity Fit Club. In 2010, he appeared on Kitchen Burnout. In 2011, he visited Turkey for Celebrity Five Go to....

Dancing on Strictly Come Dancing

Russell Grant joined the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2011. He was partnered with professional dancer Flavia Cacace. They danced many different styles, including the Cha-cha-cha, Salsa, and Tango. Russell was eliminated from the competition in November 2011.

He also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two as 'Stat Man'. He gave fun facts about the show's winners. In 2012, Russell took part in a special Strictly Come Dancing show for Children in Need.

Russell on Stage: The Wizard of Oz

In 2012, Russell Grant took on the role of the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. This musical played at the London Palladium. He performed for 12 weeks, starring alongside Sophie Evans as Dorothy.

Cooking on Celebrity MasterChef

In 2014, Russell Grant competed in Celebrity MasterChef. He made it quite far in the competition. In one challenge, he made two types of Spring Rolls. He also cooked for a high-end Italian restaurant. For the judges, he made his Aunt's Fish and Chips and Bread and Butter pudding.

In another episode, he had to identify ingredients and make Brandy snaps. He also cooked for 120 people at Mount Pleasant in North London. He made "Three counties sausage toad in the hole" and "Honey, cinnamon and Apple crumble with custard." He was eliminated just before the semi-finals.

Other TV Appearances

Russell Grant has been a guest on many other TV shows:

• Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes (2003)
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
• Loose Women
• This Morning
• Daybreak
• Paddy's Show and Telly (2011) – He won £10,000 for Alzheimer's Society.
• Lorraine
• The Alan Titchmarsh Show
• All Star Family Fortunes (2012) – He won £10,000 for Alzheimer's Society.
• Pointless Celebrities (2012)
• Let's Do Lunch with Gino & Mel
• Britain's Secret Treasures
• The Chase: Celebrity Special (2013)
• The Guess List
• Celebrity Squares

Russell's Personal Life

Russell Grant met his partner, Doug Beaumont, through his acting work. Doug was a stagehand at a theatre in Blackpool. They have been together for 50 years, and Doug is also Russell's manager.

Russell is a big fan of Brentford F.C., a football team. He even helped design their badge! He has supported non-league football clubs in Middlesex since the 1950s. He is also a patron of Wealdstone F.C..

Russell moved to Cardiff in 1969 and lived in Barry for 20 years. He also lived near Usk. Now, he lives near the village of Maentwrog in Wales and has learned some basic Welsh.

In 1996, Russell bought the title "Lord of the Manor of Ashford".

In March 2023, Russell shared that he had surgery for brain cancer in December 2022. He is now recovering well.