East Enders

Ross Kemp shares ‘worst investment’ and admits ‘I’ve always been worried about money’

Posted on by Franki

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 16: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Ross Kemp attends The National Harvest Festival Service at Westminster Abbey on October 16, 2025 in London, England. The National Harvest Festival Service, held on World Food Day and organised by Love British Food in partnership with food distribution charities including The Trussell Trust, City Harvest, The Felix Project and The Coronation Food Project, is to give thanks to farmers in recognition of their vital contribution to the nation. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

EastEnders legend Ross Kemp has revealed he has “always been worried about money” whilst discussing his “worst investments”. The 61-year-old actor is recognised by millions for playing Grant Mitchell in EastEnders and Graham Lodsworth in Emmerdale.

However, despite appearing in two of Britain’s most beloved soaps, alongside a series of hard-hitting documentaries including Ross Kemp on Gangs, the performer confesses he is more inclined to save rather than spend. Ross attributes this mindset to his parents’ post-war background.

He explains he “stayed in the black” throughout drama school by taking shifts at a pub, cleaning loos, dishing out pizzas at an Italian restaurant, or grafting as a labourer. This was alongside the six days he dedicated to honing his acting skills.

In conversation with The Times, Ross admitted: “I’ve always been really worried about not having money. I don’t think it’s generational or societal because other members of my family are far more relaxed about money, whereas I’ve always been slightly obsessive about it.”

Ross’ career in entertainment is worlds apart from his humble beginnings when he recalls an “irate” woman berating him for delivering the incorrect newspaper during his paper round. Ross mentions he subsequently took a position at a nearby golf club before pocketing £10 daily as a labourer following being “laid off” from Emmerdale, reports the Mirror.

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Despite his television triumphs, Ross admits he doesn’t “feel wealthy”, which he says drives him to “work non-stop”. He confesses to being a “workaholic” and speculates that there was a time when he might have been the highest earner on British television.

Nowadays, the star enjoys his downtime in a four-bedroom house straddling the Berkshire-Buckinghamshire border. Ross chose this property because it’s “surrounded by National Trust land that can’t be built on”.

He considers his properties to be the best investment of his TV earnings, revealing that he held onto his first home, a three-bedroom semi in Essex, even after buying his second. “I moved in and kept that one, but then I bought another house, and then I bought another, and then another, and that’s where I am now,” he elaborated.