British actor Kevin Whately is best known for his role as Robert 'Robbie' Lewis in crime dramas like Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis, as well as Neville Hope in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
Where is Kevin Whately from and how old is he?
Kevin was born in Hexham, Northumberland in February 1951, making him 73 years old. This actor from the North East had an interesting start to his career, working as a folk singer and training as an accountant before striking it lucky on TV and in theatre.
Does Kevin Whately have a wife?
Yes – he’s married to actress Madelaine Newton, who you might remember from the 1970s BBC drama, When the Boat Comes In. The pair were actually both born in Hexham, Northumberland, just three weeks apart, but they never knew each other as kids. Kevin told The Times: “That shared history helped us “click”. As soon as we met, that was it.”
They then married in 1984.
Does Kevin Whately have children?
He has a daughter called Catherine (known as Kitty) who was born in 1983 and a son called Kieran who was born in 1985.
Kitty briefly followed in her father’s footsteps and appeared alongside him in the series Auf Wiedersehen, where she played his character’s onscreen daughter. Since, she has carved out a successful career as an opera singer and is also the co-founder of the charity Supporting Women and Parents in Opera.
Where does Kevin Whately live?
Kevin Whately currently lives in Woburn Sands near Milton Keynes with his wife.
How tall is Kevin Whately?
He’s 5’9.
What is Kevin Whately’s net worth?
According to Celebrity Networth, Kevin Whately has a networth of $10 million.
Is Kevin Whately retired?
Although Kevin Whately retired from his role as DI Lewis, which he played for three decades across TV series Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis, his acting career didn’t come to an end as he went on to have a cameo role in the Scottish sitcom, Still Game, where he played a dodgy dentist.
Back in 2016 he told Forbes magazine that he would “pick and choose” more when it comes to new roles: “Having hit 65, I don’t want to work myself to death, which I think is what John Thaw did. I think he took on far too much, and I don’t want to go the same way.”
In 2018 Whately went on to narrate the BBC documentary, Island Medics, which takes a look behind the scenes at the UK's most remote hospital, the Gilbert Bain in Shetland.
Kevin Whately also made a guest appearance in the 2023 crime drama mystery series Midsomer Murders, as part of the show’s 50th episode. He took on the role of murder suspect Jeremy which sent thrilled fans into a frenzy as many of them flocked to social media to share their thoughts on his cameo.
What TV shows has Kevin Whately appeared in?
Kevin in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
This was the series that made Kevin Whately a household name, thanks to its humour and memorable characters. It launched in 1982 and followed British workers thrown together on a German building site. It ran for three series, with Kevin playing bricklayer Neville Hope alongside Jimmy Nail as Oz Osborne and Timothy Spall as Barry Taylor.
Kevin Whately’s detective roles
His first TV detective role was as Sergeant Fletcher in A Murder is Announced – a three-part adaptation of a Miss Marple novel, back in 1985. His role was actually very similar to Detective Sergeant Lewis, whose boots he would step into just two years later.
Kevin Whately in Inspector Morse and Lewis
Drama series Lewis is probably Kevin’s most famous role, and he started in 1987, cast opposite John Thaw’s Inspector Morse. He starred in 32 episodes over 13 years.
The programme led to spin-off series Lewis, which saw the detective return to Oxford as an inspector. He was joined by Laurence Fox’ Sergeant James Hathaway, and the two solved murder mysteries in the hugely popular series, which ran until 2012.
Will Lewis return?
When the show took a break after seven series in 2012, the door was left open for a reprisal, with the lead actors saying they’d like at least a year off. It then returned for a special two-part episode in 2015 called What Lies Tangled, and it’s unlikely to be reprised again, sadly.
Kevin in Peak Practice
During a break from Morse, Kevin got his first leading role – and one that was written especially for him – as doctor Jack Kerruish in Peak Practice. The series ran from 1993 to 1995.
Kevin Whately in Who Do You Think You Are
His episode of Who Do You Think You Are was a particularly interesting one, as it revealed a very mixed heritage including Thomas Whately who was a politician, writer and became head of the Bank of England, and Major Robert Thompson who was a tobacco plantation owner. His more immediate family is just as interesting, and includes a professional concert singer for a grandmother, and the Anglican Archbishop of Dublin for a great-great-grandfather.
As well as his more famous roles, Kevin has also been in Shoestring, Angels, Juliet Bravo, Coronation Street, Skallagrigg, The Broker’s Man, Murder in Mind, The Children, New Tricks and Silent Cry
Did you know…?
If Kevin Whately hadn’t become an actor, he’d like to have been a stained glass restorer!
Are Laurence Fox and Kevin Whately friends?
Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox acted alongside each other in ITV’s Lewis for a decade, where Kevin played DI Lewis and Laurence played his younger sidekick, DS James Hathaway.
Laurence attracted a fair amount of media attention over the last few years, after he told Dame Julie Walters to "shut up" to her comment that upper-class actors are dominating TV screens and his controversial comments regarding race on BBC’s Question Time last year.
Whately spoke out about Laurence’s response to Dame Julie Walters, when Whately jokingly said to Sunday People: “Do you want me to have a go at Laurence Fox? Because I will.”
However, there seems to be no indication that the Lewis co-stars aren’t still friends.
What is Kevin Whately doing these days?
Kevin is quite actively involved as part of his dementia campaign, as this is a cause that is close to his heart, after his mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. He became an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society and urged hospital managers to be aware of the additional care needed by dementia sufferers, after his mother went for a gallstone operation and contacted MRSA, which conspired to make her dementia worse. He is also involved in charity work for children with disabilities.
In his free time, Kevin Whately has said that he enjoys gardening and spending time with his family and granddaughter. He also still holds the title of Vice President of the People's Theatre in Newcastle, keeping his passion for the art alive.
WATCH: Kevin Whately reads The Way Through the Woods by Colin Dexter
Lorna White is a Senior Digital Writer at Yours.co.uk and MotherandBaby.com. She was previously a writer at Yours Magazine writing features and news stories before joining the digital team. Lorna loves the great British countryside and likes to spend her spare time out and about in her home of Nottinghamshire walking her dog, Pippin.