Actor Ross Kemp announced on Saturday that his mother, Jean, has been admitted to the hospital. Kemp shared the news via Instagram Stories, expressing gratitude to the paramedics for her care. He stated that he would be unable to watch England's third-place play-off match against France due to the family emergency.
Known for his passionate support of the England team and his animated matchday reactions, Kemp emphasized that family takes precedence over football. "I hope they win but there are some things, like your mum, that are more important than football," he said, indicating he would stay by his mother's side. He added, "We'll be back there in four years' time and hopefully we'll win."
Earlier this month, Kemp garnered attention for his exuberant reactions to England's World Cup victories. Following their 3-2 win over Mexico in the quarter-finals, he posted a video expressing his admiration for player Jude Bellingham. During England's 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kemp's intense celebration, which included shouting and spitting at the camera, drew comparisons to his iconic EastEnders character, Grant Mitchell. His reactions were widely shared and even parodied by television personality Olly Murs on talkSPORT.
In other recent news, Kemp reunited with his former EastEnders co-star Steve McFadden, who played his on-screen brother Phil Mitchell. The two actors were seen together on a boat, sharing a moment described by Kemp as "The Mitchell brothers are reunited."