Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow returns this evening to ITV for a celebrity special of Play Your Cards Right. Comedian Russell Kane is among the celebs competing in the higher or lower game for his chosen charity.
Russell is often taking the mickey out of people during his stand-up act and on social media. Most recently, he has been applauded for his comical analysis of Love Island episodes.
But what is his own life really like off-stage? Here, we take a look at his marriages, Cheshire home, and 'most awkward moment.'
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Russell, 46, was born Russell David Anthony Grineau on October 15, 1975 in Enfield and was brought up in Essex. The award-winning funnyman claimed his first accolade in comedy in 2004 with the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year award.
He married in 2010 to fellow comedian Sadie Hasler, who he had met in school. They split just nine months later, Express reports.
Speaking about what happened afterwards, he said: “I was barely married. I dipped in, got a visa, had a look round and then came out again. When we split we promised never to tell anyone the reason why. I’d love to use it as material - but we made a pact and we’ll stick to it.
“It was totally amicable, not a single CD was disputed. We just said, ‘We f***ed up, let’s move on’.
“With my first marriage, I feel like I went to a really beautiful country and got food poisoning. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit again - I don’t want to wait too long.”
And it didn't take too long for Russell to find love as three years after his divorce from Sadie, he tied the knot with make-up artist Lindsey Cole in 2014. The 34-year-old, who at the time was 25, caught the eye of Russell when she sat in the front row of one of his shows in Chester.
The besotted comedian incorporated her into his routine, later asking her out. Speaking to the Evening Standard about their meeting, Russell said: “It was the weirdest way to meet someone.”
Using her fur coat as a verbal prop, he explained: “Basically I imply that she’s so posh that when she waxes pure mink comes off her body.” After missing her at the end of the night, Russell simply tweeted the word “Minky!” in the hope of finding his new crush.
One of her friends saw it and replied, and "about a month later it was follow, direct message, date, wallop”. The couple dated for 18 months before marrying in a private ceremony in Spain.
They share a six-year-old daughter together, Mina. A few years ago, the family moved up to Cheshire, and in 2020, Channel 4 viewers saw a glimpse into their northwest home during Celebrity Snoop Dogs.
The show, which follows a family pooch around the celebrity's home with a camera strapped to its back, showcased a traditional study with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, along with a 'man cave' in their garden shed.
Speaking about the property during the episode, Russell said: "There's a lot of things in my house that would give away what I do for a living - comedy, I'm quite literary. Even though I live in Cheshire it's nowhere near as Essex-y as you would expect.
"Yes, I've got the drop-down screen. But you'd probably be expecting some marble lions, a few Rolexes turning in a case charging themselves.
"Some Ferrari keys thrown down. I think people would be surprised to know that I drive an old banger that I love.
"The question I get asked is most often is 'why have you got all those books' like there's no way I could have read them. Just because I sound like a moron. But there's lot of comedy stuff in there."
Last month, he talked about meeting his new Cheshire neighbours for the first time with a Jubilee bash in the street. He had teamed up with online community network Nextdoor for a series of sketches to help Brits break through a stereotypical ‘British reservedness’ and invite neighbours to get together.
Speaking to PA, Russell revealed that the tongue-in-cheek video was inspired by real experiences, including the 'most awkward moment' that has ever happened to him. “Some friends came over, and I just could not for the life of me remember the names of their children," he explained.
"People take it really personally – if you’ve known someone a long time and you don’t know their child’s name, it’s like an insult, isn’t it? Lindsey had no clue either."
He came up with the “clever idea” to pop upstairs and stalk their Facebook page, to try and dig out the kids’ names. “But my laptop was in the same room that we were putting people’s jackets in, and unfortunately, this woman had left something in her coat pocket – and walked into the room while I’m on a laptop looking at pictures of her kids.
"That’s just about the most awkward thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow Series 3 starts Saturday, June 18 at 7pm. All previous episodes are available on ITV Hub.
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