Where Live & Kicking cast are now – shock flashing claims to ‘bondage dungeon’ shame and star’s freak brush with death
IT was the show that made dragging yourself out of bed early on a Saturday morning worth it.
And this week marks 30 years since Live & Kicking first lit up our TV screens.
In its 90s prime, the BBC show was a ratings smash and helped launch the careers of the likes of Zoe Ball, Andi Peters and Jamie Theakston.
It ran for eight years from 1993 to 2001 and many of its presenters went on to become household names – though often not without scandal along the way.
Recently former Live & Kicking presenter Phillip Schofield was sacked from This Morning after his affair with a young runner came to light.
Here we take a look at what happened to the rest of the Live & Kicking crew.
Zoe Ball
Zoe, now 52, presented Live & Kicking alongside Jamie Theakston from 1996 until 1999.
She came third in season three of Strictly, and went on to present its spin-off show It Takes Two, before landing the breakfast slot on BBC Radio 2.
Zoe struggled with booze in her wild partying days, but won the battle after a stint in rehab, and credited Strictly with enabling her to “reinvent herself”.
The Sussex-born star spent a tragic two years in shock following the death of her boyfriend Billy Yates in 2017, admitting she struggled to get out of bed.
A source close to Billy claimed the cameraman suffered from depression before he took his own life at his Putney home.
It is understood an “unexpected tax bill” caused Billy financial issues, which added to his already fragile emotional state.
He began dating Zoe after she split from husband Fatboy Slim – with whom she shares son Woody and daughter Nelly – following a Christmas party snogging scandal involving TayTay Starhz.
Just days before Billy’s death, Zoe gushed about their love, admitting she was enjoying “one last hurrah” before hitting menopause.
Jamie Theakston
Just a few years after finishing up with Live & Kicking, Jamie hit the headlines when he issued an apology after being caught having sex with three prostitutes in a Mayfair brothel that featured a “bondage dungeon”.
It was alleged the TV host paid a knocked down price of £40 – before he was caught on camera mid-romp.
At the time the then 31-year-old – who had just split from his actress girlfriend Joely Richardson – said it was a “foolish” mistake that “went too far”.
Jamie issued the public apology in January 2002 after he failed to get an injunction to stop the press from revealing the incident.
However he did manage to bounce back – landing acting roles in Agatha Christie’s Marple and Little Britain as well as hosting a variety of real-life programmes.
In 2019 Jamie, now 52, joined Amanda Holden in presenting Heart Radio’s Breakfast, a role he still holds today. He’s married to Sophie Siegle and they share two children.
John Barrowman
One of the original presenters of Live & Kicking in 1993, John Barrowman’s career in showbiz has seen epic highs and lows.
He competed on Dancing on Ice in 2006, finished third on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in 2018, and was a staple on TV chat shows including Lorraine.
But it was the revelation that he was embroiled in a flashing scandal that left him grappling with the “hardest period” of his life.
In May 2021, John was forced to apologise after claims emerged he had exposed himself to co-stars on the sets of two TV shows.
It was alleged he flashed cast members on the sets of Doctor Who, where he played Captain Jack Harkness in 2005, and spin-off series Torchwood a year later.
He later described his actions as “tomfoolery” that he would “never do now”, it was reported.
The scandal saw him axed from the Dancing On Ice judging panel in 2022 after two years on the show, and had to cancel his 2023 UK tour due to poor ticket sales.
Emma Forbes
Back in the 90s, Emma Forbes was the queen of Saturday mornings.
She was one of the Live & Kicking original presenters with Andi Peters and John Barrowman, having began doing cookery stints on its predecessor, Going Live.
Emma decided to leave during the show’s summer break after learning she was pregnant.
These days you would hardly recognise her as she dons thick black-rim glasses and a tracksuit while treating her fans to “rant and rave” videos on social media.
One of Emma’s latest and most notable gigs was when she featured in the the popular children’s programme Peppa Pig as Mummy Hippo.
Now 57, she lives in America with her banker husband Graham Clempson and two children.
Trevor Neal and Simon Hickson
Guitar-wielding Trevor and his wacky sidekick Simon dominated kids programming when they hosted Live & Kicking together.
Although the iconic duo featured on the show for four years, they faded out of the spotlight soon after.
However the men have continued to work in TV behind the scenes, focussing their expertise on script-writing for children’s shows.
They were also major contributors to the much-loved classic My Parents Are Aliens.
Katy Hill
Katy Hill was already a Blue Peter presenter when she landed a presenting gig on Live & Kicking.
In 2001 she divorced her childhood sweetheart, music producer hubby Andrew Frampton, after two years of marriage, and in 2004 she married her Live & Kicking co-star Trey Farley. The pair now have two children together.
In 2021, Katy had a narrow brush with death when she tripped over and smashed her head on a toilet bowl while helping her daughter to the bathroom.
It left a nasty two-inch gash and doctors said the 52-year-old was lucky it wasn’t fatal.
She recalled: “It was a bad one and I was very grateful that the impact went down the centre of my forehead.
“As I found out from the doctors, if it had been slightly to either side, I might not be here now because the skull is thin in those parts.
“The irony isn’t lost on me that I used to jump out of planes and all sorts, and yet I injure myself in this way.”
Katy now works as a keynote speaker and is pursuing a career as a “success coach”.
Steve Wilson and Emma Ledden
In 2001, fans were devastated when Steve Wilson and Emma Ledden announced they had quit the Saturday morning show.
Their decision was reportedly fuelled by a rapid decline in ratings after the pair took over from Zoe Ball and Jamie Theakston.
Steve also presented the kids’ show Feel the Fear with Holly Willoughby, and has since appeared during the ‘Guess the Gadget’ game on ITV’s This Morning.
He is married to illustrator Lucy Tapper, with whom he co-owns the personalised gifts company From Lucy. The couple live in Devon with their two daughters.
Irish star Emma went on to publish three books including a children’s tale called My Mammy Knows Everything – a “homage to all mothers juggling life”.
She currently works in the communications sector, according to LinkedIn, and is married to Michael McGovern.
Steve has also written a kids’ book called Hedgehugs.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm