Ken and Maureen, his parents, a telephone engineer and a solicitor's secretary respectively, welcomed their young son into the world on April 12, 1957, in the city of Leeds. Just over nine years later, on April 1, 1966, the family made the move to North Shields, a coastal town in northeast England.
As a young student, he attended Whitehouse Primary School, where he likely developed a strong foundation in his early academic years. He then progressed to Marden High School, where he discovered his passion for the performing arts through his involvement in school musical productions. His education continued at Tynemouth Sixth Form College, where he was an active member of the O level drama group, appearing in a variety of plays and pantomimes.
After completing his secondary education, he decided to pursue a career in teaching and enrolled at Bretton Hall College near Wakefield. However, he soon realized that his true calling was acting and made the bold decision to forgo a teaching career to follow his dream. His stage debut arrived in 1981, when he appeared in the production of "Bouncers" with the Hull Truck Theatre.
The allure of the city beckoned, and in 1986, he made the move to London. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Andrina Carroll, an actress herself. The couple eventually settled in the charming city of York, where they started a family. Their son, Elliott, was born in 1995, and the family of three has resided in York ever since.
