Ricky Wilson: Kaiser Chiefs Star’s Age, Wife, Twins and I’m a Celeb Rumours
Ricky Wilson is the 48-year-old frontman of Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs, a two-time winning coach on The Voice UK and a radio and TV presenter. He is strongly rumoured to be joining I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in November 2026, although ITV has not confirmed it. He is married to stylist Grace Zito and they have twins.
Why is Ricky Wilson trending?
Reports say he has finally agreed to go into the I’m a Celebrity jungle this November, after years of saying no. ITV says all names are speculation until the official line-up is revealed.
Is Ricky Wilson going on I’m a Celebrity 2026?
Not confirmed. The Sun reported that he had been on the show’s wishlist “for years” and had turned it down before, but has now said yes. Ade Adepitan and Jesy Nelson have been linked to the same series. ITV normally confirms its campmates only days before the launch, once they have flown out to Australia, so this page will be updated if he is named.
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How old is Ricky Wilson?
Ricky Wilson is 48. He was born on 17 January 1978 in Keighley, West Yorkshire, to Glynne Wilson and TV producer Geoff Wilson, and has a brother, James. He went to Leeds Grammar School, then studied graphic arts and design at Leeds Metropolitan University, and taught at Leeds College of Art for a year before the band took off.
Ricky Wilson then and now
20062025
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Who is Ricky Wilson’s wife?
Ricky is married to celebrity stylist Grace Zito. They met in early 2015, got engaged in April 2018 and married in June 2021.
Does Ricky Wilson have children?
Yes. Ricky and Grace had twins in April 2022, which makes them four. The couple have kept the children’s names and photos out of the public eye.
Kaiser Chiefs: Ricky Wilson’s band
Ricky started the band with Nick Hodgson and Andrew White as Runston Parva, later Parva. When their record label folded, they renamed themselves Kaiser Chiefs after South African football club Kaizer Chiefs and signed to B-Unique.
Their 2005 debut Employment produced I Predict a Riot and Everything Is Average Nowadays, and Ruby became their only UK number one single in 2007. Eight studio albums later, including Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album, Ricky still fronts the band, and in the early days his stripy blazers won NME’s Best Dressed award in 2006.
Was Ricky Wilson on The Voice?
Yes. He joined The Voice UK as a coach for series 3 in 2014, replacing Danny O’Donoghue. He won series 4 with Stevie McCrorie in April 2015 and series 5 with Kevin Simm in April 2016, becoming the first coach to win two years in a row.
Why did Ricky Wilson leave The Voice?
He stepped down after series 5, when the show was moving from the BBC to ITV, and was not part of the new ITV coaching line-up.
What TV and radio shows has Ricky Wilson done?
Beyond The Voice, Ricky finished second as the Phoenix on The Masked Singer in 2023, was Michael McIntyre’s “Unexpected Star of the Show” on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show in 2024, baked on The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off in 2018 and painted Lindsay McKenna for Extraordinary Portraits in 2026. He was a regular on Celebrity Juice and has guest-presented The One Show.
On the radio he hosted a Sunday morning show on Radio X from 2015 to 2017, made two series of Rock and Roll Classics for BBC Radio 2, and took over Virgin Radio UK’s Drivetime show in January 2023.
What is Ricky Wilson’s net worth?
There is no reliable published figure, so we do not repeat the guesses on net worth websites. His money comes from more than 20 years of Kaiser Chiefs records and tours, songwriting, The Voice and his TV and radio work.
Ricky Wilson rumours, checked
Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson has not died. Searches about a death are about a different Ricky Wilson, the B-52’s guitarist, who died in 1985.
Ricky does not appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He has denied the popular story that he had a cameo as Dirk Cresswell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. He played Roxy's rock star boyfriend in the 2009 comedy St Trinian's 2.
Yes. He played the Artilleryman in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds from November 2012 to January 2013.
Yes. He paints, presented CBBC's Ricky Wilson's Art Jam in 2021 and co-presented Britain's Best Young Artist with Vick Hope in 2022.
In May 2006 he broke a toe when he was hit by a car in Leeds, and he once tore his ankle ligaments jumping off a stage in Portugal.