The Weakest Link’s Richard Blackwood’s life from supermodel sister to EastEnders and famous Only Fools and Horses cousin
The EastEnders star will be trying to bag a cash prize for charity in Saturday's instalment of the BBC One quiz show
The Weakest Link returns to BBC One on Saturday evening (July 22) for a new celebrity version of the quiz show where an all-star line-up will be hoping to win a cash prize for charity. Actor Richard Blackwood is taking part alongside eight other celebs in a game of general knowledge questions hosted by Romesh Ranganathan.
Richard Blackwood has been no stranger to television over the past few decades and has proven himself to be a man of many talents after finding success in music, comedy, and acting. Soap fans will know the 51-year-old actor from Clapham as Vincent Hubbard in EastEnders before he was cast into rival soap Hollyoaks as Felix Westwood.
He arrived in Walford in 2015 until his final episode in 2018, but before he was ever cast in EastEnders Richard was already pretty well-established in his career. So let’s take a look inside Richard’s life away from the camera.
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Back in the year 2000, the actor almost took the number one spot in the UK charts for his hit single ‘Mama Who Da Man’. His track climbed to third spot in the charts, while his album ‘You’ll Love To Hate This’ became the 35th best-selling album at the time.
Richard is also a TV presenter and had his own show dubbed The Richard Blackwood Show where the star would do a series of celeb interviews, pranks, and stand-up comedy segments. Sadly, Channel 4 axed the show after 23 episodes.
He went on to host Top of the Pops and the MTV television show MTV Select with Donna Air. He also took part in the Channel 4 show Celebrity First Dates in 2016, ITV’s Dancing on Ice in 2019, and BBC’s Masterchef in 2022.
Richard joined Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks in 2020 and has also played roles in other TV shows including Death in Paradise (2019), Pandora (2019), Casualty (2013), Britannia High (2008) Holby City (2003), The Real McCoy (1996).
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Famous family
Richard comes from a family with a wealth of talent, as he was the step-brother to world-renowned supermodel Naomi Campbell. Richard and Naomi became step-siblings in the 80s when Richard’s father married Naomi’s mother. Although their parents divorced years later, Richard and Naomi continued to remain close into their adulthood.
Speaking of his relationship with Naomi, Richard once told the Guardian: “We were closer when we were younger – then my dad and her mum split up. She’s got her life to lead, and I have my own.
“Remember, we were only together for a short space of time; our parents were together for only seven years. But we speak from time to time. Naomi’s good people. She was a good sister for a long time. She saw me at the clubs. We still talk.”
Richard also has a famous cousin who appeared in a classic installment of Only Fools and Horses. Vas Blackwood played Lennox Gilbey aka ‘The Shadow’ in the sitcom in 1986, in the episode dubbed ‘The Longest Night’.
Vas has also played various TV and movie roles throughout his career, including Winston Churchill in The Lenny Henry Show (1987), David Sinclair in Casualty (1996-1997), Massive in Mean Machine (2001), and George in Creep (2004). Movie lovers might also recognise Vas as Rory Breaker from the 1998 Box Office smash hit, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
It is not known whether Richard is currently dating anyone, or indeed if he is married as he tends to keep relationships out of the public eye. Although he does have one son, named Keaun who was born in January 2001.
