Jenny Seagrove pays tribute to partner Bill Kenwright | When was he married to Anouska Hempel?

Actress Jenny Seagrove paid tribute to Everton chairman Bill Kenwright on X (formerly known as Twitter) and said: “I lost my darling Bill last night.” The couple started their relationship in 1994, but they never married. 

Bill Kenwright was previously married to actress and designer Anouska Hempel from 1978 to 1980 and had a daughter Lucy from his relationship with the actress Virginia Stride. Anouska Hempel appeared as one of the ‘angels of death’ in the James Bond movie ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969 and also starred in ‘Scars of Dracula,’ ‘The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins, ‘Go For A Take,’ and ‘Tiffany Jones.’ When she finished her career in acting, Anouska embarked on a career as an interior designer and hotelier and established four hotels, including Blakes Hotel in London’s South Kensington. At Blakes Hotel, there is the ‘Hempel Suite,’ designed by Anouska Hempel. Anouska also designed The Hempel Hotel, which was located to the north of Hyde Park, off Bayswater Road; it was a small luxury zen-like boutique hotel that closed down in 2013. 

Jenny Seagrove began a relationship with Bill Kenwright when she was in her thirties and he was in his forties. In 2017, Jenny told The Telegraph that “Bill’s a force of nature, larger than life, it’s a privilege to live with him.” She also spoke about their previous marriages and revealed that “We’d both been married, neither of them particularly happy. If we ever did, the fear is we’d feel differently but in a bad way. Would I suddenly feel trapped? And yet, it’s been almost a quarter of a century and I’m with the man I love, someone who's my best friend, illogical, isn’t it?”

As well as appearing on a charity edition of ITV1’s ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the couple appeared on the BBC’s Pointless in 2014. Jenny Seagrove and Bill Kenwright’s daughter (from his relationship with Virginia Stride) shared a joint statement which said: “Bill was driven by his passions and devoted his life to them; his deep love of theatre, film, music and his beloved Everton, and the families they created.

“He impacted the lives of thousands, whether that be through the launching of careers or his unending loyalty, generosity and unfaltering friendship and support. In a multi-award-winning career spanning six decades, Bill produced over 500 West End, Broadway, UK touring and international theatre productions, films and music albums. His impact on the arts industry has been profound. 

“During his time as majority shareholder and Chairman of Everton FC, Bill led the Club through a period of unprecedented change in English football. We will remember him with huge love and admiration-the shows will of course go on, as he would have wished, and his towering legacy will continue.”