Keith Lemon: Who is Leigh Francis, who is his wife, what’s his net worth, does he have children?

Media personality Leigh Francis is better known by his alter ego Keith Lemon - and he’s made a name for himself for more than the last two decades, thanks to his outspoken, outlandish, brash and quirky ways as that persona.

This week, however, Francis has found himself thrust into the public eye as his true self after he made comments on alleged abuser Russell Brand and Melanie Sykes revealing she made complaints about sexual jokes Francis supposedly made at her expense.

When speaking about Brand being accused of committing numerous sexual assaults, Francis said: “It’s just sad, isn’t it? It’s a saddening thing for everyone. It’s sad for the ladies, it’s sad for his family and it’s sad for him.” He also added that he was afraid of cancel culture. When asked if he feared he could get cancelled for saying the wrong thing, he said: “Yes, it's easy to offend loads of people.” Brand has denied the allegations.

His comments came just two days after presenter Melanie Sykes claimed she “cried all night” after Francis humiliated her in front of a live audience while they filmed ITV's Through The Keyhole, which he presented. Sykes said Francis made explicit sexual gags about her for three hours. Francis has not commented publicly on these allegations.

But, just who is Leigh Francis, who is his wife, does he have any children, what’s his net worth and what’s he best known for? Here’s everything you need to know.

Who is Leigh Francis?

Leigh Francis, whose full name is Leigh Izaak Francis, is a presenter, comedian, actor and writer. He was born on 30 April 1973 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, which means he is now 50-years-old. His alter ego is Keith Lemon, a character Francis often acts as during his appearances in person and in the media.

He was discovered by television presenter Davina McCall, who spotted him when he was doing stand-up comedy in the late 1990s. His television career followed.

Who is Leigh Francis’ wife?

Leigh Francis is married to beauty therapist Jill Carter. The couple have been together since Francis was 19-years-old and married in North Yorkshire when he was 30-years-old.

When asked if he feared facing similar allegations to Brand, Leigh told MailOnline: “I’ve been married to the same lady since I was a little boy. I met my wife when I was 19, and I got married when I was 30 to the same lady, so there’s no worry about me getting cancelled for that.”

Little is known about Jill as she has mostly kept out of the spotlight, but she is sometimes pictured with Lee when they attend events together.

 Does Leigh Francis have children?

Lee and his wife have two daughters; Matilda, who was born in February 2009 and is now 14-years-old, and Dolly, who was born in 2011 and is now aged 12.  He occasionally posts photos or videos with them on his social media accounts, but when he does so their faces are obscured in some way. The Leigh family are very private.

What is Leigh Francis best known for?

Francis is best known for creating and starring in Channel 4's sketch comedy show Bo' Selecta! (2002–2009) and presenting the ITV shows Celebrity Juice (2008–2022) and Through the Keyhole (2013–2019). 

His other comedy shows include Lemon La Vida Loca (2012–2013), The Keith Lemon Sketch Show (2015–2016), and The Keith and Paddy Picture Show (2017–2018). Most recently, he has presented The Real Dirty Dancing (2022) and Shopping with Keith Lemon (2019 to present).

Francis has also been interviewed as himself on a few TV shows, including The Frank Skinner Show, Loose Women, Big Brother's Little Brother, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, and Sunday Brunch. He usually adopts the guise of Keith Lemon, however.

What is Leigh Francis’ net worth?

It is estimated that Francis is worth around £8million.