Leigh Francis admits he's slowing down in 50s amid astonishing career change

When comedian Leigh Francis met his lifelong hero David Hockney it didn’t take long for alarm bells to start ringing. Most famous for presenting BAFTA award winning show Celebrity Juice, as his alter ego Keith Lemon, he was at the artist’s Bigger & Closer immersive show at the Lightroom in London’s King’s Cross. Chatting to his mate Phil from his hometown of Leeds and comic Keith Allen, he says: “This guy with a head set came up to me and said ‘David would like to meet you.’ I was like ‘me?’” Taking Phil and Keith with him, Leigh, 53, continues: “He was sat on the fire escape having a cigarette. Keith Allen said we should get a picture. I asked Hockney how he knew who I was and he said he used to watch Celebrity Juice. It was crazy. “Then the fire alarm went off! I said that was the right time for Keith Allen to get his picture … and we all got a picture together. Then I went home, told my wife and cried. It’s weird when you meet your childhood heroes." Blown away by the encounter in February 2023, Leigh, who has a diploma in graphic design and advertising from what was then Leeds’ Jacob Kramer College, says: “I was star struck. “He was an icon, a master, a Jedi. It was like meeting Santa Claus. I wrote my thesis about him when I was at art college. He's always been one of my favourite contemporary artists. Totally inspired! I was so chuffed to meet him and humbled that he even knew who I was.” But meeting fellow Yorkshire man Hockney, who died last month, aged 88, wasn’t the only time Leigh has felt overwhelmed in the presence of another celebrity. He says: “It was like when I met Patsy Kensit, as she used to be on my wall and now she is my mate. I was star struck when I met Vic Reeves and now I know him. It is the same with Emma Bunton.” Discovered doing stand-up in the 1990s by TV personality Davina McCall, she helped Leigh to land his first break on MTV with the sketch show Bo’Selecta!, which ran from 2002 to 2008 and showcased his alter egos Keith Lemon and Avid Merrion. Then came Celebrity Juice (2008 to 2022) and Through the Keyhole (2013-2019). Living in north London with his beauty therapist wife Jill Carter, 53, who he met when they were teenagers in Leeds, and their daughters Matilda, 19, and Dolly,17, he is equally effusive about his family. He says of Jill: “I have not kissed anyone apart from my wife since I was 19. She is beautiful and really funny. She is my mate. It is cheesy, but I met her at the right age. Sometimes you are lucky and I was lucky meeting the right person.” Growing up on a council estate in Old Farnley, Leeds, Leigh, whose dad died of cancer, aged 47, has recently been doing everything from touring with his live comedy shows, to DJing at festivals, producing content for his YouTube channel and presenting on Virgin Radio. He says: “I am also in the Elton John biopic Rocket Man. I had a full scene, but it was cut down to a line. When I saw it I was glad it was an ace film.” But, despite several decades in the spotlight, he says his kids are unfazed by what he does for a living. He says: “My kids are not impressed by me.” If they discover he knows a famous face they admire, however, they always ask if they can meet them. He says: “They like [Spiderman actor] Andrew Garfield. I know him by accident as I was walking into the premiere of Spiderman when he was and you don't want to walk into the star of the show. But he looked at me and went ‘big fan.’ “The last time I saw him was at Glastonbury. I was with my wife and friends. I went up to him and I asked him if he was doing more Spiderman, but he was not allowed to say. We were there watching Elton John and I saw his hand and we ended up talking about Spiderman again. “We went to some party and there he was again and people were like ‘Andrew, have you met Leigh?’ I Spidermanned the sh** out of him!” Leigh, who worked in graphic design before switching to comedy and still loves art, will be resurrecting his earlier skills with his first art exhibition on 4 September. Titled When I’m Not Titting About On Telly, it is at the new 1853 Studios & Gallery in Oldham, Greater Manchester. He says: “I have always wanted to do one, but it has always fallen on deaf ears.” Then the man behind the gallery asked if he wanted to hold the first exhibition there. He says: “They asked if I had any paintings ready to go and I sent him 70. He only needed 20. I have done paintings of Elvis, Kylie Minogue and Boy George. They are all on my Instagrams. I have only ever sold two in my life and one is in a restaurant. “ Pretty chilled about life these days, Leigh admits he has slowed down in his 50s, although he looks back fondly at nights on the town with celebrity pals like Emma Bunton and Holly Willoughby. He says: “I don't drink so much now. I used to feel really guilty coming home and hearing the birds tweeting. In thought I would be struck down by lightning. I'm older now and a bit more subdued. When we were younger we were naughty.” He also feels no desire to return to past professional exploits. He says: “People ask if Celebrity Juice will come back, but I say ‘I am too old.’ I am really old. I don’t care about anything. When I got to 50, I thought ‘whatever happens now is a cherry on the cake.”