Keith Lemon – Who Is Behind the Character and His TV Shows

Keith Lemon is a character created and performed by English comedian Leigh Francis, who is best known for playing him on British television. Searches for the name often come from viewers who want to know who is behind the character, which shows he has appeared in, and whether he has been in any films.

Francis’s work spans sketch comedy, panel games, a feature film and several spin-off series on Channel 4 and ITV. Some dates and counts differ between sources, and a few personal details have not been publicly confirmed.

The bare word “Keith” returns results about several unrelated people. The information below covers only Keith Lemon, the character, and Leigh Francis, the performer who plays him.

Who Is Behind Keith Lemon?

• Keith Lemon is a character, while the performer and creator is Leigh Francis, so the name refers to two linked but separate things.
• According to a search snippet, the character’s origin is linked to the “Businessman of the Year 93” sketch, and the character later reappeared in an ITV2 spin-off.
• Hosting work on Celebrity Juice and Through the Keyhole forms a major part of Francis’s television profile.
• Bo’ Selecta! is the earliest dated series in the sources, and Keith Lemon first appeared within it.
• The available sources do not confirm Francis’s age beyond his birth date, a spouse, or a net worth figure.

What TV Shows Has Keith Lemon Appeared In?

Keith Lemon began as a character within Channel 4’s Bo’ Selecta!, then moved to ITV and ITV2 with his own shows and hosting roles.

How Did Bo’ Selecta! Lead to Keith Lemon?

Channel 4 offered Francis a £250,000 deal to produce a series based on his television characters, which led to Bo’ Selecta! in 2002. The show featured Francis impersonating celebrities through face masks.

Keith Lemon first appeared in the series, initially with his face hidden in series three as Avid Merrion’s agent. He later appeared as American ambassador in the US-set fourth series.

Francis received a Best Newcomer nomination at The British Comedy Awards in 2002 for the show. The portrayal of Black stars, including Craig David, was controversial, according to Chortle.

What Is Celebrity Juice?

Celebrity Juice is a British television comedy panel game show written and presented by Leigh Francis as Keith Lemon. It ran on ITV2 from 24 September 2008 to 15 December 2022, according to Wikipedia.

Two teams of celebrities compete on their knowledge of the past week’s news. The regular team captains were Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton, with Rufus Hound as a regular panellist.

Its catchphrases include “Ooosh, Bang Tidy!” and “I’d smash your back doors in!”

What Was Keith Lemon’s Very Brilliant World Tour?

Keith’s Very Brilliant World Tour was a five-part travel series in which Lemon flew to six countries in a shark-shaped flight plan, meeting celebrity guests, according to Alchetron.

The series aired on ITV2 in 2008. Its premiere is given as 11 March 2008 by Alchetron, while Wikipedia and an Alchetron biography of Francis give April 2008.

The success of the series led ITV to commission Celebrity Juice.

Did Keith Lemon Host Through the Keyhole?

Keith Lemon presented Through the Keyhole, a comic revival of the classic panel game in which a panel guesses a home’s owner. It aired on ITV from 2013 to 2019 across six series, according to Wikipedia.

The show was broadcast on Saturday evenings, and IMDb lists 47 episodes.

Which Other Series Has Keith Lemon Appeared In?

• Keith Lemon’s LemonAid (ITV, 2012), a studio series in which the character attempts to solve the public’s problems
• Lemon La Vida Loca (ITV2, 2012 to 2013), a spoof reality show created, written by and starring Keith Lemon
• The Keith Lemon Sketch Show (ITV2, 2015 to 2016), in which Francis impersonates various celebrities as Lemon
• The Keith & Paddy Picture Show (2017 to 2018), co-hosted with Paddy McGuinness; sources describe the channel differently as ITV or ITV2
• Keith Lemon: Coming in America (2018)
• Shopping with Keith Lemon (2019 to 2023)

The Holden Girls: Mandy & Myrtle (2021 to present) is listed as a related credit, but the available evidence does not describe Francis’s role in it.

What Is Keith Lemon: The Film?

Keith Lemon: The Film was Francis’s feature-film debut. He starred as Keith Lemon and co-wrote the script.

The UK release was on 24 August 2012, according to the BBC. Francis said he wanted to recreate the success of the Carry On films, and co-financing came from Lionsgate.

Production began in November 2011, according to Alchetron. The cast included Kelly Brook, Verne Troyer, Kevin Bishop, Laura Aikman and Conleth Hill, with cameos from David Hasselhoff, Billy Ocean, Peter Andre, Gary Barlow, Tinchy Stryder, Jedward and Fearne Cotton.

Chortle describes the film as “hated by critics.” IMDb gives it a user rating of 2.6, which is a different kind of measure from a critical assessment.

Which Personal Details About Leigh Francis Are Confirmed?

Publicly confirmed personal details are limited. The available sources do not give a verified age for the character, and they do not confirm a spouse.

How Old Is Keith Lemon?

The available sources do not give an age for the character. Wikipedia lists the performer’s date of birth as 30 April 1973, which is the most direct personal date available.

No age figure beyond that date is stated here, because none is confirmed in the available reporting.

What Is Known About Keith Lemon’s Net Worth?

No verified net worth figure for Leigh Francis or Keith Lemon appears in the available sources. Publicly confirmed details are limited, and no verified figure is currently available from reliable sources.

Any figure would need to come from a reputable outlet that explains its basis. A figure reported without a source should be treated as unconfirmed.

When Did Keith Lemon’s Main TV and Film Work Happen?

The dates below come from the sources named in each item. Where sources disagree, the difference is noted.

1. 1993: The “Businessman of the Year 93” sketch, which a search snippet links to the character’s origin.
2. 2002: Bo’ Selecta! begins on Channel 4, according to Wikipedia and Alchetron.
3. 2008: Keith Lemon’s Very Brilliant World Tour premieres on ITV2. Sources give 11 March or April 2008.
4. 24 September 2008: Celebrity Juice begins on ITV2, according to Wikipedia.
5. 2009: Bo’ Selecta! ends, according to Wikipedia. Alchetron gives 2006 as the end year.
6. 2011: Sing If You Can airs on ITV, co-presented with Stacey Solomon.
7. 24 August 2012: Keith Lemon: The Film is released in the UK, according to the BBC.
8. 2013: Through the Keyhole begins on ITV and runs until 2019.
9. 15 December 2022: Celebrity Juice ends on ITV2, according to Hello! Magazine.
10. February 2024: Francis’s memoir is announced, according to Chortle.

What Is Established and What Remains Unclear?

A Sun report says Francis is in advanced talks to join I’m A Celebrity. The report is dated September 2026, which is later than the other sources, and it is the only evidence for this claim, so it remains unconfirmed.

How Did a Sketch Character Become a Television Host?

According to a search snippet, Keith Lemon’s origin is linked to the “Businessman of the Year 93” sketch. The character later reappeared in his own ITV2 spin-off, Keith Lemon’s Very Brilliant World Tour.

That path explains why the name appears in comedy, entertainment and film searches. Bo’ Selecta! placed him in a sketch series, Celebrity Juice and Through the Keyhole gave him hosting roles, and Keith Lemon: The Film gave him a feature-length story.

Later series such as Lemon La Vida Loca, described as a spoof reality show, and The Keith Lemon Sketch Show kept the character in sketch and spoof formats.

How Reliable Are the Sources Behind These Facts?

Several references are older Wikipedia and Alchetron snapshots that may be outdated. That is why counts and dates are presented alongside their variations rather than as single figures.

Chortle, a comedy news site, reported Francis’s memoir and described the film as hated by critics. IMDb’s user rating of 2.6 for the film is a separate measure.

“If I don’t see ya’ through week, I’ll see ya’ through window”

End-of-episode line of Celebrity Juice, as listed on Alchetron

What Does the Verified Record Show About Keith Lemon?

Keith Lemon is a character created and performed by Leigh Francis, whose credits include Bo’ Selecta!, Celebrity Juice, Through the Keyhole and a 2012 feature film. Dates for several titles differ across sources, and personal and financial details remain unconfirmed. Broadcaster and film listings give the most direct route to exact dates where sources disagree.

Common Questions About Keith Lemon