Ricky Wilson Age, Wife & Biography

Ricky Wilson is 48 years old and was born on January 17, 1978, in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England. The Kaiser Chiefs frontman is married to celebrity stylist Grace Zito, and the couple have twins born in April 2022. Wilson is best known as the energetic lead singer of the indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs, as a winning coach on The Voice UK, and as the host of Virgin Radio UK’s Drivetime show. On November 10, 2026, ITV confirmed Wilson as one of the 11 campmates for I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! series 26, which starts on November 16, 2026, on ITV1.

Quick Facts

Who Is Ricky Wilson?

Charles Richard Wilson is an English musician, singer, songwriter, television personality, and radio presenter, best known as the frontman of the five-piece indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs. With the band he has released eight studio albums and scored the UK number-one single Ruby in 2007. He is also a painter, and his art background has shaped much of his television work.

Beyond music, Wilson coached on The Voice UK from 2014 to 2016, winning the fourth and fifth series and becoming the first coach to win two years consecutively. He has presented on Radio X, BBC Radio 2, and Virgin Radio UK, and he finished second on The Masked Singer series 4 in 2023 as Phoenix.

Early Life & Background

Wilson was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, to Glynne Wilson and TV producer Geoff Wilson. He has one brother, James. He attended Ghyll Royd Primary School and Leeds Grammar School, then studied at Leeds Metropolitan University, completing a BA (Hons) degree in Graphic Arts and Design in 2000 before undertaking a master’s degree in Art and Design.

He then taught at Leeds College of Art and Design for a year before the band’s big break. His art training has stayed with him: in 2021 he hosted Ricky Wilson’s Art Jam on CBBC, and in 2022 he co-presented Britain’s Best Young Artist, also on CBBC.

Career

Wilson, with Nick Hodgson and Andrew White, formed the band Runston Parva, which later shortened its name to Parva. After the group was dropped by its label, they rebranded as Kaiser Chiefs, taking their name from the South African football team Kaizer Chiefs, and signed to B-Unique Records. Their debut album, Employment, was released in 2005, followed by Yours Truly, Angry Mob in 2007, which featured the UK number-one single Ruby, and six more studio albums up to Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album in 2024.

In September 2013, Wilson was confirmed as a coach on The Voice UK, replacing Danny O’Donoghue. He won series 4 with Stevie McCrorie in April 2015 and series 5 with Kevin Simm in April 2016, then left the show before its move to ITV. He hosted the Sky 1 music and comedy panel show Bring the Noise in 2015 and presented the Sunday morning show on Radio X from 2015 to 2017.

Wilson became the host of the Virgin Radio UK Drivetime show on January 9, 2023. He was unmasked as Phoenix on The Masked Singer in February 2023, finishing second. He has also presented Ricky Wilson’s Rock and Roll Classics on BBC Radio 2, narrated the Sky Kids animation Dodo, and appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Shooting Stars, and The Grand Tour.

Facts About Ricky Wilson

• He won The Voice UK twice in a row, with Stevie McCrorie in 2015 and Kevin Simm in 2016.
• Kaiser Chiefs’ Ruby reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 2007.
• He was named NME’s Best Dressed Person in 2006.
• He survived a hit-and-run accident in Leeds in May 2006.
• He finished second on The Masked Singer series 4 in 2023, performing as Phoenix.

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