Kevin McCloud is a British designer best known for his role in presenting the beloved British television series Grand Designs. His work on the show has taken him to many cities across the globe including Sydney and Melbourne. McCloud has been working on the architectural show since the late 90s, and throughout its run he has overseen some of some of Britain’s most ambitious DIY projects.

Grand Designs follows the story of individual people taking the initiative to design and build their own dream house. It has been airing since 1999 and has 22 seasons, bringing the total episode count to over 200. The series high of 5 million viewers was achieved in 2008 on February 13^th, and the show is still in production as of 2021.

Read on for an intensive Q&A about some of the lesser-known aspects of Kevin McCloud’s life.

Kevin McCloud: Life Behind the Screen

How old is Kevin McCloud?

Kevin McCloud was born on the 8^th of May 1959. Kevin McCloud’s current age is 62.

How tall is Kevin McCloud?

Height: Kevin McCloud is 1.89m tall (6’2).

Where was Kevin McCloud born?

Kevin McCloud was born in Bedfordshire, McCloud. After high school, he moved to Italy. Kevin McCloud lived in Tuscany, studied music in Florence and then moved to Cambridge where he finally settled on studying architecture.

What nationality is Kevin McCloud?

Kevin McCloud is British. He is multilingual, fluent in both Italian and French and even speaks some German.

Where does Kevin McCloud live?

Kevin McCloud currently lives in the English town Frome, Somerset.

Kevin McCloud with Glasses grand designs

Does Kevin McCloud wear glasses?

Kevin McCloud does indeed wear glasses, pictured above with his signature thick frames. However, he does not wear them all the time. One interview with Kevin McCloud revealed that he occasionally resorts to wearing large glasses and hats as a disguise to avoid being recognised in daily life. Another fun fact about Kevin: he has a self-described "obsession" with clean shoes.

What is Kevin McCloud's own house like?

Kevin McCloud maintains an air of mystery around his own housing situation.

He has resisted describing the house to interviewers as he believes it is important to maintain privacy and he does not believe in celebrity status. He has also stated that people would be disappointed if the air of mystique was destroyed and images of his house were plastered across the front page of every major magazine each week.

How much is Kevin McCloud worth?

Kevin McCloud’s net worth is quite impressive. His annual salary is at least in the high 6-figures. It is estimated that Kevin McCloud’s net worth is somewhere between 1.8 million – 4.8 million AUD (£1 million - £3.5 million).

Kevin McCloud grand designs house leaning

Where did Kevin McCloud go to school?

Kevin McCloud studied to his A Levels at Dunstable Grammar school in before moving to Italy and studying singing at the Florence Conservatory of Music. He finally settled on studying art and architecture history at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Who are Kevin McCloud's parents?

Not much is known about Kevin McCloud’s parents. His mother is deceased. His father, Donald McCloud, worked as a rocket scientist before his retirement. Kevin has opened up about his parents in interviews, describing them as ambitious and liberal people who had rebelled against the ideas of their small-town rural upbringing.

Does Kevin McCloud have any siblings?

Kevin McCloud has two siblings; Terence and Graham McCloud.

Who is Kevin McCloud married to?

Kevin McCloud has recently begun dating again after his divorce. Speculation that he may have a new partner has been circulating ever since he was photographed with businesswoman Jenny Jones, with onlookers reporting that the two appeared to be a romantic couple. This comes after McCloud’s separation from his wife of 23 years, Suzanna McCloud in 2019.

Has Kevin McCloud been married more than once?

Kevin McCloud has only been married once, to Suzanna McCloud. After their recent separation in 2019, McCloud has been very private about his dating life. It is unclear whether he is interested in pursuing a second marriage or content to stay as he is.

How many children does Kevin McCloud have?

Kevin McCloud has 4 children. Hugo and Grace McCloud are his eldest, from a previous relationship. He and Suzanna McCloud also had two children together during their marriage: Milo and Elsie.

Has Kevin McCloud written any books?

Kevin McCloud has written five books, all on the subject of architecture and design. His first book was published in the 90s, titled Kevin McCloud’s Decorating Book. It was followed by The Techniques of Decoration and Kevin McCloud’s Lighting Book (1995), The Complete Decorator (1996) and Choosing Colours (2003).

Kevin McCloud grand designs house favourite

What are Kevin McCloud's most famous quotes?

Find some of the best Kevin McCloud quotes below:

“The more of your private life you put into the public domain, the smaller your private life becomes.”

“Every decently-made object, from a house to a lamp post to a bridge, spoon or egg cup, is not just a piece of 'stuff' but a physical embodiment of human energy, testimony to the magical ability of our species to take raw materials and turn them into things of use, value and beauty.”

“Building your own house is a primal urge, one of those universal genetic drives like the need to provide for your family.”

“We are borrowing money from future generations. We are borrowing the carbon impact, the resource impact from future generations to get stuff cheap now. We have swept the dirt and dust from our society under the carpet - but this carpet is on other side of the planet.”

Has Kevin McCloud released a documentary?

Kevin McCloud has made a two-part documentary series on the conditions within Mumbai’s Dharavi slum (the original setting of Slumdog Millionaire) as he explores the consequences of extreme crowding on human sociality. The series was called Slumming It and first aired in January 2010.

A climate activist, Kevin McCloud has also made a documentary looking at the future of humanity and the tech that could make saving the world possible. The documentary is called Kevin McCloud’s Rough Guide To The Future and was released in February 2020.

When did Grand Designs first air?

The first episode of Grand Designs aired on the 19^th of April 1999.

Is Grand Designs still going?

Grand Designs with Kevin McCloud has already started airing the first few episodes of its 22^nd season. Season 9 of Grand Designs Australia has also begun airing in 2021.

What is Kevin McCloud’s favourite house on Grand Designs?

Kevin McCloud has named a few favourites throughout the show’s run, which he has revisited from time to time. Here are his top 3.

3. Arched Eco Home (s9,2009)

Arched eco house grand designs

2. The Isle of Sky House (s2,2012)

Isle of sky house grand designs home architecture

1. Straw Bale Eco Home (s1, 1999)

Straw bale home grand designs

For more on Kevin McCloud’s favourite houses, visit this site for some of the series highlights.

Is Kevin McCloud on Social Media?

You can find Kevin on instagram, facebook and twitter below:

Kevin McCloud (@kevin.mccloud1) • Instagram photos and videos

Kevin McCloud (facebook.com)

https://twitter.com/kevin_mccloud?lang=en

Juliet Taylor

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