Kevin Whately (born 6 February 1951) is an English actor. Whately is primarily known for his role as Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the crime dramas Inspector Morse and Lewis, his role as Neville "Nev" Hope in the British television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and his role as Dr. Jack Kerruish in the drama series Peak Practice, although he has appeared in numerous other roles.

Biography

Whately lives in Woburn Sands near Milton Keynes, with his wife actress Madelaine Newton, who starred in the 1970s BBC drama When the Boat Comes In. She also played Inspector Morse's love interest in the 1990 episode "Masonic Mysteries," in which she becomes a murder victim. The couple, who have been together since 1980, have two children: Catherine "Kitty" Whately, born in 1983, who appeared as Kevin's on-screen daughter in the series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet for the first two seasons, now an operatic mezzo soprano and winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award 2011; and Kieran, born in 1985. Kitty married tenor Anthony Gregory in September 2015.

Whately enjoys rock music and plays guitar; he has cited Pink Floyd and Dire Straits as bands he has particularly enjoyed, although he says he listens to classical music more now. He is a fan of Newcastle United and Burnley on the football field, but says that he likes rugby league better, and as a cricketer admitted to Inspector Morse writer Colin Dexter that he would like to have played cricket professionally for England. Dexter devised the storyline for the Inspector Morse episode "Deceived by Flight" (1989; season 3, episode 3) in which Sergeant Lewis had to go undercover in a cricket team to investigate drug smuggling.

In August 2014, Whately was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.