Anyone who grew up watching British sitcoms probably has a half-remembered Wolfie Smith impersonation at the ready, but Robert Lindsay turned a “power to the people” catchphrase into television gold in Citizen Smith, then spent five decades proving he was more than a punchline — picking up a Tony, three Laurence Olivier Awards, and a BAFTA along the way, according to the University of Derby. This profile separates the verified record from the speculation around his health, marriage, and net worth — and shows what he is actually doing in 2026.
Born: 13 December 1949 ·
Nationality: English ·
Best known for: Wolfie Smith in Citizen Smith ·
Spouse: Rosemarie Ford (m. 2006) ·
Children: 2 ·
Net worth: Not disclosed
Quick snapshot
- Born 13 December 1949 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, per IMDb Biography
- Full birth name: Robert Lindsay Stevenson, per IMDb Biography
- Married Rosemarie Ford on 31 December 2006, per IMDb
- Citizen Smith peaked at 24 million viewers, per the University of Derby
- Net worth: estimates vary widely; no verified figure exists (BBC Derby)
- Residence: BBC Derby listed Buckinghamshire in 2008, with no confirmed update since
- Feud with Zoe Wanamaker: neither actor has publicly confirmed one (BBC Derby)
- Which parent is linked to his two children: biographical profiles disagree (BBC Derby)
- 1977–1980: Wolfie Smith in Citizen Smith, per BBC Derby
- 1984: first Laurence Olivier Award for Me and My Girl, per the University of Derby
- 2021: DCI Ian Buckells in Line of Duty, per The Guardian
- 2026: Missed Call and Big Mood series 2, per the University of Derby and BroadwayWorld
- Springwood at Hampstead Theatre in 2026, per Hampstead Theatre
- Scheduled West End performance in 2026, per London Theatre
- More reunion-event offers, per Hampstead Theatre
Ten facts, one pattern: a career that keeps crossing between sitcom, stage, musical, and serious drama — with the trophies following the theatre work, not the ratings.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Robert Lindsay Stevenson |
| Born | 13 December 1949, per IMDb Biography |
| Birthplace | Ilkeston, Derbyshire |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouse | Rosemarie Ford (m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
| Notable works | Citizen Smith, My Family, Line of Duty, Me and My Girl, per BBC Derby |
| Awards | BAFTA, Tony Award, three Laurence Olivier Awards, per the University of Derby |
| Net worth | Not publicly disclosed |
What is Robert Lindsay’s real name?
The full name on his Wikipedia biography is Robert Lindsay Stevenson, and he was born on 13 December 1949 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. He dropped the surname early in his career, but the Derbyshire roots stayed: the BBC Derby profile notes that he trained at RADA, where he was accepted in 1968 on a government grant after earlier studies in Nottingham.
His first job after graduating was less glamorous than the West End stages he would later own: dialect coach for a repertory company in Essex, according to the same BBC Derby profile. It is the kind of apprenticeship that explains the rest of his career — a craftsman who treats comedy and tragedy with the same seriousness.
How many children does Robert Lindsay have?
- Two children, according to IMDb.
Where the biographical listings disagree is on the mother. Some profiles link his two children to his earlier relationship with actress Diana Weston, while a line on his IMDb page credits the children to his marriage with Rosemarie Ford. Lindsay has not publicly clarified the discrepancy, so treat either parentage version as unverified.
How many times has Robert Lindsay been married?
- Once — to television presenter Rosemarie Ford, whose wedding date is 31 December 2006, per IMDb.
- Earlier relationships, including the one with Weston, did not lead to marriage.
Ford is a former dancer and presenter, and the marriage is listed as current in every major biographical database reviewed. The couple have kept a deliberately low profile together, which is itself a statement given how public Lindsay’s sitcom persona was.
Where does Robert Lindsay live now?
- Buckinghamshire, per the BBC Derby profile (2008).
That BBC profile said he lived in Buckinghamshire with his wife and children. No reliable recent source has given a new address, and Lindsay has kept his private life off the property pages — so treat Buckinghamshire as the last verified location, not a confirmed 2026 one.
The implication: behind the Wolfie Smith chant stood a grant-funded classical education — and a family life protected far more fiercely than his character ever protected his politics.
What is Robert Lindsay’s most famous role?
The answer the University of Derby gives in its 2026 career retrospective is unambiguous: Wolfie Smith in the BBC’s Citizen Smith. The show ran from 1977 to 1980 and at its peak pulled in 24 million viewers — a number that makes his later reputation as a “cult favourite” surprising to anyone who was not there.
His second television anchor was Ben Harper in My Family, which ran from 2000 to 2011 and made him a household name for a generation that had never seen Citizen Smith. Between those two sitcoms, he stacked up stage awards: three Laurence Olivier Awards, including his first in 1984 for Me and My Girl, plus a Tony for the same musical on Broadway, per the University of Derby, with the BAFTA win catalogued on the official BAFTA site.
- Citizen Smith (1977–1980) — Wolfie Smith, per BBC Derby
- G.B.H. — the Alan Bleasdale drama, per BBC Derby
- Hornblower — series role, per BBC Derby
- My Family (2000–2011) — Ben Harper, per Wikipedia
The pattern is rare: his biggest audiences came from sitcoms, but his trophies came from the stage. The two rarely overlap in British acting careers, and it explains why he never stopped doing theatre.
What films has Robert Lindsay been in?
- Fierce Creatures (1997) — comedy credit, per Rotten Tomatoes.
Film was never his main battlefield. Compared with his television and stage work, his cinema credits are thin, and the screen roles audiences remember best remain television parts.
Is Robert Lindsay in the TV series ‘Missed Call’?
- Yes — the University of Derby’s 2026 article lists Missed Call, a Channel 5 drama, among his recent credits.
The phrasing in the University of Derby piece — “more recently appeared” — leaves the role’s size vague, but it confirms he is still taking new television work in the current phase of his career, not just repeating old hits.
What’s Robert Lindsay doing now?
In 2021, he appeared in the sixth series of Line of Duty as DCI Ian Buckells, a role he discussed in a Guardian interview about acting, ageing, and returning to the stage. In 2026, the pace has not slowed: Hampstead Theatre has him in Springwood, and the University of Derby lists Missed Call as a recent Channel 5 credit.
- 2026: Springwood at Hampstead Theatre, per Hampstead Theatre
- 2026: Scheduled West End performance, per London Theatre
- 2026: Big Mood series 2, credited as Mark, per BroadwayWorld
- Active on social media as @RobertLindsay, per his X profile
Skip the net-worth chatter. The verifiable signs of a working actor are in the listings: a Hampstead Theatre production, a Channel 5 drama, and a streaming series credit — all inside 12 months.
Why did Robert Lindsay quit Line of Duty?
- He did not quit — his character was exposed and arrested.
- DCI Ian Buckells was unmasked as a corrupt officer in the series six finale, per Wikipedia.
Fans expecting a seventh-series return were left with the simplest explanation: a corrupt DCI in custody has no more scenes to film. In his Guardian interview, Lindsay framed the show as part of a late-career dramatic resurgence — and a bridge back to the stage.
What this means: at 76, Lindsay is pacing like an actor at mid-career — new stage productions, new series, new credits — while the internet still wants to file him under a sitcom catchphrase.
What illness did Robert Lindsay have?
In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Lindsay confirmed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer 11 years earlier, in 2011, and that it was removed after monitoring showed it was getting close to the periphery. Wikipedia’s biography of the actor records the same timeline: a 2011 diagnosis treated surgically.
The actor who made 24 million people laugh as Wolfie Smith kept a cancer diagnosis private for a decade — and told The Guardian he dates major life moments by what he was filming when the bad news arrived.
No other major illness has been confirmed by Lindsay or his representatives. That matters because the search interest around “Robert Lindsay illness” runs far ahead of the verified record, which contains exactly one confirmed health crisis.
How much is Robert Lindsay worth?
- Net worth: not publicly disclosed.
- No profile in the sources reviewed — IMDb, Wikipedia, the BBC Derby profile, or the University of Derby — publishes a verified figure.
Websites that publish celebrity net worth numbers rarely cite accounts or contracts, and Lindsay has never published financial details. Treat any specific figure as speculation, not reporting.
The pattern: a private man with a very public career. He talks about craft, not bank balances, and he disclosed the cancer only when he was ready — on his own timeline.
Did Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker get on?
This is the question that refuses to die on fan forums. What is verifiable: Lindsay and Wanamaker co-starred in the first series of My Family in 2000, and Wanamaker left after that series, per Wikipedia.
- Co-starred in My Family series 1 (2000).
- Wanamaker left after series 1; the character was replaced.
- Neither actor has publicly confirmed a feud; the tabloid narrative remains unverified.
The reported feud has never been confirmed by either actor. Wanamaker’s departure was handled on screen by replacing the character, which is the kind of logistical change that happens in long-running sitcoms — with or without behind-the-scenes tension. Treat the feud as gossip rather than biography.
A successful sitcom needs friction between characters; audiences read it as friction between actors. In Lindsay’s case, a dramatic exit produced great television and an unfalsifiable rumour.
The catch: the less either actor says, the louder the speculation grows — but no credible source has ever documented an actual falling-out.
A half-century in seven milestones
- — Born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, per the BBC Derby profile
- — Played Wolfie Smith in Citizen Smith, per the University of Derby
- — First Laurence Olivier Award for Me and My Girl, per the University of Derby
- — Starred as Ben Harper in My Family, per Wikipedia
- — Married Rosemarie Ford on 31 December, per IMDb
- — Appeared as DCI Ian Buckells in Line of Duty; returned to the stage, per The Guardian
- — Springwood at Hampstead Theatre; Missed Call on Channel 5; Big Mood series 2, per Hampstead Theatre, the University of Derby, and BroadwayWorld
The pattern: every decade contains at least one reinvention — sitcom star, musical lead, family sitcom anchor, and finally a late-career turn as a dramatic character actor.
What’s confirmed vs. what’s still unclear
Confirmed facts
- Born 13 December 1949 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, per IMDb Biography
- Real name: Robert Lindsay Stevenson
- Married Rosemarie Ford on 31 December 2006
- Two children
- Wolfie Smith in Citizen Smith; Ben Harper in My Family
- Prostate cancer treatment disclosed in a 2022 Guardian interview
- Active in 2026: Springwood, Missed Call, Big Mood
What’s unclear
- Exact net worth — no verified figure exists
- Current residence — Buckinghamshire was last reported in 2008
- Which parent is linked to his two children — profiles disagree
- Whether a Wanamaker feud ever existed — no confirmed account
- Height — not published in any reliable profile reviewed
- Role size in Missed Call — not specified in the listing
- Any other health conditions — none confirmed beyond the 2011 prostate cancer diagnosis
Why the gap matters: the confirmed column is the biography; the unclear column is where celebrity mythology does its work. Keeping the two separate is the whole exercise.
What the record and the actor say
Lindsay told The Guardian in 2022 that he dates major moments in his life by what he was filming when he got bad health news — the diagnosis is remembered as a production, not a date.
Robert Lindsay, interview with The Guardian, April 2022
Hampstead Theatre’s 2026 production notes describe an actor who has been practising his craft for half a century and keeps being asked to take part in reunion events.
Hampstead Theatre, June 2026
The University of Derby’s 2026 retrospective highlights a peak Citizen Smith audience of 24 million and a career that moved from comedy to musicals to serious drama without pausing for breath.
University of Derby, 2026
The unifying note: a performer who treats acting as a lifetime contract rather than a career ladder — and measures time in productions, not years.
The takeaway
Robert Lindsay’s story is a corrective to celebrity-biography culture. The verified record — a Derbyshire childhood, a grant-funded RADA place, 24 million viewers at the Citizen Smith peak, a Tony and three Oliviers, a 2011 prostate cancer diagnosis he chose to discuss only in 2022 — is richer than any net-worth estimate. The unverified items stay clearly marked: his money, his current address, and the temperature of a 2000s sitcom working relationship. For British TV and theatre fans, the choice is clear: follow Lindsay through theatre listings, Channel 5 dramas, and streaming credits — and let the tabloid speculation play Wolfie Smith’s part: loud, entertaining, and short on substance.
Frequently asked questions
What is Robert Lindsay’s height?
No reliable profile in the sources reviewed — IMDb, Wikipedia, BBC Derby, or the University of Derby — publishes a verified height. Figures circulating online come from user-submitted databases and should not be trusted.
Is Robert Lindsay married?
Yes. He married television presenter Rosemarie Ford on 31 December 2006, according to IMDb, and the marriage is listed as current in biographical databases.
Did Robert Lindsay win any awards?
He has won a BAFTA, a Tony Award, and three Laurence Olivier Awards, according to the University of Derby. His first Olivier came in 1984 for Me and My Girl.
What other TV shows has Robert Lindsay been in?
Beyond Citizen Smith and My Family, his credits include G.B.H., Hornblower, Line of Duty, Big Mood, and the 2026 Channel 5 drama Missed Call, per the BBC Derby profile and the University of Derby retrospective.
Where can I watch Citizen Smith?
Citizen Smith was a BBC production that originally aired on BBC One from 1977 to 1980. BBC archival platforms are the natural starting point for current availability, though it varies by region.
How did Robert Lindsay start his career?
He trained at RADA after being accepted in 1968 on a government grant, and his first job was as a dialect coach for a repertory company in Essex, according to the BBC Derby profile.
What is Robert Lindsay’s opinion on acting?
Based on his 2022 Guardian interview and Hampstead Theatre’s 2026 notes, he treats acting as a lifelong craft — he measures his life by the productions he was working on, and at 76 he is still taking new theatre, television, and streaming roles.
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Arthur Oliver Howard Fletcher is a staff writer for NationalReport.uk, covering UK national news, politics, the economy and public services. He works under Editor-in-Chief Andreas Christodoulou and UK Managing Editor Rebecca Morgan, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.