John Alford

Acting

John Alford

Born — Died

1971-10-30 — 2026-03-13

Place of birth

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

13 titles

The Glasgow-born actor was cast in Grange Hill after attending a London stage school from the age of nine where he studied alongside EastEnders' stars Patsy Palmer and Sid Owen. After appearing briefly in an ITV sitcom called Now and Then (1983), Alford landed the role in Grange Hill (1978) at the age of 11. But the young actor found fame too tough to handle and started drinking heavily. By the time he left the show at the age of 17 he had reportedly spent up to £80,000 on alcohol and gambling. John, most famous for his role of young fireman Billy in the hit TV series, London's Burning (1988), became an overnight pop star with reggae version of the song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" which went …

Known for

Casualty poster
6.2

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Casualty

1986

Grange Hill poster
6.7

Children's drama series following the lives of students and teachers at Grange Hill comprehensive school.

Grange Hill

1978

Going Live! poster
8.0

Going Live! was a Saturday morning magazine show, broadcast on BBC1 between 1987 and 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Peter Simon, Emma Forbes, and puppet Gordon the Gopher. The show was broadcast during the autumn to spring seasons, with other shows such as the 8:15 from Manchester and Parallel 9 taking over during the summer months. It was preceded by Saturday Superstore, and succeeded by Live & Kicking. In 1988, when the second series started, Greene was hurt in a helicopter crash with her then boyfriend, Mike Smith. Guest presenters stood in for her including T'Pau's Carol Decker. Similarly, in 1992-93 during the final series, Schofield was starring in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was unable to present the show. A third presenter took his place. Originally, Neighbours actor Kristian Schmid took the role but soon left after problems with his work permit. Various other celebrities to stand in included Shane Richie and Robbie Williams during his Take That days.

Going Live!

1987

The Chief poster
7.0

The Chief is a British crime drama transmitted on ITV from 20 April 1990 to 16 June 1995. Produced by Anglia Television, it centred on the politics at the top of a typical English police force in its continual battle to solve the problems the times, in this case the fictional Eastland of East Anglia.

The Chief

1990

The Hatton Garden Job poster
5.5

In April 2015, the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company, an underground safe deposit facility in London's Hatton Garden area, was burgled by 4 elderly men. With the stolen property having a value of up to £200 million, the incident has been called the "largest burglary in English history".

The Hatton Garden Job

2017

Black Cab poster
8.0

A series of ten 10-minute films – some humorous, some dramatic – capturing key in the lives of taxi drivers and their passengers. Among these journeys, a man visits his lover, a gay prostitute goes to work, two girls party on Christmas Eve, an American tourist sees 'real' London, and a cabbie helps a woman in distress.

Black Cab

2000

Film credits

Series credits

Casualty poster
6.2

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Casualty

1986

Casualty poster
6.2

Drama series about the staff and patients at Holby City Hospital's emergency department, charting the ups and downs in their personal and professional lives.

Casualty

1986

Grange Hill poster
6.7

Children's drama series following the lives of students and teachers at Grange Hill comprehensive school.

Grange Hill

1978

Going Live! poster
8.0

Going Live! was a Saturday morning magazine show, broadcast on BBC1 between 1987 and 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Peter Simon, Emma Forbes, and puppet Gordon the Gopher. The show was broadcast during the autumn to spring seasons, with other shows such as the 8:15 from Manchester and Parallel 9 taking over during the summer months. It was preceded by Saturday Superstore, and succeeded by Live & Kicking. In 1988, when the second series started, Greene was hurt in a helicopter crash with her then boyfriend, Mike Smith. Guest presenters stood in for her including T'Pau's Carol Decker. Similarly, in 1992-93 during the final series, Schofield was starring in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was unable to present the show. A third presenter took his place. Originally, Neighbours actor Kristian Schmid took the role but soon left after problems with his work permit. Various other celebrities to stand in included Shane Richie and Robbie Williams during his Take That days.

Going Live!

1987

The Chief poster
7.0

The Chief is a British crime drama transmitted on ITV from 20 April 1990 to 16 June 1995. Produced by Anglia Television, it centred on the politics at the top of a typical English police force in its continual battle to solve the problems the times, in this case the fictional Eastland of East Anglia.

The Chief

1990

Black Cab poster
8.0

A series of ten 10-minute films – some humorous, some dramatic – capturing key in the lives of taxi drivers and their passengers. Among these journeys, a man visits his lover, a gay prostitute goes to work, two girls party on Christmas Eve, an American tourist sees 'real' London, and a cabbie helps a woman in distress.

Black Cab

2000

No artwork available
NR

Noel Edmonds' journeys around Britain and the world to take gifts and surprises to deserving people. 

Noel's Christmas Presents

1986

No artwork available
NR

Family man contemplates selling childhood home spanning WWII years. Episodes shift between present and boyhood memories of parents, siblings coping during war's difficulties, making it hard to let go of beloved home.

Now And Then

1983