Vinnie Jones and Emma Ford appeared thoroughly delighted with each other at the London premiere of The Gentlemen season two. Jones, 61, smiled for photographers while standing close to Ford, 48, marking another public appearance for the couple after they found love later in life.

The former footballer wore a brown checked suit with a matching tie and baker boy cap. Ford chose a black dress decorated with floral embellishments and smiled up at him on the red carpet. Subtle, it was not, but premieres rarely reward restraint.

How did Vinnie Jones meet Emma Ford?

Jones met Ford in 2022 when she worked on his television series. Their relationship became official two years later.

Ford previously worked as a showbusiness reporter and as a personal assistant to Mick Jones of The Clash. She had recently returned to the UK after spending several years in Los Angeles when the pair met.

The relationship followed a long period of grief for Jones. His wife, Tanya Jones, died from skin cancer in 2019 after the disease spread to her brain. They had been married for 25 years, and her death came shortly after Jones also lost his mother.

After Tanya died, Jones said he would “never be with anyone else”. He acknowledged last year that he may have made that declaration too soon.

Jones also described a “defining moment” involving Ford and his late wife. He said Ford told him she had promised Tanya that she would look after him.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, he explained how his outlook had changed: “I’m at peace because does [Tanya] want you to be on your own? No, because you’re not going to be happy.”

How has Jones spoken about grief and mental health?

Jones discussed losing Tanya and his mother during the television series Vinnie Jones in the Country. In a conversation with his long-time associate Paul Worby, he addressed the pressure on men to continue functioning while dealing with serious illness and bereavement.

“We’re big, hairy blokes, and we got to get on with it,” he said. “Cancer, grief, mental health… somehow it’s all going to happen to all of us.”

His concern for his mental health has also affected the roles he accepts. Jones previously revealed that he turned down the chance to return as Juggernaut in Deadpool & Wolverine.

The actor said the character required five or six hours of makeup each day, a process he found damaging to his wellbeing during his earlier appearance in the X-Men franchise. He also joked that producers were “trying to get him cheap”, because even emotional boundaries apparently still come with a studio budget.

Jones has often preferred life away from publicity, spending much of his time at his farm in West Sussex. The She’s the Man actor said he wants to leave the spotlight “as soon as I can”, adding: “I want to do as little as I can and leg it.”

Why does he keep working with Guy Ritchie?

One director who can still persuade Jones back onto a film set is Guy Ritchie. Jones has said Ritchie’s productions are among the places where he feels safest, making him more willing to return to work.

Their connection dates back to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the 1998 crime film that launched Jones’s acting career. During production, he paid for meals for the cast and crew because he was in a stronger financial position than many of the people around him.

Before acting, Jones was a professional footballer whose clubs included Leeds United, Sheffield United and Chelsea. His abrupt move from midfield enforcer to film actor proved rather more durable than many late-career reinventions.

Jones has now worked with Ritchie on three projects. He has also reportedly signed on for Viva La Madness, which is scheduled for release in 2028.

For the moment, however, the attention was on The Gentlemen premiere and Ford’s place beside him. Seven years after Tanya’s death, Jones appeared comfortable acknowledging that companionship and grief can exist at the same time.