William Lee-Kemp: Inside the Business Career and Family Life of Jess Wright’s Husband

William Lee-Kemp may have entered wider celebrity coverage through his relationship with Jess Wright, but his professional record stretches well beyond television-adjacent fame. Public corporate filings identify him as William Joseph Lee-Kemp, a British businessman born in December 1982, while his company describes him as the owner and director of Auto-Sportiva.

His profile has become particularly interesting because two very different worlds meet around his name: the Wright family’s public life and Britain’s specialist prestige-car industry. Auto-Sportiva says the business began in 2007 with only a small number of vehicles and has developed into a dealership capable of stocking around 200 cars.

That business profile gained further weight in 2025 when Lee-Kemp won Dealer Principal of the Year at the Car Dealer Used Car Awards. Meanwhile, his marriage to Jess Wright, their 2021 Majorca wedding, and their son Presley continue to keep his name connected with celebrity and family searches.

William Lee-Kemp is a British automotive businessman, the owner and director of prestige-car dealership Auto-Sportiva, and the husband of former The Only Way Is Essex star, Jess Wright. Companies House records show him as a controlling shareholder of Auto-Sportiva, while the couple married in Majorca in September 2021 and have one son, Presley.

Bio Summary

Detail	Verified Information

Business

Auto-Sportiva Limited

Trading history stated by company

Began in 2007

Company incorporated

September 10, 2008

Lee-Kemp appointed director

June 30, 2010

Main activity

Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles

Ownership/control

75% or more shares and voting rights

Original scale

Small dealership with limited vehicle stock

Current stated capacity

Around 200 vehicles

Major 2025 recognition

Dealer Principal of the Year

The Business Behind William Lee-Kemp’s Public Profile

The most substantial independently verifiable information about William Lee-Kemp concerns Auto-Sportiva, the prestige and luxury vehicle dealership associated with his career.

Auto-Sportiva says Lee-Kemp started the business in 2007, initially operating with a relatively small car inventory. Its early focus was on Italian marques, a connection reflected in the Auto-Sportiva name. Over time, the dealership shifted heavily toward British and German manufacturers, including Porsche, BMW and Land Rover.

A useful distinction exists between the company’s trading history and its legal incorporation. Auto-Sportiva states that its business story began in 2007, while Companies House records show Auto-Sportiva Limited was formally incorporated on September 10, 2008. Its registered business activity is selling used cars and light motor vehicles.

Companies House records show Lee-Kemp became a director on June 30, 2010. The register also identifies him as the company’s active person with significant control.

How much control does William Lee-Kemp have over Auto-Sportiva?

The official record provides a stronger answer than simply calling Lee-Kemp a company director.

Companies House states that William Joseph Lee-Kemp holds 75% or more of the company’s shares, 75% or more of its voting rights, and the right to appoint or remove directors. That makes his connection to Auto-Sportiva one of ownership and corporate control, not merely employment or a ceremonial leadership title.

From a small dealership to a 200-car operation

Auto-Sportiva’s own history says its original Tunbridge Wells premises accommodated about 20 vehicles. The operation later expanded through Sevenoaks before moving to a purpose-built location in the Tonbridge area with room for about 200 vehicles.

The dealership describes itself as a specialist in sports, prestige and luxury vehicles. Its current public positioning reflects the transition Lee-Kemp oversaw from an Italian-car specialist into a broader premium dealership handling marques such as Porsche, BMW and Land Rover.

William Lee-Kemp’s Business Record in Data

Detail Verified Information

Business Auto-Sportiva Limited

Trading history stated by company Began in 2007

Company incorporated September 10, 2008

Lee-Kemp appointed director June 30, 2010

Main activity Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles

Ownership/control 75% or more shares and voting rights

Original scale Small dealership with limited vehicle stock

Current stated capacity Around 200 vehicles

Major 2025 recognition Dealer Principal of the Year

Companies House provides corporate dates and ownership information, while Auto-Sportiva provides operational history and dealership capacity.

The 2025 Award That Strengthened His Automotive Credentials

William Lee-Kemp’s business profile received notable industry recognition in 2025.

Car Dealer Magazine named the Auto-Sportiva boss Dealer Principal of the Year at its 2025 Used Car Awards. Its report said the dealership had expanded from only a handful of vehicles to more than 200 and highlighted strong mystery-shopping results, customer feedback, and reputation as reasons for the award.

Auto-Sportiva also reported winning Independent Premium Dealership of the Year and Website of the Year at the 2025 Motor Trader Independent Dealer Awards. The company described 2025 as a year of important national industry recognition.

Those achievements are particularly relevant when assessing Lee-Kemp because they provide documented professional context independent of his marriage to a television personality.

How William Lee-Kemp and Jess Wright Became a Couple

Jess Wright, best known for her years on The Only Way Is Essex, has publicly discussed how William Lee-Kemp entered her life.

In a 2020 interview reported by the Press Association, Wright said her brother Mark Wright had helped set her up with Lee-Kemp. By then, their relationship had developed to the point that marriage plans were already under way.

Lee-Kemp proposed during a trip to Courchevel, France, in February 2020. Wright described being surprised by a romantic setup involving candles, flowers and rose petals before Lee-Kemp proposed against the backdrop of the snowy mountains.

Their planned wedding was subsequently affected by pandemic-era restrictions and was postponed from its original June schedule. The couple nevertheless continued with plans for a large Majorca celebration later in 2021.

September 9, 2021: The Majorca Wedding

William Lee-Kemp and Jess Wright married on September 9, 2021, in Majorca, Spain.

The church ceremony took place at the Basilica de Sant Francesc in Palma. The wedding party later moved to Castillo de Bendinat in Calvià for the reception and banquet. Twelve bridesmaids participated in the celebrations, while Jess’s brother Mark Wright served as master of ceremonies.

Michelle Keegan, Mark Wright’s wife, was among the bridesmaids, together with Wright family members and members of Lee-Kemp’s family.

The wedding helped introduce William to a much larger entertainment audience. Still, public records show his automotive career had been established for well over a decade by then.

From Newlyweds to Parents: William, Jess and Presley

Only a few months after their wedding, Jess Wright announced in November 2021 that she and Lee-Kemp were expecting their first child.

Their son Presley was born on May 17, 2022, at the Portland Hospital in London. Contemporary reporting described Lee-Kemp as being alongside his wife during the birth.

Auto-Sportiva’s own profile of Lee-Kemp also refers to Presley and describes its owner as a family man who particularly enjoys spending time with his son.

More recent coverage confirms that William Lee-Kemp and Jess Wright remain publicly described as husband and wife and as Presley’s parents. ITV News did so in June 2026, almost five years after the couple’s wedding.

What Can Actually Be Verified About William Lee-Kemp’s Finances?

Publicly available reporting does not authoritatively verify William Lee-Kemp’s personal net worth.

Companies House confirms that he controls at least 75% of Auto-Sportiva Limited’s shares and voting rights, but corporate ownership does not reliably reflect personal wealth. A company’s vehicle stock, turnover, assets, liabilities and shareholder equity also cannot legitimately be treated as the owner’s personal net worth.

Auto-Sportiva has clearly grown into a substantial prestige-car operation, and Companies House confirms that the company remains active and has filed accounts through the financial Year ending September 30, 2025. Those facts establish an operating business but do not establish an exact valuation of Lee-Kemp’s personal assets.

For that reason, treat precise online claims assigning William Lee-Kemp a particular multimillion-pound fortune as estimates unless supported by audited personal financial information or another authoritative disclosure.

More Than “Jess Wright’s Husband”

Search interest around William Lee-Kemp naturally overlaps with Jess Wright, TOWIE and the wider Wright family, but reducing his identity to a celebrity marriage misses the strongest part of his public record.

His documented career connects him to Auto-Sportiva’s development from a small specialist dealership into a large prestige-car operation. Companies House establishes his controlling ownership, while industry reporting records his 2025 Dealer Principal of the Year award.

His marriage to Jess Wright adds the public-facing family story: a Courchevel engagement, a Majorca wedding in September 2021 and the arrival of Presley in May 2022. Together, those verified details provide a clearer picture of William Lee-Kemp—an automotive business owner whose personal life intersects with one of Essex television’s best-known families.

FAQs.

Who is William Lee-Kemp?

William Lee-Kemp is a British businessman and automotive dealer best known professionally as the owner and director of Auto-Sportiva and publicly as the husband of former TOWIE personality Jess Wright. His official Companies House name is William Joseph Lee-Kemp, and records list his birth month as December 1982.

What does William Lee-Kemp do for a living?

William Lee-Kemp is the owner and director of Auto-Sportiva, a Kent-based dealership specializing in sports, prestige and luxury used cars. The company says he started the business in 2007, while Companies House records show that he became a director in June 2010 and controls at least 75% of its shares and voting rights.

Is William Lee-Kemp married to Jess Wright?

Yes. William Lee-Kemp is married to Jess Wright, the former The Only Way Is Essex cast member. They married on September 9, 2021, at the Basilica de Sant Francesc in Palma, Majorca, before celebrating with family and friends at Castillo de Bendinat in Calvià.

How did Jess Wright meet William Lee-Kemp?

Jess Wright has said her brother, Mark Wright, helped introduce her to William Lee-Kemp. Their relationship later led to an engagement after Lee-Kemp proposed during a February 2020 trip to the French ski resort of Courchevel.

Does William Lee-Kemp have children?

William Lee-Kemp and Jess Wright have one publicly known child, a son named Presley. Presley was born on May 17, 2022. Contemporary reports and later coverage consistently identify William and Jess as his parents.

What is William Lee-Kemp’s net worth?

No authoritative financial source publicly verifies William Lee-Kemp’s exact personal net worth. Companies House confirms his controlling ownership interest in Auto-Sportiva, but company ownership does not equal personal wealth. An exact pound-value estimate would therefore be speculative without verified information about his total personal assets and liabilities.

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Editorial Disclaimer

This profile is based on publicly accessible company records, business information, and reputable published interviews or news coverage available at the time of verification. Private details that have not been reliably disclosed—including William Lee-Kemp’s precise personal wealth, full date of birth and other non-public family information—have not been estimated or presented as fact. Corporate assets, turnover and share ownership should not be interpreted as a direct measure of personal net worth.