John Alford was once one of Britain’s most beloved TV faces.
From his cheeky, happy-go-lucky role as Robbie Wright on Grange Hill to his performances on London’s Burning, Alford seemed destined for stardom.
The actor even enjoyed a brief music career in the 1990s, landing three top 20 singles, including a cover of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and the anti-drug anthem Just Say No, which peaked at number five with the Grange Hill cast.
But fame can be fleeting. For Alford, a dramatic fall from grace began with a drugs sting orchestrated by the notorious Fake Sheikh, Mazher Mahmood.
The scheme saw him jailed for six weeks of a nine-month sentence for supplying cocaine and cannabis.
The promise of Hollywood — a supposed role in a Robert De Niro movie — turned out to be a trap, leaving Alford’s career in tatters and forcing him to rely on benefits.
A New Conviction Rocks His Life
Today, 53-year-old Alford faces prison again.
He has been convicted of sexually assaulting two underage girls — one 14, the other 15 — at a party in Hertfordshire.
The incidents took place at the home of a third girl who was friends with the victims, with Alford allegedly committing acts in the garden, a toilet, and inside the house.
Alford claimed the accusations were part of a blackmail plot, but a jury at St Albans Crown Court found him guilty.
He protested in court, saying, “Wrong, I didn’t do this,” while family members gasped in the public gallery.
Early Career Success
Alford’s career was built on charm and talent.
From 1985 to 1991, he captivated audiences as Robbie Wright, remembered for his on-screen romances and friendships.
Following Grange Hill, he became a fixture on London’s Burning as Billy Ray, earning over £120,000 a year in the early 1990s.
His music career, produced by Stock/Waterman, also enjoyed success, and the public adored him — until Mahmood’s sting shattered everything.
ITV sacked him, and despite Mahmood’s later conviction for perverting the course of justice, Alford was unable to overturn his own convictions.
Life After Stardom
After his fall from fame, Alford worked as a scaffolder and minicab driver.
He had several brushes with the law, including hijacking a bin lorry, assaulting police officers, and a 16-month driving ban for drink-driving in 2005.
Alford later returned to acting in smaller roles, appearing in CBBC’s Mile High, Mike Bassett: England Manager, and reality shows like Trust Me – I’m a Beauty Therapist.
In 2017, he appeared in The Hatton Garden Job as a prison guard.
Despite attempts to reclaim his career, his earlier fame could not shield him from the law.
The Bin Lorry Incident
In 2018, Alford caused chaos in Camden, north London, when he jumped behind the wheel of a 10-ton bin lorry.
Footage shows him initially smiling, yelling at bystanders, and eventually grappling with police officers.
He was charged with criminal damage and two counts of assault on police but received a community order in 2019.
Friends say he had developed a “siege mentality” during this period.
The Alleged Sexual Offences
The most serious allegations date to April 2022.
Prosecutor Julie Whitby told the court that Alford spent the night with the father of a third girl before being left alone with two underage girls.
During this time, he allegedly asked the 14-year-old to sit on his lap in the garden and then sexually assaulted her.
Later, he allegedly assaulted the 15-year-old at the property.
Both girls were drinking at the time and did not immediately report the incidents.
However, the 15-year-old eventually disclosed the abuse after confiding in a friend’s mother.
Video evidence of police interviews was played in court, with both girls describing feeling coerced and unsafe.
Alford’s Defense and Conviction
Alford, whose real name is John Shannon, denied all six charges, claiming a setup and blackmail by a man with an “Irish-sounding Traveller-type” voice.
He insisted he did not commit the offences.
Despite his protestations, the jury convicted him on all six counts by a majority of 10-2 after more than 13 hours of deliberation over three days.
Judge Caroline Overton bailed him until sentencing in December, warning that prison was likely.
Hertfordshire Police Praise Victims
Hertfordshire Constabulary highlighted the bravery of the victims, noting that they had no awareness of Alford’s celebrity status and were acting with courage in coming forward.
Detective Laura Harrison said: “There is no doubt that Shannon’s behaviour that evening was predatory and carried out solely for his own sexual gratification.
Reporting offences of this nature is never easy.”
A Career in Ruins
With this conviction, it seems certain that Alford’s career in television and music is finished.
Once celebrated as a teen idol and TV star, his life has been marked by a series of legal troubles, public incidents, and now, a conviction that will likely define the remainder of his life.