Is Lewis Capaldi Related to Peter Capaldi?

When two celebrities have the same surname, it is natural for people to ask questions about whether or not they are related. In fact, as you can read elsewhere on this site, the likes of Linda Clark and Sandra Redknapp had people asking the question just because they look a bit like one another, so at least sharing a surname makes some sort of sense. Lewis Capaldi hit the headlines when he was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Awards at the Brit Awards in 2019, with people soon wondering if the Scottish singer is related to the actor Peter Capaldi. The answer is ‘yes’, although the family ties are a little more circumspect than you might think.

Who Are We Talking About?

It wouldn’t be outrageous if the names of the two people we’re discussing here ring a bell but you’re not all that certain who either of them are. That being said, once you read out descriptions of them here the likelihood is that the penny will drop and you’ll curse yourself for not knowing about them sooner, such is the extent to which they are proper celebrities:

Lewis Capaldi

Born in Glasgow on the 7th of October, 1996, Lewis Capaldi topped the single charts in the United Kingdom for the first time in 2019 with his song Someone You Loved. It remained top of the UK charts for seven weeks and eventually got to number one in the United States of America too, with the Scot also making it to the top of the UK album chart with his debut record Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent. His second album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, was also a hit, with Capaldi regularly winning awards like the Brits and MTV Music Awards. In 2022 he confirmed that he’d been diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome.

Peter Capaldi

Peter Dougan Capaldi was born in Glasgow on the 14th of April, 1958, showing an early aptitude for performance. His first film role was in Local Hero as Danny Oldsen, whilst his first major role on television was as Like Wakefield in Mr Wakefield’s Crusade. What truly helped him shoot to fame was his portrayal of Malcolm Tucker in Armando Iannucci’s The Thick of It, winning him several awards. To many, Capaldi will be known for his portrayal of Doctor Who in the TV series of the same name, in which he played the 12th Doctor after Matt Smith having previously been invited to audition as the eighth Doctor in 1995.

Are They Related?

Both have the surname ‘Capaldi’ and both were born in Glasgow, so it perhaps isn’t all that surprising that the pair are indeed related. In spite of those links, though, they aren’t as closely related to one another as you might think. The pair are first cousins twice removed, with Peter Capaldi being Lewis Capaldi’s second cousin. It is, perhaps, a sign of how families work that the two had never met prior to Peter going to one of Lewis’ gigs in 2018. Lewis said afterwards, “We talked a bit about the family connection and he said he really liked the music, so that was really nice of him. He’s a really cool guy. It’s a big inspiration to have someone who’s so successful in the family.”