Editing Mark Kermode (section)

==Early life==
Kermode was born in the [[Royal Free Hospital]] in the London Borough of Camden.<ref name="planetradio.co.uk">https://planetradio.co.uk/scala-radio/presenters/mark-kermode/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> He was educated at the state-funded [[Church of England]] primary school St Mary's at Finchley,<ref name="planetradio.co.uk">https://planetradio.co.uk/scala-radio/presenters/mark-kermode/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> and was granted a Barnet-council-funded free place at [[The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School]] in [[Elstree|Elstree, Hertfordshire]] under the [[Direct grant grammar school]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1965/jan/20/direct-grant-schools |title=Direct Grant Schools (Hansard, 20 January 1965)}}</ref> scheme in 1974, at the same time as actor [[Jason Isaacs]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/mar/11/jason-isaacs-i-want-to-punch-walls-monster-family |title=Jason Isaacs: 'I want to punch walls' |newspaper=The Observer |date=11 March 2018 |last=Cooke |first=Rachel}}</ref><ref name=Lester>{{cite news|first=Paul |last= Lester |title= JC Interview: Jason Isaacs. |url=http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m12s28&SecId=28&AId=57814&ATypeId=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605002929/http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m12s28&SecId=28&AId=57814&ATypeId=1 |archive-date=5 June 2008 |newspaper=[[The Jewish Chronicle]] |date=1 February 2008 |access-date=23 June 2008 |quote=[[Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School]] ... [produced] quite a vintage crop in [Isaacs'] time: fellow pupils included [[Sacha Baron Cohen]], [[David Baddiel]] and [[Matt Lucas (comedian)|Matt Lucas]]. 'I've seen Baddiel a few times', Isaacs says, and he sees the others occasionally at awards ceremonies. ... [N]ot all the Habs stars of the time were Jewish, though, and Isaacs has a lot of time for another alumnus, the [[BBC]]'s film critic, Mark Kermode: 'He is always incredibly lovely and says hello on his [[BBC Radio 5 Live|Radio 5]] podcasts, which I've listened to in Auschwitz and many other strange places. He's said I was too cool [at school], but he was at the epicentre of the in-crowd.'}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=7 April 2022 |title=Jason Isaacs: 'Daniel Craig is more comfortable naked than with clothes on' |work=the Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/apr/07/jason-isaacs-daniel-craig-is-more-comfortable-naked-than-with-clothes-on |access-date=12 July 2023}}</ref>

Kermode's mother was a GP, who was born in [[Douglas, Isle of Man]], and practised in [[Golders Green]], north London. His father, the son of a travelling flour salesman, worked in the London Hospital in [[Whitechapel]].<ref name="planetradio.co.uk">https://planetradio.co.uk/scala-radio/presenters/mark-kermode/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> His grandmother was [[German-speaking Switzerland|Swiss German]].<ref>{{cite podcast| url= https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pYrzANz5PbJpZqa7K8pKt?si=f76cb88827054af9| title= Gabriel Byrne, Dance First, How to Have Sex, Bottoms & The Killer| website= Spotify| publisher= Sony Music Entertainment| host= Mark Kermode & Simon Mayo| date= 3 November 2023| access-date= 3 November 2023}}</ref> He was raised as a [[Methodist]], and later became a member of the [[Church of England]].<ref name=Dalton>{{Cite news|first=Stephen |last= Dalton|author-link= Stephen Dalton |title=Mark Kermode: the new Jonathan Ross? |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6997309.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615132737/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6997309.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 June 2011 |newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=22 January 2010|access-date=15 December 2010 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="Lawson" /> His parents divorced when he was in his early twenties, and he subsequently changed his surname to his Manx mother's maiden name by [[deed poll]].<ref name=Lawson>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Lawson |author-link=Mark Lawson |title=Drawn to the devil |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/apr/09/film-mark-kermode-interview |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=9 April 2009 |access-date=9 April 2009 |location=London}}</ref> He earned his [[PhD]] in [[English literature|English]] at the [[University of Manchester]] in 1991, writing a [[Dissertation|thesis]] on [[horror fiction]].<ref name="honum09"/>