Celebrity biographies often highlight the family dynamics that shape famous figures. For global music icon Adele, her upbringing was profoundly influenced by her mother, Penny Adkins, who sacrificed her own education to raise her, and her estranged father, Mark Evans, who passed away in 2021. The singer also has a younger paternal half-brother, Cameron O'Sullivan, whom she barely knows.
Key Takeaways
- Adele was primarily raised by her single mother after her father left the family when she was a toddler.
- Mark Evans died from bowel cancer at age 57 in May 2021.
- Adele has a younger paternal half-brother, Cameron O'Sullivan, born to Evans and his subsequent partner Siobhan O'Sullivan.
Profile Summary
- Full name: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 5 May 1988
- Age: 38 years old (as of 2026)
- Zodiac sign: Taurus
- Place of birth: Tottenham, London, England
- Current residence: Los Angeles, United States
- Nationality: British
- Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Christianity
- Sexuality: Straight
- Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
- Hair colour: Blonde
- Eye colour: Green
- Father: Mark Evans
- Mother: Penny Adkins
- Siblings: Cameron O'Sullivan
- Relationship status: Married
- Husband: Rich Paul
- Children: Angelo Adkins
- Education: Chestnut Grove School, BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology
- Profession: Singer, songwriter
- Net worth: $220 million
Meet Adele's Parents, Penny Adkins and Mark Evans
Adele was born on 5 May 1988 in Tottenham, London, to Penny Adkins and Mark Evans. Her parents separated when she was very young, and she was mainly raised by her mother in South London.
Penny Adkins
Penny Susan Adkins, born in 1968 in Islington, North London, was an 18-year-old art student when she became pregnant with Adele. She dropped out of college to become a full-time mother. In a March 2021 interview with The Guardian, Adele said: "She fell pregnant with me when she would have been applying for uni, but chose to have me instead. She never, ever reminds me of that. I try to remember it."
After separating from Mark Evans, Penny raised Adele as a single mother, working as a masseuse, furniture maker, and office administrator. Recognizing Adele's musical talent, she bought her first guitar and paid for music lessons. Adele has often described her mother as her best friend, telling The Telegraph in 2011: "[We are] thick as thieves. She's the love of my life." Penny inspired songs like Hometown Glory, Million Years Ago, and her cover of Lovesong. In 2013, Adele bought her mother a £600,000 apartment in Notting Hill as a thank you.
Mark Evans
Mark Evans was a plumber from Penarth, Wales, who met Penny in London in 1987. They moved in together, and Adele was born in 1988. However, Mark left the family when Adele was three. Although he stayed in contact initially, their relationship worsened due to his alcohol addiction. Adele cut ties at age 12 after he missed a Father's Day visit. She told The Independent in July 2022: "I decided to stop seeing him when I was 12."
Evans later gave interviews about their strained relationship, frustrating Adele. During her 2017 Grammy speech, she said: "I love you like you're my dad. I don't love my dad." In 2013, Mark was diagnosed with bowel cancer. After learning it was terminal, Adele visited him in Wales, and they reconciled. He died in May 2021. Adele shared her album 30 with him over Zoom before his death. She said: "I made peace with him when I found out he was sick. And we really got on."
Does Adele Have Siblings?
Adele has a half-brother, Cameron O'Sullivan, born to Mark Evans and Siobhan O'Sullivan. They grew up separately and did not meet until 2007. In 2016, Cameron told The Sun: "We're not close at all. I hardly speak to Adele." However, they reunited when Cameron attended her 2016 show at Genting Arena. Adele told The Scotsman: "He looks like my twin." Cameron also had an estranged relationship with their father and uses his mother's surname.
FAQs
- Who is Adele? An English singer-songwriter known for albums like 21, 25, and 30.
- What is Adele's nationality? British.
- Who are Adele's parents? Penny Adkins and Mark Evans.
- What happened to Adele's parents? They split when Adele was a toddler.
- How old was Adele's mom when she had her? 18.
- Does Adele speak to her dad? He died in 2021, but they reconciled before his death.
- What did Adele's parents do for a living? Her mother worked various jobs; her father was a plumber.
- How many siblings does Adele have? One half-brother.
- Who is Adele's half-brother? Cameron O'Sullivan.
- Does Adele speak to her brother? They rarely speak and remain distant.
Adele's parents separated when she was a toddler, and she was raised mainly by her mother, who had the biggest influence on her life. Her father was absent for much of her childhood, and she has one known half-brother on her father's side.
