Kingsley Owen is a main character in the channel 4 sitcom Fresh Meat. He is a geology and former drama student from Essex, who has only just been let off the leash after having spent many years living on a council estate, caring for his sick mother.
Background[]
He and Josie Jones are in a devoted relationship and he constantly refers to her as "the woman I love". Following the events of episode eight of series 3, Kingsley and Josie are on a "break" from their relationship and eventually they break up properly. At the beginning of the fourth series, Kingsley forms a relationship with Rosa, an older woman who assists Oregon as president of the student union. But the relationship soon ends after Kingsley accidently refers to Rosa as his mother, and she dumps him.
Personality[]
He is much more helpful than JP, and much less selfish, although he is nevertheless quite cocky and, like Josie, unwilling to concede defeat. Despite claiming to have had many sexual encounters in the past, and claiming that back home, he was called the "Pussy Man", he later reveals to Josie that he is a virgin. Kingsley can play guitar and sing a bit but thinks somewhat too much of the music he plays.
Appearance[]
Kingsley is an average height, brown haired man with a soul patch (a small beard below the mouth).
Kingsley and Josie[]
Kingsley and Josie have a tortured relationship as a result of the two sharing a mutual attraction to one another. A rift was formed between them when Kingsley made the decision to sleep with Drama student Ruth, whilst having earlier made a deal with Josie that she would "cure" him of his virginity by sleeping with him, as well as later when he formed a relationship with Josie's best friend, Heather. Josie eventually moves to Southampton at the end of season 2.
At the end of series 2, Kingsley and Josie are seen talking at a party that Oregon's boyfriend's mother is throwing, to celebrate her new book. After chatting rather awkwardly, they kiss. They are later seen in the bathroom of the house that the party is being held at having sex. Afterwards, they talk about how sex is good with them, but not with anyone else.
However, the two are unsure how to proceed, as Josie reveals she is moving to Southampton to begin a zoology course there. However, just as Josie gets on the bus to Southampton, Kingsley is seen racing through the crowd after her, but she fails to notice him, revealing that it is Josie that he wants to be with, rather than Heather.
After Kingsley and Heather seemingly split up in, the group from the house go to Southampton to surprise Josie, as Kingsley believes she is having a break down. There, everyone sleeps in Josie's room (JP, Vod, Howard, the new housemate and Vod's boyfriend on the floor and Oregon, Kingsley and Josie on her bed). Vod wakes JP up and asks him if he thinks that Josie and Kingsley and "humping", as they appear to either be doing that or just cuddling. They wake Oregon up and asks her if she thinks the same thing (and whilst doing so, awakens everyone else except from Josie and Kingsley). Origeon get creeped out shouts at them. They both immedietly wake up and deny it. Josie then says "Of course we weren't! But if we were, then we were doing it very quietly.". Oregon states that she is a part of an involuntary threesome.
The next morning, everyone goes out for breakfast with Kingsley and Josie sitting at a seperate table from everyone else. Kingsley then asks Josie if she wants him to make a committment to her, and she declines. But then she says that she can make a committment to a few dates. They both smile and then kiss, triggering relief at the next table with everyone cheering and shouting "Finally!".
Later, after his first official date with Josie, Kingsley goes to his apartment, only to find Heather there, waiting for him. It turns out that they didn't split up, Heather's grandfather is dangerously ill, and that's why she was quiet over the summer.
After Josie moves back to Manchester, Heather dumps Kingsley after her grandfather dies. Josie doesn't know they were together, which means that Kingsley is going to have to keep a secret from Josie.
After dating for a while, Kingsley takes Josie on a camping trip, in which he almost impreganates her. After realizing Josie doesn't like camping, he dicovers that he still wants to be with her. He then tells her he loves her and she is taken by surprise and answers: "Thank you.". Later, after making an S.O.S call to Vod, and walking all the way to a village, hoping to find a pharmacy to get the morning after pill, they get back on the bus to go home, where Josie apologizes to Kingsley for ruining their trip and for her answer to his declaration of love. He says it's okay and she tells him she loves him. They kiss.
Later on, Kingsley and Josie go to Oregon's play (based on their group and starring Vod). They play reveals that Josie has a secret she is keeping from Kingsley. After the play, Josie and Kingsley go to a pub and Josie reveals that she slept with a guy after their first date in Southhampton, then he is relieved and admits he was still with Heather for the first few weeks of their relationship. At first, Jodie is angry, but she decides to try and work past it. While trying to fix their problems, Josie accidentally reveals that JP was better in bed than Kingsley, and that she often fakes orgasms with him but didn't with JP. Later, Kingsley proves her wrong.
In another episode, Kingsley has a growing frienship with Sam, JP's ex-lover and romantic interest. JP is green with envy of his friend's relationship with Sam, as he believes he is in love with her. Josie gets fed up everyone else's sloppiness and while taking the rubbish out, meets their next door neighboor. She is annoyed and aggressive towards him but he persists and invites her inside to use their shower, as theirs is blocked. Next, she is seen in their house (three other boys in the house) and she is impressed with their organisation and teamwork. She makes herself at home, teaches them to play poker and they play strip-poker together. One of the boys is half-naked when Josie get's a text from Kingsley, which reads: "Where are you?? K xx". She immediatly leaves and goes back home to bed with Kingsley. He asks her where she was, and she replies that she was "next door to the library", at a pub. Kingsley gets a text and Josie asks him who it was (it clearly being Sam), and he replies that it was his mother. That reveals that both members of the couple are lying to one another. Later, at the house, they have a party for Howard's birthday. Kingsley sees Heather dancing and chatting, and prays that she doesn't notice him. As Josie and Kingsley are talking, all of a sudden, Josie friends from next door come over to say hi. Kingsley, Josie, JP, Sam, and Heather all have an awkward confrontation about all the secrets and lies between them. After Sam, Heather, and everybody at the party leaves, Josie asks her friends if she can stay with them for the night and they immediately agree. Josie storms out with the boys, leaving Kingsley and JP alone. They argue and fight over Kingsley's intentions with Sam. Kingsley eventually states as he leaves, that "I just want to go to my room and think about how my life is falling apart." and he storms upstairs, leaving JP alone in the kitchen.
In an attempt to salvage their relationship, Kingsley and Josie explore an open relationship which means they are still together, but can sleep wth other people if they want to. Kingsley nearly sleeps with Sam, but he chooses not to as he is still devoted to his relationship and refuses to cheat. Josie herself nearly sleeps with Noah, the boy from next door, but she too chooses not to. Josie nearly sleeps with JP, but they stop due to JP's crush on Sam taking over all aspects of his life. Eventually, Josie and Kingsley come to the decision to end their relationship, as althought they really like each other, Josie states that isn't quite enough. She wants to remain friends with Kingsley for the rest of his life, and she fears that dragging their relationship any further would ruin their friendship. They elect to take a "break" from each other as Josie wishes to go travelling to Thailand to meet people and maybe even "hump" some of those people. As they go to sleep in their own rooms, they are seen holding eachother's finger through the "glory hole" in their wall.
They remain as friends throughout the fourth series. Kingsley is shocked to learn that Josie and JP have been sleeping together, but eventually chooses to accept it when the two form a long distance relationship.
Kingsley and JP[]
One of the major themes of the series is Kingsley's turbulent relationship with JP. Their first encounter ends abruptly when Kingsley rejects JPs attempt to befriend and tells him he's leaving the next day for Knutsford. Upon realising they are to be living together, Kingsley is outraged to discover that JP has slept with Josie and doesn't appear to view him as a friend. At one stage, he even tries to convince JP to move out entirely. In the second episode, he admits that JP has grown on him but their relationship remains rocky across the series. At the end of the series Kingsley is once again dismayed to discover JP has slept with Josie a second time and leaves for the holidays enraged.
The two seem closer in later series, often helping each other through their problems, but it is implied that JP hasn't forgotten Kingsley rejecting him the first time they met as evidenced by his continued use of the nickname 'Knutsford' when referring to Kingsley and his attempt to persuade him to leave the house. Likewise, Kingsley is implied to have not forgotten JPs exploits with Josie. Despite this, JP often opens up to Kingsley about issues such as his mum selling their house and his concerns about his sexuality. It is also noted that JP is the only person Kingsley tells about the fact he's still seeing both Josie and Heather, and asks for his advice. Although JP often offers his views and advice in an oblique and annoying manner he appears to genuinely care about Kingsley's wellbeing and is devastated at Kingsley's announcement that he is moving out at the end of the second series.
When Kingsley returns to the house, JP is overjoyed and initially him and Kingsley seem very close at the beginning of their third year. Their friendship becomes somewhat stranded after Kingsley instantly bonds with Sam, whom JP harbours feelings for. JP becomes enraged at Kingsley and in episode 7 of series 3, JP informs Josie that Kinglsey and Sam have been texting each other frequently, sending over 400 texts in total. This angers Josie, who decides to spend the night over at Noah's house. In the following episode, JP and Josie nearly sleep together again, but they both agree not to as Josie's feelings for Kingsley are strong and JP's friendship with Kingsley is too much to lose. Kingsley isn't aware that JP tried to sleep with Josie again, so its unclear where their friendship stands. They appear to have a kind of 'frenemy' relationship but it is consistently implied that they are fond of one another and do consider each other a friend.
Ending and Future[]
At the end of the final series, Kingsley is depressed and disappointed that he has to return to caring for his mum after finishing university. However, at the final minute, JP offers for him to stay at his new house in London along with Howard, rent-free. He gladly accepts. This also makes his internship at a London radio station possible, even though he doesn't get paid.
Relationships[]
Trivia[]
- He appears in every episode of the series.
Gallery[]
