Grant first appeared on television talking about Astrology in 1979, featured in Yorkshire Television programme Extraordinary presented by Valerie Pitts and Melvin Harris. He was the regular astrologer on Granada Television's Live from Two which ran from 1980-81. He is best known for his appearances on breakfast television joining BBC's Breakfast Time to present the Your Stars section from 1983-86.. In 1986 he joined TV-am as resident astrologer appearing on Good Morning and After Nine until 1990. Later from 1992-95 he was a regular expert on This Morning with Richard and Judy offering astrological advice.

Grant has also taken the role of presenter on many shows, including Star Choice a celebrity quiz show based on the zodiac in 1984 and 1986.. In 1991 he co-hosted with Miriam Stoppard episodes of daily show People Today and in 1994 Grant had his own six episode series Russell Grant's All Star Show.

Following the launch of Channel 5 Russell Grant presented Wideworld, a series in which members of the public were encouraged to make historical records for future generations. He also directed and starred in Russell Grant's Postcards from 1998—2002, which was a collection of over 100 five minute travelogues produced by his own production company Russell Grant's World Productions.

In 2003 Grant presented a series of eight programmes called Russell Grant's Sporting Scandals for ITV1 and in 2004 presented The Russell Grant Show for Sky One. On Bingo Night Live, in 2008, pre recorded videos of Russell Grant were shown giving opinion on the chances of winning based on his horoscope readings.

Reality television

In January 2006 Grant took part in the fourth series of Celebrity Fit Club losing over 3 stone. In May 2010, he appeared on Kitchen Burnout on ITV1.

Grant was raised in a council house in the 1950's, his father working as a sales rep for a car accessory business. Later his parents worked at Pinewood Studios, his mother Jo dealing with contracts, his father a set designer and he spent most of his childhood in the care of his grandparents. After losing both his grandmothers to Alzheimer's disease, Grant suffered clinical depression.

Grant's original career was as an actor and performed in a variety of productions including Tom Brown's Schooldays with Keith Chegwin who shared a similar career path from acting to television. It is through this work he met his partner Doug who worked as a stagehand in a Blackpool theatre.

Grant has also worked as a Redcoat at Butlin's Holiday Camps.