The One Show host Roman Kemp has opened up about his childhood and the struggles his mother Shirlie faced when he was growing up, as her fame grew
Roman Kemp has opened up about the emotional toll the paparazzi took on his family during his childhood, revealing that his mother Shirlie was often left in tears for days.
Martin and Shirlie Kemp, who both shot to fame in the 80s with their respective music careers, experienced the highs and lows of celebrity life. Martin, 63, made his name with the band Spandau Ballet before becoming a household face as Steve Owen in BBC soap EastEnders, while Shirlie, also 63, gained recognition as a backing singer for Wham! before forming Pepsi and Shirlie with Helen DeMacque.
Their love story began on Top of the Pops, leading to marriage in 1988 and the birth of their children, Harley Moon, now 35, and Roman, 32.
Roman reminisced about the challenges of growing up in the public eye, with constant media attention and witnessing his mother’s distress over the intrusive paparazzi, reports Edinburgh Live.
In a candid chat with musician Tom Grennan, The One Show host Roman shared memories of him and his sister Harley appearing in national magazines alongside their parents during financially difficult times.
He said: “My parents had no money at the time because my dad had all these operations and s*** for his brain, so like they were trying to get more money.
Roman opened up about his unconventional childhood as the son of famous parents, Martin Kemp and Shirlie Holliman while speaking on the You About? podcast.
He recalled: “But then, even up to when I was maybe 13, if we’d gone on holiday, we were never allowed to go to the beach because when we went on the beach, my mum and dad would always be like ‘there it is’ and you’d see a boat come past, quite far out, and then like stop and they’d just be a long lens camera just taking pictures of kids on beaches.”
Roman said his mum would often be left in tears by the paparazzi and the resulting press coverage. “It’s mad in that sense, you see it less and less now, like those old celebrity pictures on the beach, you see that a lot less now,” he added.
“But at the time, my whole life, me growing up, was my mum crying because they’re taking horrendous pictures and they’d only use the worst picture.”
He reflected on a specific incident on the beach where Shirlie was visibly shaken after photographs of them on a banana boat were published. “She cried for like five days,” Roman said.
Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Martin and Shirlie previously opened up on their feelings about Roman entering the world of showbusiness. Martin said: “Fame is a difficult thing to cope with full stop and you have to get your head around it.”
“It’s something that I worried about with Roman when he was younger, going into the same industry [as us]. It’s a difficult thing, but Roman’s got his feet on the ground, and I’m really happy for him.”
Shirlie voiced her worries about the intense “pressure” from social media and the damaging effects of online comments.
Roman Kemp, known for his stint as the host of Capital FM’s Breakfast Show until 2024 and now a presenter on The One Show, previously discussed the challenges he faces with celebrity status.
In an interview with Radio Times Magazine, he confessed: “The only part about fame I find difficult is being known.
“When you’ve got someone coming over to you in the middle of the street, talking to you about suicide – which I’ve campaigned about – there are days where I would rather not go out because I can’t deal with it.”
Fans can hear Roman Kemp and Tom Grennan’s podcast You About? every Tuesday on BBC Sounds.