Roman Kemp was left shocked as he quizzed his dad Martin Kemp over a confusing phrase he used to describe his marriage to Shirlie Holliman on their podcast
Roman Kemp was left gobsmacked when his dad, Martin, dropped a phrase that baffled him while chatting about his marriage to his wife (and Roman’s mum) Shirlie Holliman.
In the midst of a conversation about heated exchanges on their podcast ‘FFS! My dad is Martin Kemp’, the Spandau Ballet star mentioned that Shirlie had given him some stern “tongue lashings” throughout their 37-year union. The term, which Martin used to illustrate Shirlie’s knack for a sharp rebuke, left Roman bewildered and slightly alarmed.
Roman feared it might be unusual innuendo, and he blurted out an expletive in astonishment, demanding clarification from his famous father. Despite the peculiar choice of words, the moment sparked a fit of laughter between the duo.
Martin began: “Shirlie gives me some good tongue lashings…you know exactly what I mean when I say tongue lashings…She’s good at it, she’s good at the old tongue lashing, she will know when and how to put me down.”
Reacting to his dad’s initial remark during the podcast, Roman exclaimed: “What the actual f*** does that mean? That is horrendous, that’s the worst thing you’ve ever said. I can see the headline now, that is horrendous.”
As they both tried to stifle their chuckles, Martin expressed his affection: “I love coming in here and talking to you. When I’m out and about even with my mates. I never laugh as much as when I’m sitting here with you, talking to you.”
Martin Kemp has been enjoying the perks of podcasting with his son Roman, but it’s not all smooth sailing. Roman opened up about the pressures of being a celeb’s kid, admitting to his dad that he feels the weight of expectation, reports Gloucestershire Live.
The father-son duo then locked horns over what defines a solid work ethic. Martin praised Roman, saying: “You’ve got a great work ethic.
“Is work ethic…is that another way of saying you work your b***s off?” But Roman wasn’t having it, countering with: “Good work ethic isn’t you working your b******s off. It’s about a balance between work and life split whilst maintaining drive.”
Roman went on to express his internal conflict, confessing: “Can you maintain drive and ambition alongside being true to yourself and understanding who you are? I struggle with that massively because I just…honestly, I just run myself into a moment where I’m like, ‘I don’t care anymore. I don’t care. Like, sack it all off’.”
Despite the tension, Roman has always felt a special bond with his dad, telling OK! Magazine: “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like we weren’t friends, which is probably a bit strange to some people.” He added that football chats about Arsenal have been a staple in their relationship, just like with his mates.
He said: “Football has been a big part of it. I’ll call my dad and speak about Arsenal in the same way I’ll call my friends and talk about Arsenal.
“Even as a kid it wasn’t, ‘Oh, my dad’s taking me out for the day’, it was just like going out with a friend.”