Roman Kemp says dad Martin Kemp 'does not have one friend' and is 'very lonely'

Roman Kemp has revealed that his famous dad Martin ‘does not have one friend’ after being betrayed by those he grew close to.

Martin rose to fame as part of new wave band Spandau Ballet and went on to carve a successful acting career for himself with roles in The Krays, Waterloo Road and EastEnders, where he played Steve Owen for four years.

However, his radio and TV presenter son Roman says that fame came at a price for Martin and that the only person he can truly rely on is his wife Shirlie Kemp - who used to be part of pop duo Pepsi and Shirlie in Wham! during the late 80s and early 90s.

In an interview with the Radio Times, Roman said: “My upbringing gave me an opportunity to see that the world isn’t as nice as people think it is.

“If someone thinks about fame, they think about the best parts of it.

“Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a sob story for famous people – they do have it good. But it’s also very lonely. My dad does not have one friend.

Instagram/@romankemp

“He lives his life like that because he’s had so many people in his life that he thought he could trust, then realised he couldn’t.”

He went on to say that his mum and dad are super close, adding: “My dad’s favourite person is my mum!”

Despite growing up and seeing how fame has treated his dad, Roman decided to follow in his parents footsteps and opted for a career in the limelight.

Roman, whose godfather was the late singer George Michael, has previously revealed that fame isn’t the be all and end all for him - and that having a family is more important.

Instagram/@romankemp

Speaking to The Sun, Roman said: “Having parents who have been through the industry and a godfather who’s been through the industry in the way that George Michael did, you realise the thing everyone’s chasing isn’t actually that great. Yes, money is fantastic but other than that, it’s just a bit boring.

"My big worry is I zoom out at the end of my career and I go, ‘My God, I spent my whole time just trying to get people to like me’. I don’t perceive life as walking down red carpets. It’s about having a family and raising kids that are nice people in the world.”

Topics: Celebrity

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at Tyla who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.