Fresh from his jungle exit, Martin Kemp couldn't resist a playful jab at his former Spandau Ballet bandmate, Tony Hadley, during a television appearance. The musician and actor, 64, was voted out of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! on Thursday night after 20 days in camp.
From the Jungle to the GMB Sofa
Speaking to Adil Ray and Charlotte Hawkins on Good Morning Britain the following day, Kemp reflected on his time in the series. The conversation turned to his recent revelation in camp that he had once auditioned to play James Bond. Kemp stated he would 'rather be' a Bond villain than the hero himself.
When asked who he thought would make a good Bond baddie, Kemp flashed a cheeky smile and delivered his pointed remark. 'Maybe they could get Tony Hadley,' he said. 'You know what I mean!' The quip referenced Hadley's own stint in the jungle a decade ago, in 2015.
A Band History Fraught with Tension
The light-hearted dig hints at the deeper, well-documented tensions within the iconic 1980s band. Spandau Ballet, famed for hits like 'Gold' and 'True', originally featured Kemp, Hadley, Gary Kemp, Steve Norman, and John Keeble. The group first split in 1990, with Hadley, Norman, and Keeble later launching a legal battle against Gary Kemp over songwriting royalties.
Although they reformed for a tour in 2009, Hadley quit again in 2017. In subsequent interviews, the singer claimed his former bandmates 'made my life pretty impossible'. The band released a statement at the time, saying Hadley had made it clear he didn't want to work with them anymore, with 2015 being their last performance together.
Kemp's Jungle Journey and Family Support
Martin Kemp's departure from the ITV reality show came just hours after he finally participated in a Bushtucker Trial, following the revelation by presenter Vogue Williams that he had been secretly exempt from some challenges. After leaving, he was greeted by his wife, Shirlie, 63, who had flown to Australia.
His son, Roman Kemp, who finished third on the show in 2019, reacted humorously to his father's earlier exit on social media. He had previously joked about his dad's lack of airtime, dubbing him the 'jungle ghost', and expressed relief that Martin didn't beat his third-place finish.
Reflecting on his experience to hosts Ant and Dec, Martin Kemp said he cherished making new friends in camp. 'I'm not one for making new friends and this is the first time I've done it in years and I absolutely loved it,' he shared.
