Roman Kemp, the 31-year-old TV and radio presenter, has spoken candidly about the challenges of growing up with famous parents. In a joint interview with his father, Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp, Roman revealed that he first became aware of his father's fame at around age five, and it 'would really bug him' when people stared at them in restaurants.
Roman, who hosted Capital FM from 2014 to 2024 and now presents The One Show, said he felt he had to be 'quick-witted' to avoid being judged as 'that famous person's son'. He explained: 'I knew the second I did anything they'd think: “There’s that famous person’s son – he must be a dick!” It meant I could tolerate embarrassment massively.'
Despite these pressures, Roman described his childhood as 'better than I ever could have asked for'. He praised his father's parenting style as 'fair', noting that Martin never imposed a hierarchy at home. 'Dad encouraged me to join in with the conversation, he didn’t want any kind of hierarchy,' Roman said. He also credited football as a key bonding activity, saying 90% of their conversations revolve around the sport.
Martin Kemp, 61, who survived two brain tumours in 1995, reflected on the family's resilience during his illness. Roman recalled that his parents 'did an amazing job of shielding us from the truth', adding: 'The truth is that could have been a very different picture.'
The father-son duo have launched a new podcast titled 'FFS! My Dad Is Martin Kemp', available on all podcast platforms.
