Shirlie Holliman, the wife of I'm A Celebrity star Martin Kemp, has revealed she was secretly relieved when her husband missed out on becoming James Bond in the 1990s.
The Bond audition that shocked campmates
Martin Kemp surprised his fellow I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestants this week when he disclosed he had been in serious contention to play the iconic spy during his youth. The 64-year-old musician and actor told campmates he had met with Barbara Broccoli, who held overall creative control of the Bond franchise until 2025, to discuss the role.
Ultimately, Pierce Brosnan secured the part and made his debut as 007 in 1995's Goldeneye. Brosnan went on to star in three more Bond films: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002) before being replaced by Daniel Craig.
Fellow campmate Kelly Brook insisted Martin "would have made a great Bond," praising his "beautiful blue eyes," height and charisma.
Shirlie's secret concerns about 007
During an appearance on This Morning, Shirlie Holliman confessed she had reservations about her husband potentially becoming the famous spy. "I remember him going for the audition... I was worried – I didn't know if I wanted my husband to be the next James Bond," she admitted.
The singer expressed particular concern about the implications of Bond's lifestyle, specifically mentioning "all those actresses around him" as a source of anxiety. She also questioned whether a Cockney-accented Bond would work, stating: "I've never heard of a Cockney Bond."
Family connections and near-miss experiences
Martin and Shirlie have been married since 1988 and share two children, Roman and Harley Moon Kemp, both of whom now appear in the latest series of Celebrity Race Across The World.
The family experienced another significant near-miss in 2004 when Roman's insistence on a Caribbean holiday over Thailand potentially saved them from disaster. Shirlie revealed on Travel Secrets the Podcast that she had wanted a "spiritual journey" in Thailand, but Roman persuaded them to visit the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas instead.
That year, the Boxing Day tsunami devastated areas around the Indian Ocean, claiming approximately 200,000 lives across 14 countries including Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. "I've never been so grateful to listen to your children," Shirlie reflected, acknowledging that her son's preference might have spared the family from the catastrophe.
The Kemp family's revelations provide a fascinating glimpse into the sliding doors moments that have shaped their lives, from missed film roles to potentially life-saving holiday decisions.
