Martin and Roman Kemp's new Channel 4 travelogue, Martin & Roman Kemp's Irish Road Trip, faced a wave of criticism from viewers on social media after its first episode aired. The father-son duo explored County Cork, delving into local mythology, but their enthusiasm failed to win over the audience.
Viewers vent on X
Many took to X to express their displeasure. One viewer wrote: "How many f*****g tv shows where d-list celebrities go on holiday are we supposed to want to watch? Surely Martin and Roman's Irish Road Trip would have been better if it hadn't been made." Another added: "Can't think of two 'celebrities' less suited to making a programme about the myths & legends of Ireland than these two. Martin Kemp looks like he's longing for a plate of jellied eels & his son looks bored as f**k."
A third sarcastically commented: "Martin Kemp 'Me and Roman don't spend nearly enough time together these days' - well not unless it involves doing a TV show that is." A fourth viewer took issue with the show's historical references, stating: "Broadcasting an Irish tourism soft soap with Martin Kemp and his son Roman on 'oirish mythology.' Fine. Except they reference An Gorta Mor - The Great Famine - without any f*****g reference that is was British made."
Another suggested a different format: "Here's an idea for a TV show. Barney Walsh and Roman Kemp take their dads on a saga holiday and decide to leave them there whilst they go out on the razzle." However, not all feedback was negative; one viewer gushed: "Watching Roman and Martin Kemps Irish Road Trip on TV omg the bond them 2 share is beautiful."
Kemp's Irish connection
During the show, Roman drove while Martin recalled living in Ireland in the 1980s during his Spandau Ballet fame, when the band moved there as tax exiles. "This place had a huge influence on me," he said. "My mum always said she was half Irish, so that makes me a quarter Irish." He told Roman, "That makes you an eighth Irish. So coming back now... feels a little bit like coming home."
