Martin Kemp, at the age of 63, together with his son Roman, aged 31, have become a captivating father-son team, making waves as they appear side by side on Celebrity Gogglebox and as partners-in-crime on their new podcast venture, FFS! My Dad Is Martin Kemp.
But Roman has poignantly disclosed that despite their collaborative endeavours, he and his musician dad spend less time together than fans might assume.
The candid reveal from The One Show host follows a heartfelt confession made months earlier about a deep-seated fear he harbours regarding how life will be when his father dies.
During an October episode of The Therapy Crouch podcast, former England footballer Peter Crouch probed Roman on his experience working with his dad on Celebrity Gogglebox. Roman responded with enthusiasm, "Gogglebox is fantastic, Gogglebox - doing that with my dad - is so lucky."
He elaborated on their relationship dynamic, saying, "We don't see each other as much as people think, we speak on the phone nearly every day, but my dad DJs now."
He continued: "No banter, he sends me videos and it's rammo up and down the country - he does these 80s nights." Peter's wife, Abbey Clancy, then expressed her keen interest in Martin's gigs, exclaiming during the podcast, "We were saying the other night, there's nowhere to go to dance to 80s music - we need to go!" Roman agreed, responding to Abbey’s eagerness, "You guys will love it, it's fantastic! ".
Roman nostalgically noted how his father's musical events have an almost magical effect, sharing: “My dad says he goes in there, and all of a sudden people are transformed back into their childhood, and they just love it. ” Despite their professional paths occasionally pulling them in different directions, the admiration and familial bonds remain strong.
In a candid chat with The Times back in May, Roman opened up about the initial reluctance of Martin to join him on the hit Channel 4 show Gogglebox, which features celebrities commenting on television from their own sofas. Martin was hesitant because he found the concept "too invasive".
The former Capital Breakfast presenter also shared his personal reflections on cherishing time with his father, expressing concerns about a future without his dad.
He elaborated: "Dad didn't want to do it because it was too invasive for him - my mum and dad are quite closed people, they don't have celeby friends, although I know that sounds ridiculous because George Michael was their best friend."
But Roman finds comfort in the thought of sharing these moments with future generations, saying, "But when I'm a grandad I can show my grandkids what I was like with my dad on Gogglebox and I love that. And there's this innate thing of, like, 'S***! What am I going do when he dies?'".
