Martin Kemp says 'it was as quick as that' as he opens up on marriage 'doubt'
Martin Kemp says 'it was as quick as that' as he opens up on marriage 'doubt'
Martin Kemp has opened up on his relationship with wife Shirlie Holliman, admitting that he doubts the couple are actually married despite tying the knot in St Lucia in 1988
Martin Kemp and Shirlie Kemp
(Image: Jeff Spicer, Jeff Spicer/WireImagevia Getty Images )
Martin Kemp has revealed that he's not entirely sure if he and his wife Shirlie are officially married, despite having a ceremony in St Lucia over 35 years ago.
The Spandau Ballet star reminisced about falling for Shirlie "through the television" as she performed with Wham! on Top Of The Pops back in 1982.
Speaking to the Mirror, Martin recounted how he was completely smitten with Shirlie after her performance, finding himself in a "bubble" where he could "couldn't think of anything else" until they finally met a few weeks later.
Shirlie, on the other hand, had developed a "crush" on Martin after seeing him in a magazine, which led to their mutual friend George Michael orchestrating their first meeting, reports Devon Live.
Despite feeling too daunted to ring Martin herself, Shirlie got a helping hand from George Michael, who made the call and handed her the phone.
Shirlie Holliman and Martin Kemp
(Image: Jeff Spicer, Getty Images )
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The pair, both aged 63, have been inseparable since they started dating and held their wedding in St Lucia in 1988. However, during an appearance on Tracks Of My Years with Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2, Martin expressed doubts about the legality of their nuptials.
He shared a vivid memory from their wedding day: "I remember that, on the day we're getting married, I'm standing on this clifftop that is overlooking the Caribbean and it's sparkling, and there's only me there and the lady who's going to marry us."
Continuing the story, he described Shirlie's arrival: "I'm waiting for Shirlie, and Shirlie turns up in this old pickup truck coming up the hill, and she climbs out in this tiny white mini dress, with big high heels on, and she's hobbling up to the point where we're going to get married.
"This lady says 'Martin, do you love Shirlie?'. Okay, yep. 'Shirlie, do you love Martin?'. Yep, you're married. It was as quick as that. To this day, Vernon, I doubt very much if we are married."
Martin said that he doesn't believe the couple were ever given a wedding certificate, but stressed that he "thinks we're married, so it's all good".
Martin, Harley Moon, Shirlie and Roman Kemp
(Image: (Image: Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) )
The couple have enjoyed 37 years of marriage in the years since, as well as having son Roman and daughter Harley Moon. However, it's not been all plain sailing for the pair.
In 1995, the actor was diagnosed with two brain tumours and was unable to work for three years. The couple had to downsize their home and Martin had invasive surgery to remove the largest, leaving him with dyslexia, memory loss and epilepsy.
Shirlie admitted that she feared Martin would die during the second, riskier, operation before stepping in and saying to the doctor 'I don't think we want to do that".
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She spent the next few months searching for an alternative method and eventually settled on a treatment using lasers to blast tumors without the need for surgery. The procedure was a success, with Martin saying he has "no doubt" that Shirlie saved his life.
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