Martin Kemp and son Roman sparked complaints from neighbour who issued ‘demand'

Wales Online

14-07-2025

Martin Kemp and son Roman sparked complaints from neighbour who issued 'demand'
EastEnders icon Martin Kemp and The One Show star Roman Kemp have filmed Celebrity Gogglebox together for six years, but Roman says the show sparked a row with his neighbour
Martin and Roman Kemp sparked "complaints" from a neighbour when filming Gogglebox
(Image: Getty Images Europe )
Roman Kemp says an angry neighbour 'demanded' cash after he began filming Celebrity Gogglebox in his flat with his dad, Martin Kemp. The One Show star Roman, 32, and 63-year-old Martin started working on the hit Channel 4 show six years ago.
When they made their debut on the show they recorded from Roman's flat. But on a recent episode of his You About? podcast with Tom Grennan, Roman revealed one of his neighbours objected to them using the property.
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Roman claims the angry neighbour even bought a guitar and an amplifier in a bid to interrupt the filming of the show. At one point he says the individual even went to Channel 4's headquarters and demanded to speak to production bosses.
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Roman explained: 'We shot it at my flat for a long time in the beginning. I used to have a neighbour downstairs…that person would try and delay filming to another level, just hated the fact that, it was my property, but hated the fact that stuff was going on.
'We weren't even loud but they just didn't like the fact there was television around it. They would buy a guitar and an amp and just be playing it as loud as possible during filming.
Martin and Roman Kemp began filming Gogglebox in Roman's flat
(Image: Channel 4 )
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'They even went to Studio Lambert, who are the production company. This neighbour of mine walked to Channel 4 and demanded to see Mr Lambert because they demanded payment due to ear and sound assault.'
It prompted Martin and Roman to swap filming to a specially selected 'show home'. Eventually however, former EastEnders star Martin agreed to let the producers use an annexe at his Hertfordshire property.
Martin however insisted that producers 'stay in a van' outside of the property. Roman continued: 'My parents live in a really nice place where they have like a second home thing, like an annexe, to the right of the house that has a living room and a TV.
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'My dad was like, 'Okay, look, you can shoot the show here, but everyone's got to wait outside in a van'. So they're all outside in the van, they wire all the cables, and my dad's like, 'You're not coming in for lunch, you're having your lunch in the van or outside, or whatever'.'
On one occasion however, Roman says one of the producers had to ask whether they could use Martin's toilet. He recalled: 'All of a sudden one of the producers knocks on the door and literally pokes his head around the door because he knew he's not allowed to come in.
Roman and Martin Kemp
(Image: Davefor Sony )
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'He pokes his head around the corner and says, 'Mr Kemp, Martin, is there any chance I could use your toilet?' And my dad was like, 'Course mate, don't be silly, come in, you never have to ask to use the toilet'.
'He points to him where the toilet is, it's like 10 feet away, so the bloke goes over there, and only guys will understand this. To have another guy say this to you, is like power play.
'My dad looked at this bloke and said, 'Yeah, course mate use the toilet'. Second he got to the door, he looked at him and said, 'Sit down though'.'