Roman Kemp shares parents' money woes as dad Martin's brain tumours led to tough choice

Edinburgh Live

22-05-2025

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Roman Kemp has opened up about his parents' past money struggles and how his dad's brain tumour fight led to a difficult choice.
In his new BBC Sounds podcast, 'You About?', Roman teams up with his musician friend, Tom Grennan, for what the former described as a "not very planned" format involving "two mates chatting about life".
In the debut episode, Roman shared insights into his early life and status as the son of famous parents, Spandau Ballet bassist and EastEnders star Martin Kemp, and Pepsi & Shirlie's Shirlie Kemp.
Tom quizzed his friend about the press presence in his younger years, prompting Roman to speak about how his dad suffered from a serious health condition and had to undergo operations "for his brain".
(Image: Davefor Sony)
He said: "You've got two ways of looking at it, basically. Like, it's one or the other. Like, my parents like had us in flipping OK! and Hello magazine when we were kids, right?
"But that's because my parents had no money at the time, because my dad had all these operations and s**t for his brain, so they were trying to get more money, right?"
Roman added that he wasn't allowed to visit the beach when they went on family holidays, further detailing how they'd frequently be bothered by paparazzi on boats with long-lens cameras.
During a medical examination in 1997, when Martin was in his 30s, an MRI revealed that he had two brain tumours, one of which was removed with surgery, while the other was addressed via radiotherapy.
Although these operations proved successful, the side effects continue to this day, with the musician suffering from epilepsy. Yet, speaking on the podcast FFS! My Dad Is Martin Kemp, he revealed he also has another condition.
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
He said: "I am completely dyslexic. I struggle to read, terribly." However, it seems that the condition has other impacts on Martin's life.
"But my dyslexia, because it came from a physical thing that happened in my brain, it wasn't just about what I can read and what I can't read," he said. "It is about me finding my way as well."
In November 2024, Martin made a stark revelation about his brain tumour battle, suggesting that he believes he has just 10 years left to live. At the time of the scare, he believed for two years that he was "going to die".
Martin revealed that after his ordeal, he viewed "everything else", each day, year, and month that he lived, and every experience that he had as a "bonus".
He added that by the time he reached 34 and thought he was going to die, he spent a long time "thinking about it" and had come to terms with the idea.