Roman Kemp is a DJ and presenter who has shot to fame since he landed a spot on Capital FM. The young lad, who is just 26, is now living a very stripped-back life as one of the contestants on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! But who is Roman Kemp, who are his family and what are his musical connections?
Roman Kemp was born in Los Angeles on January 28, 1993.
Despite his US birth, he is a dual citizen of the UK and the USA, growing up in north London and attending Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire.
While he may be a DJ, his musical roots go further back, with his parents being prominent musicians.
His father is Martin Kemp, the bassist in Spandau Ballet who performed alongside his older brother, Gary Kemp, who was lead guitarist and principal songwriter for the band.
Spandau Ballet met while at secondary school, Dame Alice Owen’s school, and the first iteration of the band formed with Tony Hadley on lead vocals, Steve Norman on guitar, John Keeble on drums and Michael Ellison on bass.
Martin Kemp was not originally in the band, but soon Ellison left and Martin was brought in on the bass, after which Norman moved across to the saxophone.
However, Roman’s father is not his only musical connection, however, as his mother, Shirlie Holliman, also found fame in the music scene.
Shirlie was born in Hertfordshire and went to dance at her then boyfriend, Andrew Ridgeley’s, local gig along with his band mate George Michael.
While she was never an official member of Wham! Shirlie sand backing vocals along with her friend Dee C. Lee.
Lee left the band to join The Style Council, and married its lead singer Paul Weller, and was replaced by Helen DeMacque, known as Pepsi.
Pepsi and Shirlie went on to become a duo, after Wham! split in 1986, and the pair had two Top 10 hits in the UK charts.
Their first was Heartache which reached the second spot in the chart behind their old bandmate George Michael’s hit with Aretha Franklin.
Their second was Goodbye Stranger, which went to No. 9 in the charts, after which they went on Hiatus before reuniting for a 10th anniversary tour in 2011.
Shirlie met her husband Martin through their mate, George Michael, when they were just 22, with their matchmaker later named as Roman’s godfather.
Speaking in the Bush Telegraph on I’m A Celebrity, Roman opened up about what it was like to have such a famous godfather.
He said: “He was an amazing guy. He was my uncle. You’d see him at dinners, Christmas, the lot.
“It is really nice that all the memories I gave are so nice, going on holidays, and having my parents compete with Christmas presents.”
“One year, I must have been four or five and my dad bought me a bike, a Raleigh bike.
“I remember George came round to the house and brought in my present and he’d gone to Harrods and bought one of those electric cars but not just that, it was a batmobile. I’ve still got it.
“Memories like that, they’re so nice to have but it’s strange because for me it was just my mum’s best mate.”
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is on ITV at 9pm every day
