Martin Kemp has instructed his son Roman, who has himself competed in I’m A Celebrity, to be the one who decides whether or not to pull the plug if he ever ends up in intensive care
Martin Kemp had a candid conversation with his family about how he wants them to deal with his palliative care when the time comes ahead of heading into the Australian jungle for I’m A Celebrity.
The Spandau Ballet legend, who became a household name in the 1980s before going on to star in The Krays and EastEnders, opened up about the subject on his joint podcast FFS, My Dad Is Martin Kemp, with his son Roman, 32. During the deeply personal episode, which aired in February, the 64-year-old shared that he’s already made his end-of-life wishes clear.
Martin said he’d prefer Roman, rather than his daughter Harley, 35, to make decisions about what actions doctors should take if he is critically ill, explaining: “Because you’re a man,” before adding that Harley is “more emotional”.
He went on: “You can block things out more easily.” When Roman asked if that sounded sexist, Martin clarified: “It’s not whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s who you are as a personality.”
The True hitmaker said that even if his wife Shirlie Kemp was involved in the potentially painful medical scenario, he would still want Roman to have the final say. He added: “When it comes to pulling the plug on someone… giving the doctor the wink and saying ‘that’s enough,’ you’ll know.”
The pair also touched on the subject of organ donation, and Martin admitted that while he supports the idea, he is unable to donate his own. “I had hepatitis back in the day,” he said, explaining that contracting Hepatitis A, “once you’ve had any form of [hepatitis], I don’t think you can do organ donation.”
Roman echoed his father’s praise for organ donation, chiming in: “Giving your brain up so some trainee doctor can learn how to save someone else’s life is a great thing.”
Although the pair were discussing a heavy topic, Martin seemed to reflect on the prospect of his life ending quite calmly. He stated: “Once you’re dead, you’re dead. You don’t know anything that’s going on. When I’m gone, and I’m looking back at my body, I’ll think ‘I had a f*****g great time.’”
The star also remembers coming face-to-face with his own mortality after being diagnosed with two brain tumours in the 1990s.
He shared: “When I was 34 and I went through that brain tumour stuff, I was practically resigned to the fact that I was going to die, but I was quite happy with my lot. Every year that I live, every month that I’m alive is like a bonus.”
Now the singer-turned-actor is taking on another challenge — the Australian jungle. Martin revealed that he has been leaning on Roman for advice before I’m A Celebrity begins, as his son has already been through the whole process in 2019 and came in third place.
Martin shared: “He said don’t take it seriously, just enjoy it. Which I think is the best advice you can get.” The soap star is joining a star-studded cast which includes Kelly Brook and YouTuber Angry Ginge.
He has admitted that while he is nervous about getting up close and personal with bugs in the challenges, the real test will be missing his loved ones. He said: “It’s an adventure. But I’ll miss my family the most.”
