Celebrity Race Across the World star Roman Kemp recently responded to concerns that his dad Martin Kemp seemed “quiet” and “withdrawn” on I’m A Celebrity, and now, the former Spandau Ballet musician has spoken out himself.
Eighties pop icon Martin Kemp has confessed that his struggle to make new friends is his own fault, after the musician’s son, Roman Kemp, opened up about the heartbreaking issue while he was away in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle.
After leaving camp behind, the Spandau Ballet star admitted to The Telegraph: “That is a bad trait, that is on me. I think it’s a trust thing. I have my old friends who are rocks.
“But I do find it difficult to make new ones; I worry that if I tell a story, they might go off and whisper it to other people, because they have a celebrity anecdote to share around a dinner table rather than a real feeling.”
Roman, who is set to compete in the final of Celebrity Race Across the World on Thursday night alongside his sister Harleymoon Kemp, explained his dad’s predicament on social media after fans feared he was having a rough time on I’m A Celeb.
The One Show presenter wrote: “Some have said my dad’s not having a nice time in there or not enjoying it. He is REALLY loving it.
“I said this last night but I think a few of you think I’m just bantering but something I have noticed is my dad keeps saying ‘my new friends’.
“He genuinely doesn’t have mates outside of my mum, Harley and me so he means it, he’ll really be chuffed. Again not being mean, that’s the truth.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Martin revealed that the way he and his wife, fellow pop star Shirlie, raised their two children differed drastically from their friends, but this has created an open dialogue in the family, especially around mental health.
He divulged: “We tried to bring the kids up as if we were a gang, as if we are best friends. It goes against the way all my peers raised their children.
“I’m not sure why we did it differently; maybe it was something to do with us both being in the public eye from a very young age, and we felt we had to lift the drawbridges up a little more than a lot of people do to get the privacy.”
Roman has been very open about his struggles with anxiety and depression over the years, raising awareness through documentaries and campaigns.
He told The Guardian in September that speaking to people he trusts has “calmed him down”, after finding himself “at dangerous points” in the past.
The star shared: “I’ve been in the situation where I’ve had mental breakdowns, I’ve had suicidal thoughts, I’ve been at dangerous points.
“And when someone just breaks it down for you and when someone is there just to calm you down, to make you realise that you’re OK, the change is massive. You then know, OK, if I have that thought again, I can go back to that place and I can do it.”
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Source: Mirror
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