Martin Kemp believes he has '10 years to live' after double brain tumour diagnosis
Celebrity Gogglebox favourite Martin Kemp revealed to his son Roman Kemp that he thinks he may only have a decade left to live. The father-and-son have just launched their new podcast - FFS! My dad Is Martin Kemp - and kicking off the series, 62-year-old Martin and son Roman, 31, tackled the heavy subject of death head-on.
When he was asked how long he thought he had left, the former EastEnders actor speculated, "10 years, I don't know". Reflecting on his harrowing health scare, the Spandau Ballet icon recounted his battle with a brain tumour at the age of 34, which led him to come to terms with the possibility of dying.
Martin shared: "But I was the age of 34 when I went through all that brain tumour scare and I went through two years of my life thinking I was going to die." He expressed gratitude for every moment since that ordeal, saying, "Every day, every year every month that I've lived has been a bonus."
"When I was 34 and I went through that brain tumour stuff, I was practically resigned to the fact I was gonna die," he said, as reported in The Express.
He continued: "But I was quite happy, because I'd lived the most incredible experiences. I lived through the 80s in a rock band, the people I met, the things I'd done. When I was 17 I was flying around Europe on jets drinking champagne at 7am.
"When I thought I was going to die I thought, you know what I'm quite happy. And that was back then, so every year that I live, every month that I'm alive now is a bonus."
Martin and Roman have been a dynamic father-son duo on our screens, from sharing laughs on Celebrity Gogglebox to becoming the charming faces of Vision Express.
But now, they've ventured into new territory with their very own podcast. Roman opened up about the heartfelt reason behind this fresh collaboration, saying: "I want to do things with you because I like that when I'm older, if I have grandkids, I have evidence to show my relationship with you."
This revelation comes in the wake of Roman's emotional departure from Capital FM, where he hosted his last show in March after ten years on air.
The decision was influenced by the profound loss of his dear friend and Capital FM producer Joe Lyons, who tragically took his life in 2020 at just 31.
The beloved presenter of The One Show told The Mirror it was time to close that chapter: "I'm ready to go 'OK, close that door now, don't keep going back living that horrible day'. Every day I walk in there and I see Joe...I think it's going to be good for me to move on with my life."
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story you can contact Samaritans in the UK and Ireland on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie.
