While Martin Kemp’s I’m A Celeb journey continues, Tony Hadley is gearing up for a Christmas tour – and that’s not all that might keep him from rooting for his former Spandau Ballet bandmate
Martin Kemp and Tony Hadley’s feud(Image: Getty Images)
Ever wondered why Spandau Ballet don’t seem to be planning a reunion tour? Martin Kemp and Tony Hadley’s feud might be the reason why. But their increasing tensions hasn’t stopped the singer from issuing his former bandmate a warning about I’m A Celeb.
While Martin is currently doing a stint on I’m A Celeb, his former bandmate Tony, who was on the show ten years ago, is gearing up for a Christmas tour. The pair used to be in one of the most revered bands of the 1980s, haven’t performed together since 2017, when vocalist Tony announced he was leaving the group for good.
READ MORE: Sky kicks off Black Friday 2025 with stellar £22 Samsung Galaxy S25 offerREAD MORE: Martin Kemp’s daughter says he’s already let her down with I’m A Celebrity rule breakMartin Kemp is currently in the Jungle(Image: ITV)Tony was on the show in 2015(Image: Getty Images)
Appearing on Loose Women on Tuesday (18 November), Tony issued Martin a warning about his I’m A Celeb stint. He advised the current bandmate to be himself, warning that he wouldn’t be able to put on an act for the show’s run. “Don’t try to be anyone else,” he said. “Because you can’t pretend to be that 24/7. I mean, it’s really intense in there.”
Still, the two do not appear to be friends. A few years ago, Tony told The Mirror that “you could offer me all the tea in China and I wouldn’t get back with them”. That strong statement had many wondering what really happened in the group to make its lead singer slam the door on a reunion so firmly shut.
Tony has been clear that the band did not treat him well and that he has no desire to play with them again. In fact, he said the only band member he’s stayed in contact with is saxophonist Steven Norman. He added that he would not explain why, because it was on the rest of the band to do so.
“There’s a very specific reason as to why I left and they’ve never been brave enough to say. It’s not for me to say why, because I didn’t create the situation,” he said.
“It’s for them to be honest with fans and say, ‘Look, we c***ed up. We did this to our ex-lead singer, which caused him to leave the band. We’re really sorry, we made a big mistake’. Unfortunately, their actions were such that I couldn’t do it any more and I quit. The only one I’m in touch with is Steve.”
Martin and Tony used to be in Spandau Ballet(Image: Getty Images)
He also told the Guardian: “The band’s behaviour wasn’t that of friends.” Tony added that he “had no choice” but to leave but would “never say exactly why”.
“It’s on to them to be honourable and step forward to set out what they did. To take responsibility for their actions.”
Bassist Martin has opened up about some of what Tony has spoken about. He suggested the other Spandau Ballet members were jealous of Tony. Talking to the same publication, he explained how they were not always the nicest to the singer: “There’s always going to be one guy that’s going to take the brunt of the jokes.
“Now, I’m not saying that Tony was bullied, as such but he took all the banter. I can look back at it now with space. And I don’t like the way that we used to group up on Tony, and I feel guilty about that … If it was me, I think it would have been too much for me. It was mainly singer envy.”
Gary Kemp previously hinted at a possible reunion, but Tony firmly shut that sown. He told the Express that such an idea “came as news” to him and would not happen. He added: “They should have thought about things, they should have been a bit nicer.”
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
