The Spandau Ballet star is one of 10 famous faces heading into the Australian jungle for the ITV show this year
Martin Kemp is part of this year’s star-studded cast of I’m A Celebrity(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here is back on our screens tonight (November 16) with a brand new batch of celebrities making their way into camp.
The much-loved ITV show is returning for its 25th series with hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly back at the helm.
Over the next three weeks, viewers will watch the famous faces as they take on tough trials and challenges whilst trying to survive in the Australian jungle away from their home comforts.
Amongst the 10 stars set to grace our screens is musician and actor Martin Kemp. The 64-year-old has a long career in both music and TV, which began when he joined Spandau Ballet.
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Back in 1979, Martin, from London, joined his brother Gary Kemp’s band the Gentry as the bass-player, having learned to play bass in just three months.
After being renamed Spandau Ballet, the pop band rose to fame in 1980s with hits like ‘True’, ‘Gold’, and ‘Through the Barricades’, with four of their albums reaching the top ten of the UK Albums Chart.
Due to a dispute over royalties, the band split up in the early 1990s. Martin and Gary then returned to acting and both appeared in the film The Krays, where they played the notorious gangster twins Ronald and Reginald Kray.
Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet with his now-wife Shirlie(Image: Getty Images)
Martin moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s with his wife Shirlie, 63, who he married in 1988, and their daughter Harley Moon, 36. Whilst living in LA, their son Roman, 32, was born.
The family moved back to the UK in 1995, where Martin took a short break from acting whilst recovering from the removal of two benign brain tumours, which caused to him suffer with epilepsy.
Martin’s wife, Shirlie, was part of the pop duo Pepsi and Shirlie, who found fame as the backing singers for George Michael’s band Wham!
In 1998, Martin then joined the cast of EastEnders as villain Steve Owen and was involved in some of the BBC soap’s highest-rated storylines, such as the Saskia Duncan murder and “Who Shot Phil?”.
By the time he left the soap in 2002, he was one of the best-known faces on British TV. He won a National Television Award for Most Popular Actor in 2000 and five British Soap Awards including Villain of the Year in 2000 and Best Actor in 2001 and 2002.
After leaving EastEnders, Martin starred in several TV dramas, became the face of furniture chain ScS and released his first feature film as director.
Martin Kemp as villain Steve Owen in EastEnders(Image: BBC)
Martin is no stranger to reality TV, having been a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 where he was placed third, and he also appeared alongside his wife Shirlie on The Masked Singer as ‘Cat & Mouse’ in 2023.
The couple also released their first album together in 2019 titled ‘In the Swing of It’, which features two original songs written by their daughter Harley.
Martin isn’t the first of the Kemp family to step foot in the jungle, as he’ll be following in the footsteps of his son Roman, who came third on I’m A Celeb in 2019.
Martin and Roman have done a fair few TV stints together as hosts of ITV’s Martin & Roman’s Sunday Best! and spin-off show Martin & Roman’s Weekend Best.
The pair now host a podcast together called ‘FFS! My Dad Is Martin Kemp’ which features candid conversations discussing life, fatherhood and their relationship.
Martin and Roman have a close bond(Image: Getty Images)
The dad and son duo are known to have a close bond, with The One Show host previously telling Hello!: “We have one of the best father-son relationships I know. I’m very fortunate to live in a family where we get on.”
Martin admitted he has been taking advice from his son ahead of appearing on the hit ITV show. The former EastEnders star shared: “He said don’t take it seriously, just enjoy it. Which I think is the best advice you can get.”
Martin previously revealed that he was appearing on I’m a Celebrity via a social media post. He wrote on Instagram: “I’m heading into the jungle.
“People keep asking if I’m scared of snakes or spiders… The truth is, I’m more scared of Roman’s face if I don’t make it as far as he did.”
Roman then poked fun in the comments, responding: “Absolute nepo-daddy. Only on there cos his sons on The One Show.”
