Everything Martin Kemp has said about his life-long battle with brain tumours and epilepsy
Martin Kemp is one of the famous faces on this season’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, all of whom are battling it out to become King or Queen of the Jungle.
But, viewers may not know that Martin has been navigating life with multiple brain tumours for several decades.
Back in 1995, the musician was diagnosed with two benign brain tumours after discovering a lump on his head. While one was surgically removed, the other was deemed too risky to operate on and was successfully treated with a non-invasive radiotherapy treatment.
Everyone’s clicking on…
Following his surgery — which took place in his early 30s — Martin went on to develop epilepsy, which he manages with medication.
Since his health scare, the I’m a Celeb star has been a public advocate for brain tumours, using his platform to raise awareness. Thankfully, he looks to be in great health these days.
Last year, Martin spoke candidly about the experience with his son, Roman, 32, during an episode of their FFS! My Dad Is Martin Kemp podcast. On the topic of death, Martin admitted he thought he had around 10 years left of life in him. Reflecting on his brain tumour “scare”, he said: “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.”
“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.”
Despite this worry, Martin admitted that he was “quite happy,” as he’d “lived the most incredible experiences” at such a young age. From being in an 80s rock band with his brother Gary, coupled with the opportunities that came with it, including “flying around Europe on a jet,” he said: “Every year that I live, every month that I’m alive is a bonus.”
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here airs at 9pm on ITV1
Related Stories
Sophie Williams is a Freelance Journalist and Copywriter, covering everything from Fashion to Entertainment to music, Lifestyle and Features. She has interviewed a range of musical artists and authors including Alyssa Edwards, Courtney Barnett, Confidence Man, The Vaccines, Loyle Carner, Gabrielle, and John Niven, and has written for publications like Metro, Reader’s Digest, ITV’s Woo! and Vice’s NBGA. She is also working on a book for HarperCollins about Taylor Swift, due to be published in 2024.
