I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star Martin Kemp’s wife Shirlie has opened up about the couple’s drastically different opinions when it comes to their home life
Martin and Shirlie Kemp with their two children(Image: Getty Images)
Martin and Shirlie Kemp have collaborated on transforming their Victorian house into a breathtaking dream residence, yet the former Pepsi and Shirlie vocalist has revealed that the pair regularly butt heads over how to arrange their personal possessions.
Shirlie, who’s currently Down Under cheering on her husband as he takes part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, has recently spoken candidly about how she and Martin, 64, often find themselves at loggerheads due to her inclination towards being ‘a hoarder’.
Nevertheless, the 63-year-old performer admits she still can’t fathom Spandau Ballet star Martin’s stripped-back approach, revealing she “feels sorry for him” because of it.
During an appearance on the Three Rooms podcast in October, Shirlie disclosed that her ‘eclectic’ mindset stems from her father, before detailing how her financially strapped childhood influenced her outlook.
The mother-of-two shared: “The problem is, going back to my dad, my dad was eclectic. I’m also a bit of a hoarder like my dad was, and Martin isn’t, and I think that’s a subconscious move.
Shirlie and Martin disagree over how to organise their home
“I think a lot of times I keep things because it might come from when I was a child, we didn’t have any money so I wouldn’t throw things.”
Shirlie then highlighted that despite her partner having “grew up even poorer than I did”, his approach contrasts sharply with her own.
She added: “Although, Martin grew up even poorer than I did, but will throw anything and everything away. He would live in a white box.
“He doesn’t like stuff, he’s such a minimalist, so sometimes I actually feel sorry for him because I really love going to junk shops and second hand shops, and I like bringing furniture home, I like painting it.
“I should kind of do it and give it away or sell it, but then I end up keeping it and then he’s like, ‘what are you doing with that?’ and I’m like… [Shirlie sighs].”
Shirlie Kemp has been supporting Martin from Australia(Image: ITV screengrab)
Despite their differences on the subject, Shirlie admitted she’d rather be more prepared to “let go” of possessions.
She continued: “So I wish that I could let go a lot more because I think we shouldn’t hold on to things, I think we should let go. But you do need someone else to say to you, ‘do you really need that? Is that blocking energy?'”.
Martin and Shirlie are parents to two adult children, daughter Harleymoon, 36, and son Roman, 32, who are also currently gracing our television screens whilst taking part in Celebrity Race Across The World.
Meanwhile, BBC’s The One Show host Roman has been offering his thoughts on his father’s adventure in the Australian jungle, with the presenter expressing his astonishment at how rapidly the pop icon has formed bonds with his fellow campmates.
Roman observed: “One thing I have noticed is my dad keeps saying ‘my new friends’. He genuinely doesn’t have mates so he means it, he’ll really be chuffed. Again not being mean, that’s the truth.”
