Whether you know him from his time on EastEnders, or as part of the iconic band Spandau Ballet, Martin Kemp is a famous figure in the United Kingdom. The actor recently launched a podcast with his son, Roman Kemp. It is safe to say their first episode started strong. Indeed, the pair talked about an often taboo subject, death. In particular, Martin Kemp's own passing. Here's what you should know.
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Martin Kemp believes he's got ten years left to live
In May 2024, Martin and Roman Kemp announced they were launching their own podcast entitled FFS! My Dad is Martin Kemp. The actor's son explained why it was important for him to team up with his father on public projects, 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.
Their first episode gathered thousands of listeners, who were definitely surprised by their choice of topic. Indeed, the pair talked about death, as the actor explained he has accepted the idea of dying. 62-year-old Martin Kemp, who like many stars has dealt with several health struggles, claimed he believes he has only got about a decade left in his life. The actor shared his view of dying with his son, saying he now enjoys every day he is alive as a bonus:
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.
He was diagnosed with two brain tumours when he was 34
When Martin Kemp was only 34 years old, he discovered a lump in the back of his head. After visiting several doctors, and undergoing numerous exams, he was diagnosed with two separate brain tumours, which left him fearing for his life for about two years. During his talk with 31-year-old Roman Kemp, he reminisced his previous ordeal, saying:
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.
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.
Martin Kemp told the Daily Star that he has avoided death once before, when he was still a child, thanks a voice inside his head. He explained:
I must have been about 12 years old, and I was walking to school. I came out my front door and stopped by a roadside. As I stopped, I heard a voice in my head, like somebody talking to me, not a thought, literally a voice, and it said, 'Go back inside the house'. I didn't even blink.
I turned round and started walking back up the pathway, and as I walked back up, a car came down the road and smashed into the two cars I was standing in between.
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Sources used:
Mirror: Martin Kemp says he avoided death after voice in his head gave five-word warning
The Independent: Martin Kemp believes he has '10 years to live after accepting death' due to health ordeal
