Tag Archives: Harleymoon Kemp

➤ The Kemp quartet: a happy family George Michael helped to create

Posted on 31 Dec 2016 | 1 comment

Martin Kemp sets off for the Celebrity Big Brother house: apparently his wife Shirlie, and children Harleymoon and Roman can’t bear to part with him. (Selfie courtesy of Roman)

➢ On 26 December, Howell Davies reported in The Sun:

“ George Michael planned to have a Boxing Day dinner with his ex-Wham! bandmate Shirlie Holliman, husband Martin Kemp and son Roman before tragic death. Late singer’s health did not stop him from organising a festive get-together with Shirlie and his godson.

“ Michael was discovered dead at his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day after a long battle against drug and alcohol addition – aged just 53. However, George’s health had not stopped him from organising a festive get-together with Shirlie, 54, one half of pop duo Pepsi and Shirlie, her husband and fellow 80s star Martin Kemp, 55, their daughter Harley, 27, and son Roman, an up-and-coming Capital FM DJ and TV presenter who is also the Faith singer’s godson.

“ Speaking before George passed away, Roman, 23, said: “We’re going to George’s house on Boxing Day.”

“ On 26 Dec Roman also tweeted: “To me, you do the Christmas rounds and you see all those people who are big influences on my life. I speak to him quite often. He speaks to my mum every week. He’s just family to me, fame is not a big deal. I know it sounds strange but I’ve known him my whole life. We love you Yog”… ”

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THE KEMP FAMILY TWEET THEIR OWN TRIBUTES

Martin Kemp, actor, bassist with Spandau Ballet – “My whole family and I are devastated at the loss of our beautiful friend Yog! We will miss him so much! We are all heartbroken!”

Shirlie Kemp, née Shirlie Holliman of Wham! – “Words can not express how sad we all are, only last week I saw him laughing and happy. My heart is broken to lose someone so special.”

Roman Kemp, son of Martin and Shirlie, George’s godson, TV host and radio deejay – “The man who toured the world with my mum; her best friend. / The man who introduced my parents; who forced my mum to call my dad. / The man that took me and Harley around the world; just to see us smile. / The man we all love. / We love you Yog.”

Harleymoon Kemp, daughter of Martin and Shirlie, photographer – “Such a kind, special man who has played such a huge part in our family history and shared with us nothing but love. We are all very sad.”

GEORGE THE MATCHMAKER TELLS ALL:

➢ Elsewhere at Shapersofthe80s:
2016, London’s young guns remember George Michael

➢ Elsewhere at Shapersofthe80s: Thank you, George, says Paul Simper. You left me wanting to dance like you

➢ Elsewhere at Shapersofthe80s: 2011, Wham!’s cunning plan for a Christmas No1 as climax to the 80s revival

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Posted in death, London, Media, New Romantics, Pop music, Tributes, TV, Youth culture

Tagged George Michael, Harleymoon Kemp, Martin Kemp, Roman Kemp, Shirlie Holliman, This Is Your Life, Wham!

➤ Big Brother turns Martin Kemp’s son Roman into a shooting star

Posted on 17 Aug 2012 | Leave a comment

Roman Kemp, Harleymoon Kemp, Martin Kemp, Shirlie Kemp, Celebrity Big Brother, Steve Owen, pop music, TV, Paradise Point, EastEnders

Celebrity Big Brother launch on Wednesday: Roman and Harleymoon Kemp applaud their father Martin as he enters the TV house. (Video grab from Channel 5)

❚ HITS ON SHAPERSOFTHE80s ROCKETED YESTERDAY, driven by web searches for the name of Roman Kemp, the 19-year-old musician and 6ft 1in fashion-model son of Martin Kemp, the TV soap star, film producer and bass player with Spandau Ballet. Evidently, sharp-eyed fans had been excited to catch three glimpses of both Roman and his sister Harleymoon Kemp, an upcoming celebrity photographer who turns 23 this weekend, cheering on their dad as he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house this week on the UK’s Channel 5. He was immediately tipped at 5/2 as bookies’ favourite to win the three-week competition.

In response to this surge of interest in the model showbiz family, Shapersofthe80s rounds up a few links to reports we have published in the past — not forgetting mother Shirlie Kemp who was herself a popstar in the 80s in a double act with Pepsi Demacque, as well as being one of the jive girls in Wham!, behind George Michael.

But Google search reveals Roman to be the star of the moment, just as his career switches into gear as a fashion model. Earlier this year the Models 1 agency introduced him as one of their hot new additions to its men’s division, saying: “His sharp features, sweep of hair and bright blue eyes are sure to land him a campaign or two.” Fans can feast their eyes on our slideshow of shots from his agency card. The associated publicity generates the obligatory celebrity questionnaire in which he reveals: Subtract’s album was the last he listened to on his iPod; his idea of fun is making films; his dislikes include Keanu Reeves; he wants to have dinner with Arsène Wenger; and he flies planes.

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Shapersofthe80s also happens to know he’s a nifty bass guitarist in his father’s footsteps, and was on hand to give Martin some tips when dad had to relearn his bass parts for Spandau Ballet’s reunion tour of the world in 2009, having spent the previous two decades as one of British TV’s highest paid actors. Over the past year or so, we followed Roman’s band Paradise Point through a hectic schedule of dates, during which the teen wonder also shot and edited a stunning video of their own song Run In Circles which you can view below. Then suddenly last summer, with a Facebook apology but no explanation, PP stopped performing.

The hot news for Paradise Point fans is that the group is planning a relaunch pretty soon, with a twist. You read it here first.

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➤ “Nice” Martin Kemp promises to make trouble on CBB but is upstaged by Bet Lynch — twice

Posted on 16 Aug 2012 | Leave a comment

Martin Kemp sets off for the Celebrity Big Brother house: apparently his wife Shirlie, and children Harleymoon and Roman can’t bear to part with him. (Selfie courtesy of Roman)

◼ MASSIVE CHEERS GREETED Martin Kemp when he took up residence as the alpha male on this summer’s Celebrity Big Brother last night, but even while he was boasting of a secret plan for winning the sink-or-swim reality game show, he was upstaged twice. First came a classic bitch-off between two doyennes from the leading British TV soaps which saw Julie Goodyear (the feisty barmaid Bet Lynch from Coronation Street) fling a drink in the face of Cheryl Fergison (Heather Trott from EastEnders). Then came a spontaneous romp as Julie played up to randy Bet’s reputation by chasing a hot young production lad round the studio while recording a pre-launch video.

Nevertheless the bookies’ odds today were 5/2 on the cool Spandau Ballet bass player and ex-EastEnders villain Martin winning the three-week TV battle, which isn’t saying much since this season’s housemates are a right chav bunch of dummies who don’t even know you don’t call a prince Prince to his face, unless he’s a pedigree hound.

So what on earth is nice-guy and father-of-two Martin doing in this contest of cunning? “I love Big Brother,” he told the world in a video interview. “I’ve been watching it since it started, been a fan for so long. I’ve watched hours and hours of the show.”

Julie Goodyear, Martin Kemp, Celebrity Big Brother , Cheryl Fergison,2012,Julian Clary

“Da-a-ay Wunn, the bitches kick off”: seconds before Julie throws her drink in Cheryl’s face on Celebrity Big Brother, Martin has twigged that this is a stunt and starts to corpse behind his hanky. Straight after, Julian also grinned: “I don’t believe it, not for one minute.” (Screengrab © Channel 5)

Toughest thing he’s dreading, he says, is possibly having to sing. “I’m absolutely terrible at singing,” the 80s pop heart-throb admitted. “What’s hard is everybody expects that I should be able to sing because I was in the band, but they wouldn’t let me sing to save my life.”

Asked by host Brian Dowling if he had a nasty villainous plan up his sleeve, Martin said: “I have, yeah. If you’re going to go in there you’ve got to go in to win.

“My favourite shows are where it all kicks off and there are big arguments. So if nothing happens, I’ll try and wind it up. The Big Brother house is a TV studio and it is a game. I will nominate the **** off people if I think they’re too strong. I know what’s in store.”

Will Martin live to regret those words?

Up to her old tricks: national treasure Julie Goodyear, aka Corrie’s Bet Lynch, takes a shine to a young studio assistant before the Celebrity Big Brother launch. (Screengrab from Channel 5)

ON-AIR CONFESSION ABOUT MARTIN’S POP PAST

❏ Day 7 update: Talking of his career as a pop star with the band Spandau Ballet, who famously fell out badly after 10 years together, Martin said this week on Celebrity Big Brother:

“ Like every other band, you end up arguing about money, publishing or about women ”

Whatever can he have been referring to?

Big Brother sets Martin Kemp the rock’n’roll challenge of wrecking a hotel room. At the ripe old age of 50, the task knocked him flat. (Screengrab from Channel 5)

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