Roman Kemp Vows Payback as His Dad Martin Heads Into the Jungle for I'm A Celebrity

Roman Kemp has playfully warned his father, Martin Kemp, that he’s in for some payback — now that the former Spandau Ballet star is entering the Australian jungle for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.

Martin, 64, is following in Roman’s footsteps — the younger Kemp competed on the show back in 2019 and finished in third place. 

During a recent episode of his podcast (called You About?, which he co-hosts), Roman reminded his dad of how he once encouraged the public to vote him into gruesome Bushtucker Trials. Roman admitted that, when he was selected to do one of those nasty eating trials, he initially believed the viewers were punishing him for something he’d done wrong. 

But it turned out there was an unlikely culprit: Martin. Roman recalled his dad tweeting, “Let’s get my son to eat kangaroo b******s,” which helped drive votes for his son to face that trial. 

Roman didn’t hold back when he confronted his dad: “I’m going to get you back … I voted for him to do the worst trials! … He said to me he was going to get his revenge!” 

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Martin’s Turn — and Roman’s Advice

Now that Martin is set to enter the jungle himself, he’s spoken about the advice Roman gave him. According to Martin, Roman told him to “go in and enjoy it all,” calling it “the most fun he has ever had.” 

Martin also admitted that while he joked about spiders and snakes, he’s actually more afraid of disappointing his son. He wrote on Instagram:

“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.” 

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A Complicated Father-Son Dynamic

This isn’t the first time the two have publicly sparred (with love) over Roman’s I'm A Celebrity stint. In 2019, Roman participated in one of the more shocking eating trials, consuming a bull’s penis, among other gross items — something his dad later joked about. 

Their relationship is a frequent topic on their podcast, FFS! My Dad Is Martin Kemp, where they discuss everything from mortality to family pressure.  In one emotional episode, Martin even confessed to Roman that he thinks he may have “10 years left to live,” referencing his past health challenges.