Roman Kemp is a popular face on our screens, with a long list of TV and radio credits behind him. He is currently one of the famous faces swapping their luxury lifestyles for an adventure around the world. The 32-year-old is taking part in the celebrity version of hit BBC show Race Across the World.
The contestants taking part are from a range of showbiz backgrounds including TV presenters, actors and Strictly Come Dancing stars. The four groups have embarked on one of the most breathtaking routes yet, discovering the Caribbean and Pacific coast of Central America.
Their journey begins on the idyllic Caribbean island of Isla Mujeres, just off the easternmost point of Mexico and challenges teams to race 5,900km to reach the finish line in the remote and breathtaking Península de La Guajira in Colombia – the gateway to South America.
Roman is taking part alongside his sister Harleymoon. Speaking about taking part in the series, Roman Kemp told the BBC: “It’s very much 50/50, reasons for wanting to do this.
“I am very lucky that I do a lot of stuff with my dad, and I think that the reason I do those things is I can’t wait to show my kids or my grandkids what my relationship was like with my dad. With this, it’s such a privilege to be able to do something so special with your sister.”
He added: “It’s such a privilege to be able to have that and to also show that to future generations and to share an experience. The other side of it is for personal reasons, travelling and seeing new places and seeing different cultures or being in certain experiences has such a great impact on my perspective and what life is about.”
Although viewers see a lot of Roman on-screen, what do we know about his life when the cameras aren’t rolling?
Roman is the son of Martin and Shirlie Kemp. His parents were huge names in the 1980s and Roman has gone on to make a name for himself in showbiz today.
Martin Kemp was the bass player hugely popular group Spandeau Ballet. Other members of the band were Tony Hadley, Gary Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble. Some of their biggest hits include “True” and “Gold”.
Roman’s mum Shirlie was also no stranger to the spotlight as she began her career as one of the original backing dancers and singers for George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in Wham! in the early 1980s.
After leaving Wham!, she formed a duo with fellow backing singer Helen “Pepsi” DeMacque. They were known as “Pepsi and Shirlie”. Shirlie then took a break away from showbiz to give birth to her children.
Martin and Shirlie welcomed their first child in the world, a daughter called Harleymoon back in 1989. They gave birth to Roman, whose godfather is George Michael, four years later in 1993 in Los Angeles. Roman then grew up in Hertfordshire and attended Berkhamsted School.
Now 32, Roman kickstarted his career at Capital FM before working his way up to becoming the face of the breakfast radio programme.
In 2016, Roman was The X Factor’s digital presenter and social media correspondent. Adding to his TV credits, he starred in a celebrity edition of First Dates for Stand Up to Cancer in 2017.
He remained busy in showbiz, reporting backstage on Children in Need Rock the 80s, playing in Soccer Aid for UNICEF and starring in Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox with his dad. The dad and son were a hit with fans as they welcomed viewers into their home to give their verdict on some of the nation’s favourite TV programmes.
In 2019, Roman starred in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and finished in third place. EastEnders actress Jacqueline Jossa took home the crown as Queen of the Jungle, with Coronation Street star Andy Whyment coming in second.
Speaking to The Mirror in 2022, Roman expressed how much he would like to see his dad take part in the show. He said: “Listen, I would do anything to see my dad eat llama anus. I’ll tell you why, because when I got nominated the first time, it was the eating trial.
“When you’re in there, you get so paranoid about why people are voting for you, because you’re like ‘am I coming across as a d*** and people want to see me suffer.
“When I got out, I was looking through some of the headlines, and it turns out the only reason I got voted to do that trial at the beginning was because my dad tweeted: ‘Let’s get my son to eat kangaroo anus’. So, my God, I’m very up for him going in.”
He is currently co-presenting BBC quiz show The Finish Line with Sarah Greene and he even managed to bag the first place spot on the Great British Bake Off Stand Up To Cancer special episode earlier this year.
Roman has also used his platform to speak about mental health. One of his close friends Joe Lyons died in 2020 and the 32-year-old has since become an advocate for mental health awareness.
Lyons was a producer for the Capital Breakfast show, and his death was a significant factor in Kemp’s decision to leave the show.
Since his death, Roman has been open about mental health and is keen to make a change for young people. He is a trustee for the charity Joe’s Buddy Line, which was started by Joe’s family to support mental health in schools.
He was the face of the in BBC programme Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency in 2021 and more recently, Roman Kemp: The Fight for Young Lives.
Roman does keep his personal life relatively under wraps. However, he is in a relationship with model Carmen Gaggero. The couple been dating since last year and went public this summer after being spotted leaving Le Petit Maison in Mayfair, reports Wales Online.