All I ever want in life is for him to be better than me
Remember Eastenders’ Steve Owen being scary? That’s how Dad really is I’d been teaching him then Roman grew up & beat me at everything
incredible job of shielding my sister Harley and I from everything. Being a wife who was able to do that for her husband was amazing. The only thing I can remember was Dad having no hair for a while.
That’s not to say me and Dad haven’t had clashes. Oh my God, my teenage years – can you imagine? I was a very outspoken teenager, much too talkative for my own good.
I did far too much back-chatting to my dad. I got away with a lot of things with Mum. But Dad?
I would hear Mum telling him about something I’d done, then his footsteps approaching my room and I’d think, ‘Oh s**t’. I knew what was coming.
My dad’s shout is a proper shout. Do you remember when Steve Owen was in Eastenders and people thought he was scary? Or when Dad was in The Krays? That’s how he really is.
If I’d done something really wrong or something to annoy him, there’d be a roar. But he was doing the right thing when I was a little s**t – he had to keep me in line.
The biggest outbursts were always about the smallest things. If I’d left a sock in the living room and he was having one of those days, he’d shout, ‘I’m not living in a f***ing pig sty!’
My parents come from a very working-class background and I think, since they had two kids growing up in nice houses and going to private schools, it’s very important to them to make sure we respect it.
Dad might have a proper shout, but he’s affectionate too. We still have hugs. He kisses me on the cheek when he says goodbye. That’s just who he is. Hopefully, I’ve never embarrassed my dad – I was always very aware of never doing that.
I’m very mindful of the fact my mum and dad built their careers and I’m living the life I live because of them. Both my parents are my best mates. I’m really lucky.
I’ve only seen Roman a couple of times in lockdown as he has his own place but our family Whatsapp has been a lifeline. It’s a stream of never-ending conversation.
When I saw him to film Gogglebox we kept our distance because Ro’s worried he could bring coronavirus home to me from work. But it was just lovely to be able to see him.
I can’t wait to work together on the new TV show. Roman’s a mick-taker – he’s been doing it to me for years and I love him for it. But he always has this thing about me being old.
Roman thinks he’s going to beat me at everything and that’s the trouble – he has always beaten me at everything.
I remember when I realised he was better at Fifa than me. I’d been teaching him things all his life and all of a sudden he was beating me.
That’s all I ever want in life – for him to be better than me. That’s the moment you work towards. But when you reach that moment, you have to take a gasp of breath and say, ‘Here it is’.
I won’t feel I’m Roman’s boss just because I’m his dad.
I’ve never had that relationship with him at all. It wasn’t the way we brought him up. We were friends. If Roman did something wrong, I showed that he hurt me rather than telling him off.
A lot of people said Shirlie and I were wrong doing that with Roman and Harley. But we were four friends together and looked after each other.
Roman and I still have that. I’m not saying that’s the right way to do it, I’m just saying that works for us.
I can’t recall the biggest row Roman and I have had. That’s not who I am. I would rather walk away and leave someone to it. Having brain tumours
BRAVE made me appreciate my family more. It made me appreciate everything more.
I was given a second chance when a lot of people don’t get that. It was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me – it made me grow up.
I remember the exact moment I knew Roman had grown up. He was 15 and we were asked to do a TV show called Dangerous Adventures for Boys. Producers wanted to teach us both to fly a Spitfire but I knew he hated flying.
One day I got a laptop and joystick and set it up on the kitchen island with a flight simulator on it from a Tiger Moth. I left it there for a couple of weeks.
Like any kid on a computer game, Roman played it and was brilliant. He was taking off, landing, fighting people… so when I asked how he fancied flying a plane for real for a TV show, he said he’d do it.
We spent two weeks together learning how to fly Tiger Moths. Roman was up and running within days. Then they put him in the training plane for a Spitfire and me in the training plane for the German divebomber Stuka. We were up in the skies dogfighting.
All I remember is Roman coming out of the sky and in my headphones, the simulated sound of gunfire and Roman saying, ‘Gotcha! Gotcha!’ as he shot at me.
All of a sudden, Roman’s bright yellow plane came about two foot away from my wing tip. He looked at me, gave me a thumbs up and then his plane went backwards.
And I thought, ‘Yep, he’s a man’. It was the most incredible moment I’ve ever had with Roman and will stay with me until my dying moment.
Roman’s quicker, stronger and braver than me at most things, but I’ll still beat him – although not at dancing.
■■Martin and Roman’s Sunday Best! starts on June 14, at 8.30am on ITV.
ROMAN KEMP ON BEING DISCIPLINED BY MARTIN
MARTIN KEMP ON SEEING HIS SON BECOME AN ADULT