Roman Kemp: British radio and TV presenter, son of Spandau Ballet's Martin Kemp and Wham backing singer Shirlie Holliman, host of Capital Breakfast and maker of a documentary on male suicide.
What this episode covers
Roman Kemp opens up about growing up the child of famous parents, building his own career from cleaning gym toilets to filming videos to becoming a top UK radio breakfast host. The conversation's emotional core is the suicide of his best friend and producer Joe, which led Roman to make a documentary that became his own form of therapy. He challenges myths about suicide, argues that depressed men rarely show symptoms and that the responsibility falls on friends to ask 'are you okay' twice, and discusses toxic masculinity, schools ignoring mental health, and how fame relates to happiness. He also reflects candidly on his struggles with relationships and his own past suicidal breakdown that his mother interrupted.
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
EastEnders
BBC
“my dad was in eastenders you just joined eastenders and his character name was steve owen in eastenders”— Roman Kemp
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
ITV
“when i did i'm a celebrity get me out of here that was the happiest i've ever been easily in in there”— Roman Kemp
Big reveals from this episode
- Roman reveals his best friend and producer Joe took his own life in August last year, and that of 30 mates Joe was the last person he'd ever have suspected.
- He started making his suicide documentary just two months after Joe's death, saying it became his own therapy.
- Roman describes his own suicidal breakdown at home in his pants, planning to jump in front of a train, when his mother coincidentally called and reached him within an hour.
- He shares the painful insight that many men describe deciding to take their own life as their happiest, most in-control moment.
- He admits he hated Joe for two months after his death, feeling cold and betrayed before understanding the act.
- The documentary drove a roughly 720 percent spike in calls to mental health and suicide support lines.
- When the documentary was announced, Twitter attacked him asking 'what does a celebrity kid know about struggling.'
Worth remembering
- Roman signed a development deal with Universal Music at age 15 and was in bands for about three years.
- After quitting music at 18 he spent about a year and a half cleaning toilets and gym equipment.
- His former classmate was YouTuber KSI, which made him believe a creator career was possible.
- He set a goal to get the Capital Breakfast show within 10 years and achieved it in about three.
- Over 70 percent of men who take their own life had no idea mental health disorders were even real.
- Only about 2 percent of UK schools have signed the mental health declaration to look after pupils' wellbeing.
- On average about 180 people are affected by a single suicide.
- Around 90 percent of mental-health crisis calls a Nottinghamshire street triage team responds to involve women, though men use more final methods.
- Over 90 percent of people who die by suicide leave no note, contrary to how Hollywood portrays it.
- A bereaved mother campaigned to change the phrase 'commit suicide' because committing suicide was historically framed as an illegal act.