In a powerful revelation, the 30-year-old presenter opened up about his long battle with depression â a struggle that began when he was just a teenager â and how his mother, Shirlie Kemp, became his guiding light through the darkest nights.
âIâve had depression since I was a teenager,â Roman admits in his memoir Are You Really OK?
âWhen I was 15, Mum told me it was time to see a doctor. She knew before anyone else. She saved me.â
Shirlie, the former Wham! star and wife of Spandau Ballet legend Martin Kemp, has been the unshakable foundation of her family. Roman calls her âmy rock,â the woman who saw past the fame and the façade â and refused to let her son slip away into silence.
đ âWe Talk Every Day â We Donât Hide Behind Masksâ
Romanâs relationship with both his parents goes beyond typical family affection â itâs a bond built on brutal honesty and unconditional love.
âWe talk to each other every day,â he says. âMy dad and I get to work together all the time, and I love that my future kids will one day watch me and their grandad on screen together. Thatâs our relationship â real, honest, and filled with love.â
For Roman, authenticity is everything.
âWhen weâre together, thereâs no mask. No judgment. Just love. Iâm so lucky â I never have to be anything but myself around my mum, dad, and sister.â
đč A Family Built on Kindness
Romanâs sister, Harleymoon Kemp, echoes that same sentiment. In an emotional interview with HELLO!, she described the Kemp home as âa place of kindness and encouragement,â crediting their parents for creating a world where compassion always came first.
âOur dad is the kindest man Iâve ever known,â she says proudly. âAnd weâre all so proud of Roman. To see him recognized by the future Queen for his work on mental health â itâs just incredible.â
đ When Royalty Came Calling
That moment came when Princess Kate personally visited the Kempsâ family home to film a conversation with Roman about her Shaping Us campaign.
âIt was surreal,â Harleymoon laughs. âWatching the Princess walk through our parentsâ garden â it didnât feel real. Roman was so casual about it! He just said, âYeah, sheâs coming round.ââ
â€ïž Britainâs Most Honest Family
The Kemps arenât just a showbiz dynasty â theyâre a symbol of honesty, healing, and resilience in a world that often hides behind smiles. From Shirlieâs quiet strength to Martinâs gentle wisdom and Romanâs openness about mental health, this is one family proving that talking saves lives.
âI genuinely feel like Iâve won the lottery with my family,â Roman says.
âTheyâre the reason Iâm still here.â