Martin Kemp‘s wife Shirlie has admitted they rarely see each other since his DJ-ing career has taken off.
The former Spandau Ballet star has been booked and busy on the decks around the country entertaining nostalgia audiences with 80’s hits such as Come on Eileen and Summer of 69 during his DJ show, Martin Kemp: Back To The 80’s.
Partygoers are encouraged to wear fancy dress and it’s apparently become so popular that Shirlie is often home alone.
The Shirlie and Pepsi star appeared on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and was asked by Tim Lovejoy: “How’s Martin?” She replied, “He’s very good. He’s very busy, very good.”
“What’s he up to?” asked Tim. “Well he’s DJing,” said Shirley.
“He does 80s nights and very successful. People can’t get enough of him but I don’t see him much now,” she added laughing.
With this confession, Shirlie, who has been doing the chat and Breakfast Show rounds with fellow bandmate Pepsi to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Wham’s Christmas classic, Last Christmas, has followed in her husband’s footsteps by spilling the beans on behind the scenes of their marriage.
Martin recently revealed how their romance has been tested when by their children, son Roman Kemp, now 31, and a presenter on BBC‘s The One Show and daughter Harley Moon, 34 – now a country music singer-songwriter.
The Spandau Ballet bassist, 62, who has been married to Shirlie for nearly four decades, said: “It’s so easy to let the romance fizzle, especially when your adult children are calling you every five minutes for advice on how to turn on the oven or you’re trying to keep on top of after school activities, playdates, and the never-ending pile of washing up.”
The pair met after Shirlie performed ‘Young Guns’ on TOTP with George Michael’s band Wham back in the 1980s, and after five years of dating, they tied the knot during a sunshine getaway in St Lucia.
The former EastEnders actor also previously opened up about a make or break it moment for the pair.
Martin revealed he was diagnosed with two brain tumours in the 90s which meant he was unable to work for four years and also developed epilepsy as a result.
In a joint interview with Classic Pop Magazine, Martin expressed: “The time when I was really sick was when it could have ended for me and Shirlie.
“For most couples, that moment makes you or breaks you. It made us stronger, but the stress is so humongous it can tear couples apart.”
Shirlie, 62, added: “When you’re with someone who’s that critically ill, it strips away everything. You see life for what it truly is and we realised life is so precious.”
These days they seek to reignite their romance by taking themselves back to what they were doing when they tied the knot – travelling.
They say they have multiple annual trips planned in a bid to put the magic and romance they used to share back into their own lives, every time they travel.
