Sometimes a change is as good as the rest, and for Roman Kemp his decision to leave Global Radio and strike out for pastures new couldn’t come soon enough.
The affable presenter, 31, relinquished his presenting role with Capital Breakfast in March, ten-years after joining the station as a relative unknown and seven-years after earing his promotion to the coveted early morning slot.
Now a household name with a string of TV and radio credits under his belt, Kemp – the son of Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp and former Wham! backing singer Shirley Holliman – is keen to step away from the spotlight before weighing up his next move, and with good reason.
The presenter was devastated after close friend and colleague Joe Lyons – a Capital FM producer – took his own life in 2020, aged just 31.
Kemp, now the same age as Lyons at the time of his unexpected death, has since admitted the tragedy was a mitigating factor in his decision to leave Capital, where he has since been replaced by Jordan North.
Sometimes a change is as good as the rest, and for Roman Kemp his decision to leave Global Radio and strike out for pastures new couldn’t come soon enough
The presenter relinquished his presenting role with Capital Breakfast in March, ten-years after joining the station and seven-years after earing his promotion to the early morning slot
The presenter was devastated after close friend and colleague Joe Lyons (pictured) – a Capital FM producer – took his own life in 2020, aged just 31
But the death of his close friend and the subsequent struggle to comprehend his loss is the latest in a series of emotional hurdles for Kemp.
The presenter has previously discussed his own long-term battle with mental health issues and has tirelessly campaigned for greater social awareness of the issue following Lyons’ death.
In 2019 documentary Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency, the presenter revealed he’d once contemplated suicide and had been helped by his mother rushing to his side.
Three years later he appeared on Channel 4 show Steph’s Packed Lunch to stress the importance of talking about mental health in schools at an early age after experiencing his own difficulties.
He said: ‘I’ve had a lot of troubles of my own, I’ve dealt with suicidal thoughts, I’ve been on anti-depressants for 15 years of my life.
‘I feel that, sometimes, if my brain gets in a situation where it feels like it’s been beaten up by Mike Tyson, I feel like I’m in a boxing ring and not had one boxing lesson.’
He added: ‘Talking about mental health needs to start earlier than when we get to 16 and we’re doing PSHE.
‘It has to be engrained into lessons and it has to be engrained into schools… as early as possible. Understanding that talking is something that can help us.
Kemp, now the same age as Lyons (pictured) at the time of his unexpected death, has since admitted the tragedy was a mitigating factor in his decision to leave Capital
In 2022 Kemp appeared on Channel 4 show Steph’s Packed Lunch to stress the importance of talking about mental health in schools at an early age after experiencing his own difficulties
When Kemp discovered his close friend and colleague had died, he went off the air and did not return to Capital Breakfast until the following week
In 2019 documentary Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency, the presenter revealed he’d once contemplated suicide and had been helped by his mother rushing to his side
‘It’s about teaching kids and showing kids these are the tools you need so that when you come up against these demons, you’ll be able to knock them out the park, you’ll be able to deal with them, you’ll be able to talk about them.
‘Unfortunately, when people reach the age of 16, particularly boys, they make a conscious decision of how much they’re going to let someone in.
‘No matter how many chats they have, they’ll always hold something back. It’s about being able to engrain that talking about feelings and looking out for trigger points, looking out for your mates is something that needs to happen in schools from that earlier age.’
Kemp later won praise after presenting BBC Three documentary The Fight For Young Lives, for which he toured schools, youth and treatment centres around the country and visited the Houses of Parliament.
The presenter’s love-life has also been fraught with difficulty after a seemingly stable three-year relationship with Swiss neuroscientist Anne-Sophie Fury came to an end at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020.
Kemp was also praised for his moving BBC Three documentary The Fight For Young Lives, for which he toured schools, youth and treatment centres around the country
Incredible: The presenter has campaigned through his social media platforms and documentaries following the passing of his late friend Joe Lyons
The couple – who met on dating app Tinder – had moved in together that January but sources claimed the relationship frayed during lockdown and they ‘weren’t able to make things work’.
A source told The Sun: ‘Roman loved Sophie and things had been going really well for them. But being in lockdown is tough for any couple and they just weren’t able to make things work, which has been upsetting and tough for them both.
‘His pals have encouraged him to move on and have got him on [dating app] Raya, which is packed with attractive and creative women.’
The couple had previously seemed inseparable – even co-owning a pet dog together, called Luna.
It’s understood that Anne-Sophie kept the pooch – who would occasionally appear alongside Kemp on Celebrity Gogglebox.
The presenter’s love-life has also been fraught with difficulty after a seemingly stable three-year relationship with Swiss neuroscientist Anne-Sophie Fury came to an end in July 2020
The couple – who met on dating app Tinder – had moved in together that January but sources claimed the relationship frayed during lockdown and they ‘weren’t able to make things work’
The couple seemed inseparable until now – even co-owning a pet dog together, called Luna
In 2019 Kemp took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and it was Anne-Sophie who greeted him when he emerged from the Australian jungle
In 2019, months before the pandemic forced Britain into national lockdown, Kemp took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and it was Anne-Sophie who greeted him when he emerged from the Australian jungle.
Speaking to HELLO! upon their return to Britain, he said: ‘We’re both very family-orientated so marriage and kids is a natural progression for us. But before any of that, we want to focus on having fun, exploring the world and making memories.
‘Every time I see a child, I get broody. Soph is so good with kids and you notice those things when you’re in a relationship.’
Anne-Sophie said: ‘I knew pretty quickly that I loved him. I wasn’t looking to be emotionally invested but it just happened. After a couple of weeks, we both knew.’
The couple had been in a relationship since 2017, and spent eight months of their relationship apart because Anne-Sophie lived in Hong Kong.
Little more than a month before his appearance on I’m A Celeb, Kemp publicly apologised for unspecified historic tweets shared by the presenter that he claimed were offensive
Kemp, the son of Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp (above), went on to say that he wanted to become a good social media user who spreads ‘happiness’
Kemp had said while on I’m A Celebrity that the couple had been used to spending time apart so weren’t worried about him being on the show.
During his appearance, Anne-Sophie had written on Instagram: ’I’m so proud of ur achievements and the exciting places your life is taking you. [sic]
‘I can’t wait to watch your experience in the jungle unfold and to be able to admire your face, your kindness, perseverance and your wit every single day.
‘I literally cannot contain my excitement can we fast forward to 9pm already [three laughing face emojis] I love you.’
Little more than a month before his appearance on I’m A Celeb, Kemp publicly apologised for unspecified historic tweets shared by the presenter that he claimed were offensive.
Explaining his actions, he said: ‘I wanted to talk about something I’ve seen a lot of celebrities talking about, and people around the world talking about, and that is the use of language online.
‘I went through something terrible with a troll online and it encouraged me to look back and take responsibility to see if I had ever posted anything that could cause harm or offence to someone.
Kemp has now spoken out on the devastating reason for his decision to leave his Capital Breakfast show
Kemp with dad Martin on Celebrity Gogglebox. The presenter will now weigh up his next move
‘Being totally honest, I’m shocked and appalled and ashamed to say I did find things. Looking sincerely into the camera, the star insisted that he was ‘truly, deeply and utterly sorry’ for his past actions and words online.’
He continued: ‘I did find things I’m not at all proud of. I don’t associate myself with that.
‘I know the person who wrote those things is not the man I am now, but they were there. I made the conscious decision to get those things, I have deleted those things.
‘I don’t want that negativity in the world. I don’t want the legacy I have on the internet to be a place where there is negativity, or something that can cause offence.
‘For anyone that has ever been offended by something I have said online, I am truly, deeply and utterly sorry.’
Kemp has now spoken out on the devastating reason for his decision to leave his Capital Breakfast show.
In February, the radio host revealed he was stepping down from the show, after 10 years of presenting for Capital FM.
An emotional Kemp during his final capital Breakfast show in March. He has since been replaced by Jordan North
And he says he’s been ‘living that same day over and over again’ after Lyons committed suicide in August 2020.
He told the Daily Mirror: : ‘I need this time for myself. I’ve been at that company (Global) for 10 years, on that show for seven now.
‘I’ve tried to spin the plates and tried to do everything and I’ve realised it’s getting in the way of my life. You can’t enjoy your own life.
‘If you think of a radio show, every day you’ve got to go out in front of the public and dance and every now and then you’ve got to give yourself a rest and I’ve not been doing that for myself.
‘It came to that point of “I need to leave this behind now”.’
Speaking about his best friend and colleague Joe ‘Producer Joe’ Lyons being related to his decision to leave, he added: ‘It’s to do what happened for me.
‘That sounds wild but I mean it, it’s not normal, imagine a tragedy happened in your house you’re going to want to move.’
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