Shirlie Kemp Reveals She Hardly Sees Martin as His DJ Career Takes Over Their Marriage
Shirlie Kemp has opened up about how her husband Martin Kemp’s booming DJ career has impacted their marriage, confessing they rarely see each other these days. The former Spandau Ballet star has been in high demand, playing 80s nostalgia hits like Come on Eileen and Summer of 69 across the country as part of his popular show Martin Kemp: Back To The 80s. Fans attend in fancy dress, making it a huge success, but Shirlie finds herself spending more time home alone.
Appearing on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Shirlie, a former Wham! singer and part of Pepsi & Shirlie, was asked by host Tim Lovejoy how Martin was doing. She replied candidly, “He’s very good. He’s very busy, very good.” When pressed further, she laughed and admitted, “He’s DJing. He does 80s nights and very successful. People can’t get enough of him, but I don’t see him much now.”
This lighthearted confession follows Martin’s own admission about the ups and downs of their long-lasting marriage. Speaking earlier this year, Martin shared how their romance was tested over the years, particularly when raising their now-adult children—Roman Kemp, 31, a BBC presenter, and Harley Moon, 34, a singer-songwriter.
Martin reflected on the challenges of balancing family life, saying: “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 couple, who first met in the 1980s when Shirlie performed with Wham! on Top of the Pops, have weathered numerous storms during their nearly four decades of marriage. Martin revealed that a particularly trying time came when he was diagnosed with two brain tumors in the 1990s.
“The time when I was really sick was when it could have ended for me and Shirlie,” Martin shared in a joint interview with Classic Pop Magazine. “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 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.”
Now, to keep the romance alive, the couple focuses on traveling together, reliving the magic of their early days. Shirlie said they plan annual trips as a way to reconnect and reignite the spark that has kept them together for so many years.
Despite the challenges of Martin’s busy schedule, their enduring bond proves that love—and a little effort—can overcome any distance.