26 Facts About Martin Kemp

1.

Martin John Kemp was born on 10 October 1961 and is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in EastEnders.

2.

Martin Kemp is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is a member of Spandau Ballet and an actor.

3.

In 2012, Kemp finished third in the tenth series of Celebrity Big Brother, and in 2017 he appeared as a judge on the BBC series Let It Shine.

4.

Martin Kemp was born to Frank and Eileen Martin Kemp at their house in Islington, north London, and attended Rotherfield Junior School.

5.

Martin Kemp grew up in north London and attended Central Foundation Boys' School, Islington.

6.

Kemp's life changed when Steve Dagger, the manager of his brother Gary's band the Gentry, suggested Martin should replace the band's bass-player.

7.

Martin Kemp learned to play bass in three months and performed for the first time with the Gentry at a college party.

8.

Martin Kemp appeared in several Hollywood films, including Waxwork II: Lost in Time and Embrace of the Vampire.

9.

In 1995, Martin Kemp moved back to the United Kingdom and took a break from acting for a short while, recovering from removal of two benign brain tumours.

10.

Martin Kemp resumed his acting career in 1998 when he made a guest appearance in the ITV police drama series The Bill.

11.

Martin Kemp went on to become popular for his role as villain Steve Owen in the BBC's top soap opera, EastEnders, from December 1998.

12.

Martin Kemp was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1999, when he was surprised by Michael Aspel while filming a scene for EastEnders.

13.

Martin Kemp won three TV Quick Awards for Best Soap Actor, a National Television Award for Most Popular Actor and five British Soap Awards for his work on EastEnders.

14.

Martin Kemp signed a contract with ITV in 2002 and starred in several television dramas, including The Brides in the Bath, in which he played real-life murderer George Smith, and Can't Buy Me Love opposite fellow EastEnders star Michelle Collins, which was based on a true story about a man who conned his wife and friends into believing he had won the lottery.

15.

Martin Kemp starred in the short-lived crime drama series Family in 2003.

16.

Martin Kemp starred in a low-budget British film titled Back in Business which had a limited release in a few cinemas in February 2007 and one month later was released on DVD.

17.

Martin Kemp founded his own production company and in March 2008 directed a low-budget 20-minute short film entitled Karma Magnet, which starred his brother Gary and featured Martin's wife and son, Shirlie and Roman.

18.

Martin Kemp hosted TV's 50 Hardest Men for Sky1 in July 2008 and guest-starred as Mr Burley in BBC drama series Waterloo Road.

19.

In November 2011 Martin Kemp appeared as a contestant on the second series of ITV's 71 Degrees North but quit after three days.

20.

Martin Kemp was announced as the thirteenth celebrity to participate in the summer series of Celebrity Big Brother 2012.

21.

Martin Kemp appeared in the final episode and was placed third on 7 September 2012.

22.

From February to April 2016, Martin Kemp appeared as The Childcatcher in the UK and Ireland tour of the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, alongside Jason Manford, Phil Jupitus and Michelle Collins.

23.

In December 2021, Martin Kemp appeared as Father Christmas as part of a government campaign to encourage people to get their coronavirus vaccinations ahead of the Christmas holidays.

24.

The plate is unnoticeable but not undetectable; during an appearance on the Frank Skinner Show in 2002, Martin Kemp jokingly remarked he could never slip quietly through metal-detectors at airports, as the plate would set the alarm off.

25.

On 20 January 2006, Martin Kemp opened a new CT scanning suite at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, West Midlands.

26.

Martin Kemp is a lifelong Arsenal fan, having been born and raised in the Highbury area.