Martin Kemp has opened up about the struggles of recovery and remaking a career after being diagnosed with two brain tumours. The Spandau Ballet bassist was diagnosed with two benign brain tumours in the 90s and had to undergo radiotherapy and surgery to remove them, alongside having a metal plate inserted beneath his scalp.
After spending years recovering from the traumatic health scare, Martin, 63, shocked his friends and fans by joining EastEnders in 1998, and staying on the show for four years as villainous businessman Steve Owen. Martin spoke about his decision to join the BBC soap during a new interview with Greatest Hits Radio, and said that his time on the show changed his life for the better.
“This was a strange period in my life, I have to say,” Martin said while being shown a photo of Steve’s fashion. “For you to understand what EastEnders was to me, you have to understand what I’d just been through - and that was a four-year period of getting over brain tumours.
“I’ll give you an example. I was still in absolute recovery, if I wanted to walk left, I probably would have walked right. And if there was a door over there,” he said while gesturing in one direction and then the other. “I would have walked that way.”.
The actor added: “How I remembered the lines in the first place, let alone what I was gonna wear, I do not know. But some way I got around it, and I’ve always looked at Albert Square and EastEnders as a period in my life that was so good for me that you cannot imagine.”.
Martin admitted: “All of my friends, all of them said - when I got offered the part in EastEnders as Steve Owen - they all said ‘Don’t do it, it’ll ruin your career.’ But what they didn’t understand was I didn’t have a career. I was coming out of a four-year period that was probably the darkest moments in my life. And this show saved my life.”.
While Martin successfully had his brain tumours removed he suffers from epilepsy as a result of his illness and surgery, and admitted to his son Roman Kemp that he thought the health issue could still cut his life short. When asked how much longer he expects to live on their podcast FFS! My dad Is Martin Kemp, Martin replied: "I'll be really honest with you, 10 years.".
Martin then reflected on his past health scare, and shared with his son: "I was the age of 34 when I went through all that brain tumour scare and I went through two years of my life thinking I was going to die.". However, the Celebrity Gogglebox star said that being so aware of his own mortality has been a gift in some ways. "When I was 34 and I went through that brain tumour stuff, I was practically resigned to the fact I was gonna die,” he said.
“And I think, after that, everything else, every day, every year, every month that I've lived, every experience that I've had has been a bonus.”. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
