Martin Kemp on rows with brother Gary that ended in a ‘proper fist fight’

Martin Kemp previously recalled the rows he had with brother Gary that ended in “proper fist fights”.

The brothers shot to fame in the new romantic band Spandau Ballet, along with frontman Tony Hadley, drummer John Keeble and saxophonist Steve Norman.

Martin – who is on The Festive Pottery Throwdown on Sunday (December 29) – played bass guitar, while Gary was the lead guitarist.

However, Martin and Gary’s relationship hasn’t always been plain sailing. So much so, that the brothers often ended up fighting.

Martin and Gary Kemp in Spandau Ballet

Spandau Ballet quickly became a success and sold more tha 25 million albums worldwide. However, cracks began to appear within the group.

The band later split in the early 1990s due to a dispute over royalties.

In an interview with The Guardian from 2022, Martin reflected on his time in the group, as well as his relationship with Gary.

“If there were arguments, me and Gary could go into a room, argue it out. Even to the point where we used to have proper fist fights. Because the pressure of the whole thing was too much,” the EastEnders actor shared.

Martin on ‘fist fights’ with brother Gary

Martin then noted how the “fist fights” were the best form of communication for them. He explained: “Because I knew that me and Gary were the only ones that could do that. If two of the other boys had that fight, it would be all over.”

The musician went on to recall a fight he had with Gary – which caused an atmosphere that “wasn’t nice”. He recounted: “Once, we were rolling around on the floor, fighting. Then all of a sudden we called it off.

“And we’d walk outside and the others would be standing around as if the band was finished. And you could feel the atmosphere that you’d created. And it wasn’t nice.”

Martin was ‘mediator’ in Spandau Ballet

Meanwhile, in 2021, Martin revealed he played the role of peacekeeper when the band ended up splitting.

“I was the mediator, I tried to make sure that everybody was happy all the time,” he shared on The Jonathan Ross Show.

He added: “Sometimes I was the go-between. I didn’t mind that, that was my role, that’s what I played. Just a shame I didn’t get paid for it.”

Watch Martin on The Festive Pottery Throwdown on Sunday (December 29) at 5:35pm on Channel 4.

Read more: The One Show viewers slam show for letting Roman Kemp interview famous mum and dad Martin and Shirlie