Roman Kemp smiling at event and Martin Kemp smiling while out
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Roman Kemp on teenage struggles and dad Martin’s frustration

Roman opened up about his struggles

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Roman Kemp once admitted his dad Martin would get “frustrated” with him as a teenager before his mental health diagnosis.

The radio presenter said his famous dad would question why he wasn’t “chirpy”.

Back in 2022, Roman said that during his teenage years he felt like he “was waking up with this grey cloud over my head”.

Roman Kemp walking alongside his dad Martin Kemp outside Global Radio
Roman said his dad Martin would get “frustrated” when he wasn’t “chirpy” (Credit: SplashNews.com)

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Speaking  as part of an event for Boots, Roman said: “When I was around 15, I had a lot of characteristics that people can brush aside as puberty. But at that time my mum was very much up on it.

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“And she was someone who was very much like, ‘I want you to tell me how you feel when you say that you don’t want to talk to someone.'”

Roman continued at the time: “I used to come downstairs in the morning and I remember my dad used to get so frustrated because he’d be like, ‘Why are you not chirpy?’

Roman Kemp looks serious during episode of Loose Men
Roman struggled with his mental health during his teenage years (Credit: ITV)

“‘Why are you not saying how are you? Why are you not asking me what my day is?’

“And the honest answer is I didn’t want to interact, I didn’t want a chat at all.”

Roman explained that his mum wanted to take him to the doctor.

He said his mum was “worried” because both her brother and her dad suffered from depression.

Roman added: “And so you know, we did some tests and the doctor ended up kind of diagnosing me with depression and that’s when I started my medication and therapy.”

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Sleep apnoea diagnosis

More recently, Roman opened up about his hopes of retiring early.

He discovered he has sleep apnoea, a disorder in which your breathing stops and starts while you sleep.

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Speaking to the MailOnline, Roman said: “I want a decade on air at least. I would love to be able to say I did a decade on that show – whether my bosses will allow that I don’t know.”

He added that the reason he works  is because he wants to “retire as a young person”.

Roman hosts The One Show on BBC One at 7pm and The Finish Line, also on BBC One, weekdays at 415.

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Rebecca Carter
Associate Editor (News)

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