Roman Kemp: Are You Really OK?

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This book really doesn't know what it wants to be. The cover and particularly the title leads oneself to believe that you're going to get at the very least something substantial on mental health. The reality is the contents (or at least the first two thirds of it, I'll get to why I didn't finish it) consist of some basic discussion of the topic but I actually felt the effectiveness of even this was undermined by the way in which the author switches to discussion of random things that have happened in his life, many of which being subjectively amazing experiences many could only dream of. If you’re worried someone you live with might harm themselves, stay with them and help them get emergency help.

The relationship with his brother has clearly been defining, loving and sometimes challenging. All the stresses and tensions of life in a five-man band seem to have been pressed through the funnel of the Kemps’ brotherhood. “It was always his band,” Kemp says. “We gave the impression that it was a joint democracy. But it wasn’t.” (The three non-sibling members would later sue Gary unsuccessfully for a share of the songwriting royalties.) They might need to set aside a few hours, because Gary features quite heavily. “I love Gary dearly,” Kemp says. He has a habit of reaching for an affirmation, especially a loving one, after saying something hard. In 2020, Kemp co-hosted a Sunday morning programme with his father, titled Martin & Roman's Sunday Best! on ITV from 14 June 2020. [20] On 19 November 2020, Kemp featured as a guest panellist on the ITV Daytime show Loose Women and was part of the first all male panel in the show's 21-year history. [21] In March 2021, Kemp presented a documentary on BBC Three, Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency, exploring the mental health and suicide crisis affecting young men. His friend, producer Joe Lyons, killed himself in August 2020. [22] Martin Kemp's son, who was recently announced as a permanent presenter on The One Show with co-host Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas, has been open about his struggle with depression after the death of his close friend and Capital FM producer Joe Lyons.Roman shares all the experiences that have shaped him, and why love, marriage and having his own family one day are so important to his future dreams.” I would recommend this book to anyone, whether you yourself are dealing with a mental health crisis, or a friend or loved one is, or if you just want some advice in case the situation arises. It’s not preachy, he doesn’t pretend to know everything, but you can tell he wants to use his friend’s death to make sure no-one has to go through the same thing. It was a pleasure to be joined by Roman Kemp to give a fascinating internal talk as we round off our Mental Health Awareness Month. Roman spoke to a member of our Thrive network committee for a frank and open conversation about mental health and suicide. We heard from Roman about why he has become an advocate for mental health and Roman discussed topics such as masking his own personal experiences of suicidal thoughts. Thank you to Roman for such an engaging session. My Darkest Hour and Brighter Days to Come” wasn’t an easy chapter to read. My heart broke, but it was clear to see how we can go from being “ok” to not and this really resonated with me.

Prior to his presenting career, Roman was a successful model, working for the likes of Dropdead and Topman. In 2020, he teamed up with Topman to launch his own collection of bandanas in collaboration with mental health charity Mind. a b Cherrington-Cook, Jayne (6 November 2019). "Capital FM DJ's surprising birth story revealed by dad". Yahoo . Retrieved 15 January 2023. Mind’s Get It Off Your Chest report, commissioned in partnership with the English Football League, showed men’s help-seeking behaviour and their ability to speak openly about their mental health has improved to a degree over the last decade. However, the report also revealed that 45 per cent of men say they feel worried or low more regularly than ten years ago, and are consequently twice as likely to feel suicidal. Therefore, by sharing experiences and highlighting what support is available, we can help others feel less alone, challenge stigma and encourage honest and open conversations. These days, if people think of the Kemps, they are more likely to picture Martin and his son Roman than Martin and Gary. He has surely overtaken his brother. “No. We’re a dynasty, I think,” Kemp says. And, sounding as if he is remembering how things were settled in childhood, adds: “We take it in turns.”He presented the 2023 BBC documentary Boot Dreams: Now or Never, about young footballers trying to gain a professional contract. [24] Since July 2023, Kemp has co-presented the quiz show The Finish Line on BBC1 with Sarah Greene. [25] Personal life [ edit ] Roman is clearly living a highly privileged life and I don't begrudge him that. That being said it doesn't put him in a good position to write a book on the subject of mental health for the masses. Possibly the best part of the book I read was that in which he shares his experiences of his friend and colleague dying by suicide. This is real and an experience that cuts across class divides. That being so folk in Roman's position are very much better equipped to cope with loss since access to mental health support in the UK and much of the world depends, to a large extent, on how wealthy you are. Roman simply can't speak to the experiences that the majority of those struggling with mental health face and as such the book perpetuates the narrative that if we all just got our mates talking a bit more or went for an extra walk everything would be alright. Whilst I’ve seen Roman in programmes such as DNA Journey and the documentary he did on mental health and suicide, I don’t listen to Capital Radio and so that side of his story was interesting to me. And I know of his parents and enjoyed their music but they were necessarily a family I followed (figuratively of course), but it was a real eye opener learning about them as people rather than just their names.