Roman Kemp has opened up about the profound impact of his friend’s suicide, admitting he feels he has failed in his mental health advocacy. The 31-year-old radio and television presenter, known for his upbeat Capital Breakfast show, revealed the emotional toll of losing colleague Joe Lyons in 2020.
Speaking from a tattoo parlour in Northern Ireland, where he was having a portrait of Thierry Henry inked on his shin, Kemp discussed the swallow tattoo he got in memory of Lyons. ‘I remember the day he got the tattoo, I was like, “Why have you got that?” I just kept rinsing him: “They’ve done it wrong. It looks like a pigeon.” Then after he died, I got it in the exact same position by the same artist,’ he said.
Kemp recalled the harrowing day of Lyons’s death, when he had to continue broadcasting on Capital Breakfast while learning the details. ‘I found out that he was in his house. I found out that he wasn’t breathing. I found out that he was dead in the space of two to three hours. Yeah, had to keep on broadcasting,’ he said. ‘I don’t remember the rest of the day. My brain just blanked it out.’
The presenter, who made a documentary about young men’s mental health after Lyons’s death, admitted he still struggles with feelings of failure. Despite his famous parents – Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet and Shirlie Kemp of Wham! – Kemp has forged his own career, growing Capital Breakfast’s audience to 2.5 million listeners. But he remains haunted by the loss of his friend, saying the experience changed his life.
