Roman Kemp, known for his role on The One Show, recently disclosed that he was invited to participate in Strictly Come Dancing but declined due to personal reasons. The 32-year-old, who gained fame as a presenter on Capital Radio, is the son of Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp and former WHAM! singer Shirlie Holliman. Starting with a Sunday morning slot, Roman later transitioned to the breakfast show in 2017 before leaving in 2024 following the passing of his colleague Joe Lyons.
Since 2022, Roman has co-hosted The One Show with Alex Jones. He has also made appearances on shows like I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Here! where he finished third in 2019, and Celebrity Gogglebox. Despite being approached to join the popular BBC One program Strictly Come Dancing, Roman cited his sensitivity to criticism as the main reason for declining the opportunity.
During an episode of his podcast with singer Tom Grennan, Roman expressed his reluctance, saying, “I’m very sensitive, and I think it would terrify me. I love and respect the show a lot, but it’s just not for me.” He acknowledged Dani Dyer’s recent withdrawal from the show due to injury and emphasized the challenges contestants face.
Roman mentioned that he believes Tom would excel on Strictly, although he joked about his own potential struggles due to his “dodgy ankles.” Meanwhile, former Love Island contestant Dani Dyer had to pull out of the show after fracturing her ankle during rehearsals. She expressed disappointment over missing the opportunity to dance but wished the remaining contestants well.
Following Dani’s exit, West End star and former Love Island contestant Amber Davies stepped in as her replacement. Strictly Come Dancing is set to return on BBC One at 6.18 pm tomorrow, October 4.
