Shirlie Kemp has opened up about the challenges she has faced designing the dining room of the couple’s Hertfordshire home, revealing she has redecorated it three times without success
Daniel Windham Assistant Editor
19:00, 14 Dec 2025
Shirlie and Martin Kemp(Image: Getty Images)
Martin Kemp has admitted to “struggling” with the constant home alterations as his wife, singer Shirlie Kemp, grapples with perfecting the design of a particular room in their house. Shirlie, who shot to fame in the 1980s as part of Wham! and later as one half of Pepsi and Shirlie, recently shared her ongoing dissatisfaction with the couple’s dining room.
Despite residing in their Hertfordshire home for approximately four years, Shirlie revealed that the room has seen numerous makeovers, none of which have hit the mark. The 63-year-old voiced her frustrations on the Three Rooms podcast: “That’s the other thing that my husband finds hard, so, since I’ve been in this house, I think I’ve redecorated the dining room three times.
“We still haven’t got it right, we’ve only been here, maybe four years. It needs to go through one more this year, but I can’t get my dining room right. And I keep thinking, is it because it doesn’t want to be a dining room. Yeah, the house is trying to tell me no, this isn’t the dining room,” reports the Mirror.
These remarks offer a glimpse into the domestic life of the Kemps, who tied the knot in 1988. The pair crossed paths during the peak of their music careers, with Martin playing bass for Spandau Ballet and Shirlie collaborating closely with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Their union has stood as one of the most enduring relationships to emerge from the 1980s pop scene.
Shirlie Kemp(Image: ITV screengrab)
The couple have two children: radio and television personality Roman Kemp, born in 1993, and their daughter Harley Moon, born in 1989, who is a songwriter and creative consultant. Despite their high-profile careers, Martin and Shirlie have largely kept their family life private, opting to reside outside London in their later years.
Martin, fresh from his stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity in the Australian wilderness, has been keeping himself occupied with home improvement tasks. Speaking about his time on the series, Kemp said the highlights were “without a doubt” his campmates. He said: “Just sitting around, not even the trials and stuff like that, but sitting around, talking and lots of laughs.
“I’m not one for making new friends, and this is the first time I’ve done it for years, and I absolutely loved it. “Coming out now, I feel like I’ve done it. I feel like I’ve done everything I wanted to do, experienced it, and I can walk away with some brilliant anecdotes.
Shirlie and Martin Kemp(Image: Getty Images)
“I think I learned a lot about myself as well, about how patient I am, in a way, and also how emotional I am. Every turn, I felt like crying a lot of the time and it’s quite nice sometimes.” At 64, the Spandau Ballet musician has completely revamped his family abode into a charming cottage alongside his wife, Shirlie.
The pair have given fans a glimpse into their renovation journey throughout the process. They have been regularly updating followers on their progress as they transform their Victorian property into their dream haven – a much-needed respite for Martin after enduring long periods sleeping in a hammock amid wildlife.
Martin Kemp is evicted from camp and is met by wife Shirlie Kemp(Image: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)
Shirlie has been chronicling the makeover on their shared Instagram account, Maison Number 9. The former Pepsi star frequently shares videos of herself diligently working in the garden, which she is currently preparing for the festive season.
The couple are renowned for their enduring and supportive relationship, and the recent revelation appears to mirror the light-hearted disagreements that often arise during home refurbishment projects. There is no sign of strain, with Shirlie anticipating at least one more revamp before settling on the room’s ultimate function.