The Diary of a CEORoman Kemp: Why Communication Is More Important Than Ever | E123
CHAPTERS
- 4:20 – 14:40
High-Energy Childhood, Famous Parents, And Early Work Ethic
Roman describes being an attention-seeking, impression-loving kid, the influence of his older sister’s early work ethic, and growing up with two famous parents in music and film. He explains why he doesn’t feel professional pressure to ‘match’ their careers, but does feel pressure to emulate their long, stable relationship.
- •As a child he constantly performed impressions of teachers at home and had very high energy, joking he was ‘verging on ADHD.’
- •His sister Harley Moon’s drive—getting a Saturday job at 14, becoming a portrait photographer—gave him his sense of work ethic and competitive ‘need to keep up.’
- •Parents Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet, acting) and Shirlie (Wham!, Pepsi & Shirlie) were extremely supportive and never tied success to fame.
- •He rejects the narrative of living in their shadow; instead, he boxes their achievements as heroic and separate, while focusing on his own path.
- •The real pressure he feels from them is to have a loving, lasting relationship and avoid divorce, more than to achieve career milestones.
- 14:40 – 26:20
Teen Music Deals, Burnout, And Cleaning Toilets
Roman recounts signing a development deal with Universal at 15, being shuffled through bands and songwriting, and how emotional volatility and puberty made the industry overwhelming. He eventually quit, broke down in tears to his mother, and intentionally took a non-media job cleaning a gym to get distance.
- •Signed a Universal development deal at 15, which meant the label could use him on any project and own his output.
- •GCSEs suffered badly; he literally signed his name and walked out of some exams, getting a U in maths because he didn’t care.
- •Describes the emotional rollercoaster of being in young bands like a youth footballer repeatedly cut from teams.
- •At 18, after three years, he felt it was ‘too much’ and quit, crying to his mum that he couldn’t do it anymore.
- •Took a job cleaning toilets and gym equipment for about 18 months—‘glorified toilet cleaner’—to escape media and reset.
- 26:20 – 28:20
Rediscovering Creativity: Cameras, YouTube, And Football Daily
Missing creativity, Roman used his gym wages to buy a DSLR and started filming grime videos and YouTube content. Inspired by schoolmates like KSI, he realized online careers were possible. A simple football prank video idea led to him unexpectedly stepping in front of the camera and discovering presenting.
- •Learned to film and edit, shot videos for rapper friends and grime artists to make side money, and made fun content for YouTube on weekends.
- •Seeing classmates like KSI and Simon succeed online proved such careers were real, countering limiting beliefs tied to class and opportunity.
- •Pitched a football pick-up line video to Football Daily; they asked him to present because it was cheaper and faster than hiring someone else.
- •That role snowballed into more on-screen time—chatting about football, doing prank content—and led to gigs with Channel 4, MTV, and Capital as a roving reporter.
- •He insists he never set out to be a presenter; he would have been happy behind the camera and still intends to direct a feature film by age 60.
- 28:20 – 35:00
Redefining ‘Luck’ And Creating Your Own Opportunities
Challenged by public assumptions of nepotism, Roman shares his mother’s definition of luck and how he consciously prepared for opportunities in football media. The discussion with Steven broadens into how sending cold emails at 3 a.m. or flipping a metaphorical coin 1,000 times drastically increases the chances of ‘lucky’ breaks.
- •Admits even as a ‘celebrity kid’ he’s caught himself thinking Brooklyn Beckham got opportunities ‘because of his dad,’ revealing how pervasive that bias is.
- •States plainly that his dad couldn’t ‘hook him up’ in radio because he wanted a different field and had to build his own path.
- •His mum told him: luck is preparation meeting opportunity; he embraced that, putting in reps and learning football deeply.
- •Steven shares his own ‘lucky’ 3 a.m. email that led to £5,000 in investment, arguing he earned that luck by being awake and hustling.
- •They liken luck to getting 10 heads in a row on a coin: flip it 1,000 times and it becomes likely, showing that persistent effort creates chance.
- 35:00 – 1:00:40
Cracking Capital Radio: Graveyard Shifts And Redefining The Show
Roman explains entering Capital through demos and low-audience outside broadcasts, then hustling for a tiny 1–4 a.m. weekend slot. He used ‘air miles’ to master the desk and later transformed a ‘dead’ Saturday 5–8 p.m. show with YouTubers and games into a ratings hit, fulfilling his 10-year goal in just three.
- •First did demos, then outside broadcasts from places like Wimbledon queues—work he calls ‘rubbish’ but crucial practice.
- •Got given 1–4 a.m. every other weekend; saw it as a safe space to make mistakes because no bosses were listening.
- •Set a personal target at age 21–22: to host the Capital Breakfast show within 10 years; he achieved it in about 2.5–3 years.
- •Preached relentless self-advocacy: he constantly knocked on bosses’ doors insisting he was better than existing hosts and pitching improvements.
- •Took an undesirable Saturday 5–8 p.m. slot and redesigned it around YouTubers, games, and a ‘vibe’ for 20-somethings, achieving record ratings.
- •Pushes the idea that no job is truly ‘bad’ if you extract at least one lesson from it.
- 1:00:40 – 1:11:40
Joe’s Suicide And Making A Documentary As Self-Therapy
Roman details his relationship with Joe, his producer and best friend, and the shock of Joe’s suicide in August. Within two months he began making a BBC documentary on male suicide, partly to educate himself on signs, science, and prevention, and partly to process the trauma.
- •Joe was the first person Roman met at Capital, sat two feet away daily for six years, and taught him everything about radio.
- •Roman would have ranked Joe last among friends likely to die by suicide, underscoring how misleading outward happiness can be.
- •He describes feeling handed a ‘piece of paper’ saying everything he thought he knew about suicidal people was wrong.
- •Started filming the documentary in November—just two months after Joe’s death—because creativity is the only tool he knew to process pain.
- •Used the project to meet survivors, psychiatrists, and professors, turning it into his own therapy and education.
- •Reframes the film not as a suicide documentary but as one about friendship and the responsibility we have to our mates.
- 1:11:40 – 1:21:20
Understanding Male Mental Health: Beyond Social Media And Into Schools
Roman rejects simplistic blame of social media and focuses instead on toxic masculine norms, untreated depression, and the lack of emotional tools taught from childhood. He shares alarming stats about schools ignoring mental health obligations and the long-term impact of the pandemic on kids.
- •Argues social media can be both harmful and inspiring; it is not the singular cause of rising mental illness.
- •Believes toxic masculinity and self-imposed pressures—body, money, job, family, status—are central for men, amplified by no training in emotional coping.
- •Notes that depression has always existed; what’s changed is recognition and reporting, plus massive stressors like the pandemic.
- •Criticizes the UK government for ignoring mental health implications of lockdowns, especially isolation and long-term trauma for children.
- •Highlights that 100% of schools sign health and safety documents for physical harm, but only about 2% sign equivalent mental health declarations.
- •Calls school ‘the most traumatic time in anyone’s life’ and argues it’s negligent that schools can essentially say kids’ mental health is ‘nothing to do with us.’
- 1:21:20 – 1:30:00
Roman’s Own Breakdown And The ‘Mike Tyson’ Brain
Roman recounts a day when he planned to kill himself by jumping in front of a train. He vividly describes the mental breakdown as a paranoid, non-logical storm where every possible worry attacks at once, likening his brain to Mike Tyson beating him up while he has no boxing training.
- •Remembers being at home in his underwear, unable to stop crying, with his head spinning over logical and illogical fears.
- •Describes the feeling as a magnified ‘hangover paranoia’ times a million, with endless internal voices criticizing every aspect of his life.
- •Decided the only way to stop the barrage was to kill himself, settling on jumping in front of a train.
- •His mum called or responded to his texts at that exact moment, stayed on the phone an hour, and reached his house quickly, though he barely remembers her arrival.
- •Explains that many men say their calmest, clearest moment is when they’ve decided on suicide, because they feel finally in control.
- •Emphasizes that this sense of clarity is deceptive; suicide is not the answer and most would take it back if they could.
- 1:30:00 – 1:40:00
Pain Transfer, Survivor Anger, And The Hidden Toll Of Suicide
Roman wrestles with the idea of selfishness in suicide, explaining that while the act may not feel selfish to the person, it inevitably transfers immense pain to those left behind. He openly admits hating Joe for months after his death and shares how widely each suicide radiates trauma.
- •Cites an estimate that about 180 people are affected by every single suicide.
- •For two months after Joe’s death, Roman felt cold and furious: ‘How could you leave me, your mum, your dad, your sister?’
- •Believes Joe would apologize and admit he ‘made a mistake’ if he were here now.
- •Notes that over 90% of people who die by suicide do not leave a note, despite Hollywood myths.
- •Discusses language change from ‘commit suicide’ to ‘took his own life,’ because ‘commit’ frames it as a criminal act.
- •Warns that men tend to choose more immediately lethal methods, which explains why women may call crisis services more but men die more often.
- 1:40:00 – 1:58:00
From ‘Men Should Talk’ To ‘Friends Must Ask Twice’
Challenging mainstream mental health messaging, Roman insists the burden cannot be on the most distressed person to initiate conversation. He outlines a practical approach where friends proactively check in on each other, ask twice, and accept responsibility as potential ‘heroes’ for their mates.
- •Says telling depressed men ‘you should talk’ is misguided; in that state, speaking up is often the last thing they want.
- •Argues the pressure must be on friends to start the conversation and push gently past first glib answers.
- •Introduces the ‘two okay rule’: ask ‘Are you okay?’ at the start of a chat, then later ask again more seriously.
- •In corporate talks, he challenges people to pick three frequent contacts and apply this rule, predicting they’ll uncover new information in at least one case.
- •Emphasizes London’s treadmill culture, where conversations default to ‘What do you do?’ and transactional thinking instead of ‘Are you okay?’
- •Expresses regret that no one had this framework for him before Joe died; he’s convinced he might have spotted something if he’d known to ask better questions.
- 1:58:00 – 2:13:20
Fame, Fans, And Protecting Private Moments
Roman reflects on growing up around fame, from proudly announcing his dad as ‘Steve Owen’ in school to being the kid holding cameras for fan photos. He and Steven discuss the exhausting side of recognition, intrusive encounters at football matches, and his father’s rule about not taking hero selfies.
- •Fame has always been his ‘normal’; from childhood, he watched strangers approach his parents in pubs, restaurants, and football grounds.
- •As a kid he loved it, once telling a visiting fireman at school, ‘You may think that’s cool, but my dad’s Steve Owen.’
- •His father taught him not to ask celebrities for photos, emphasizing presence—‘enjoy that moment’—over external validation.
- •Roman prefers fans who say something meaningful about his work over people demanding quick pictures and running away.
- •He acknowledges fame as a ‘con’ of his job; the ‘pro’ is doing fun, meaningful work like waking up the nation.
- •Predicts that as attention intensifies (e.g., for Steven with Dragons’ Den) there’s a risk of becoming more introverted and avoiding public spaces.
- 2:13:20 – 2:31:00
Celebrity Happiness: Values, Friend Circles, And The Dark Side Of Success
Drawing on proximity to George Michael and many superstars, Roman contrasts those grounded by family and old friends with those adrift in yes-men and loneliness. He cites Ed Sheeran and Niall Horan as examples of healthy fame, while expressing concern for child stars like Justin Bieber who never had time to form real friend groups.
- •Learned early from George Michael that increased fame doesn’t bring more fun; it often erodes trust and relationships.
- •Says artists with strong friend groups and family values—like Ed Sheeran with childhood sweetheart Cherry and Niall Horan with his schoolmates—tend to be happier.
- •Notes that Niall’s cousins and friends constantly ‘kill him’ with banter, keeping him grounded.
- •Justin Bieber, taken by fame as a pre-teen, had no chance to form a normal friend network and had to find grounding later through faith and marriage.
- •Roman has privately reached out to some famous people he barely knows because their energy worried him.
- •Argues that wealth can buy happiness for a while, but that ‘runs out’ like a bank balance if not anchored by deeper meaning and relationships.
- 2:31:00 – 2:50:20
Relationships, Fear Of Resentment, And Wanting A Family
Roman opens up about being single, his intense desire for a family like his parents’, and why he’s wary of getting into relationships while work and grief dominate his life. He fears partners resenting him or feeling diminished beside public praise for him, and he gravitates to women with their own strong paths.
- •Says his biggest fear in life is not being able to have kids; he sees his purpose as ‘to make other people that are nice.’
- •Admits he’s been an ‘arsehole’ in past relationships, letting work and lifestyle get in the way.
- •Fears a partner resenting his success or feeling inferior, echoing how people always focused on his dad over his equally successful mum.
- •Tries to choose partners he can ‘raise up’ as much as the outside world raises him, often preferring women who are busy and thriving in their own careers.
- •Rarely dates English women and likes when someone has no idea who he is or what he does.
- •Feels that right now he couldn’t give a partner what they deserve—he’s too work-focused and likes his own space—so he’s choosing not to commit yet.
- 2:50:20
Purpose, Radio, And Checking In On Himself
Looking ahead, Roman rejects the assumption that TV is the ‘next step,’ insisting he already has his dream job hosting breakfast radio. He shares how the pandemic deepened his bond with listeners and, when asked the ‘are you okay?’ question himself, admits he’s tired but fundamentally happy and better equipped to fight his mental battles.
- •At 28, he sees Capital Breakfast as the best job in the UK and isn’t rushing toward a TV pivot.
- •Loves that radio frees him from panic over constant social media posting; he already speaks to millions weekly.
- •During COVID, his dad pressured him not to take holiday because listeners ‘needed’ him; he now sees that period as a powerful shared journey.
- •When Steven applies his own ‘ask twice’ lesson—‘How are you doing?’—Roman says he’s mostly okay but has bad days rethinking everything.
- •Sometimes fantasizes about quitting, moving somewhere quiet, and living a modest life away from suicide conversations and fame.
- •Ultimately feels proud of the last five years, trusts his ability to navigate the next five, and is grateful for parents, friends, and the mental tools he’s built.
- •Says he can be ‘more authentically’ himself by being off his phone more, referencing his pure happiness during I’m a Celebrity when he had no device or expectations.
