Martin Kemp reveals George Michael got him his role in EastEnders

Martin Kemp has revealed that the late George Michael got him his role as Steve Owen in EastEnders, with the Careless Whisper singer demanding he wear one of his jumpers on the show in return. 

Speaking on his show Martin and Roman’s Weekend Best on Saturday, the Spandau Ballet star, 59, recalled how George, who passed away in 2016, was a huge fan of the BBC soap and orchestrated him landing the part of the Walford bad boy.

Martin, whose wife Shirlie Kemp (née Holliman) starred with George in Wham! in the 1980s, told how George ‘loved’ him wearing his clothes on the BBC soap after he had ‘snuck’ on a jumper. 

Wow: Martin Kemp has revealed that the late George Michael got him his role as Steve Owen in EastEnders, with the Careless Whisper singer demanding he wear one of his jumpers on the show in return

Speaking about the late chart-topper, Martin explained: ‘George was such an EastEnders fan. He got me the part, in EastEnders, as Steve Owen. Yeah, he pushed me through the door! 

‘Then he said to me, “One thing I want in return… here’s one of my jumpers, sneak it on one day, you have to wear it in one of the scenes!”‘

Guest Shane Richie, 57, then asked: ‘Did you actually do it?’ with Martin replying: ‘Yeah I did yeah, I sneaked it on and put it on for him and he loved it!’

Sharing how much the singer was a big fan of the soap, Shane then added: ‘And he loved June Brown (Dot Cotton)!’, with Martin stating: ‘He was a beautiful, beautiful man. I can’t speak highly enough of him.’

Legend: Speaking on his show Martin and Roman's Weekend Best on Saturday, the Spandau Ballet star, 59, recalled how George, who passed away in 2016, was a huge fan of the BBC soap and orchestrated him landing the part of the Walford bad boy

Legend: Speaking on his show Martin and Roman’s Weekend Best on Saturday, the Spandau Ballet star, 59, recalled how George, who passed away in 2016, was a huge fan of the BBC soap and orchestrated him landing the part of the Walford bad boy

Meanwhile after introducing guest Shane, the show aired a clip of his 2003  music video of his version of Wham! track I’m Your Man, with Shane later adding he didn’t feel George approved of his interpretation.

After watching the clip, Shane said: ‘It’s interesting looking at that video because I know you knew George, and I met George. And on his 40th birthday was a trip around Albert Square, that’s what he wanted.

‘And then I did that [his cover] and I don’t think he liked my version.’ 

Memories: Martin, whose wife Shirlie Kemp (née Holliman) starred with George in Wham! in the 1980s, told how George 'loved' him wearing his clothes on the BBC soap after he had 'snuck' on a jumper

Memories: Martin, whose wife Shirlie Kemp (née Holliman) starred with George in Wham! in the 1980s, told how George ‘loved’ him wearing his clothes on the BBC soap after he had ‘snuck’ on a jumper

Helping hand: Speaking about the late chart-topper, Martin explained: 'George was such an EastEnders fan. He got me the part, in EastEnders, as Steve Owen. Yeah, he pushed me through the door!'

Helping hand: Speaking about the late chart-topper, Martin explained: ‘George was such an EastEnders fan. He got me the part, in EastEnders, as Steve Owen. Yeah, he pushed me through the door!’ 

Old friends:  'Then he said to me, "One thing I want in return... here's one of my jumpers, sneak it on one day, you have to wear it in one of the scenes!"' (Martin pictured with George in 1984)

Old friends:  ‘Then he said to me, “One thing I want in return… here’s one of my jumpers, sneak it on one day, you have to wear it in one of the scenes!”‘ (Martin pictured with George in 1984)

Martin was quick to respond: ‘Oh no, I’m sure he didn’t, I’m sure he was flattered!’ 

To which Roman Kemp jumped in: ‘What had your character done, what had Alfie Moon done at that point? Because he took that very to heart!’

Back in October, Martin and Shirlie revealed that George was the one who set them up, noting that the Faith hitmaker ‘had a big hand in all their life’. 

Speaking on The One Show, Martin said that their close friend was the one who dialled his number on Shirley’s phone when they first got together. 

Oh no: Meanwhile after introducing guest Shane, the show aired a clip of his 2003 music video of his version of Wham! track I'm Your Man, with Shane later adding he didn't feel George approved of his interpretation

Oh no: Meanwhile after introducing guest Shane, the show aired a clip of his 2003 music video of his version of Wham! track I’m Your Man, with Shane later adding he didn’t feel George approved of his interpretation

Gutted: Shane said: 'On his 40th birthday was a trip around Albert Square, that's what he wanted. 'And then I did that [his cover] and I don't think he liked my version'

Gutted: Shane said: ‘On his 40th birthday was a trip around Albert Square, that’s what he wanted. ‘And then I did that [his cover] and I don’t think he liked my version’

He said: ‘He had a big hand in all our life to be honest. Putting us together. he was the guy that made the phone call to me to get Shirlie to come out. 

‘He dialled the numbers on the telephone. He got me the job in EastEnders.

‘He looked after us in more ways that you can ever imagine. You know, he found the surgeon that in the end made me better.’ [in reference to when he had a brain tumour in 1997]

Even though George dialled the number, Shirlie insisted that she still spoke and George didn’t ‘pretend to be her’.  

Shirlie, explaining how she felt about Martin when they first met, said: ‘I knew before I met him that I was going to marry him. 

'George set us up': Back in October, Martin and Shirlie revealed that George was the one who set them up, noting that the Faith hitmaker 'had a big hand in all their life'

‘George set us up’: Back in October, Martin and Shirlie revealed that George was the one who set them up, noting that the Faith hitmaker ‘had a big hand in all their life’

'He had a big hand in our life': As well as setting the couple up, Martin said George also got him an audition for EastEnders and found a surgeon who made him better after his brain tumour

‘He had a big hand in our life’: As well as setting the couple up, Martin said George also got him an audition for EastEnders and found a surgeon who made him better after his brain tumour

‘I’m very intuitive and we went to a nightclub – me, George and Andrew. This was very early days, I’m not even sure if Wham! was kind of happening then. 

‘We saw Spandau and George is nudging me going, “Spandau Ballet, Spandau Ballet”.

‘And I look over and I see Martin. Because George knows I fancied Martin. And I had this sensation that said, “You don’t need to meet him yet because you’re going to marry him”. 

‘It was just a voice. How do you explain that?’ 

The couple got married in 1988 and have two children: photographer Harley Moon, 31, and Capital Breakfast radio host Roman, 28. 

'He knew I fancied Martin': Shirlie revealed that fellow Wham! singer George (pictured together in 1986) nudged her in a nightclub when he spotted the Spandau Ballet star

‘He knew I fancied Martin’: Shirlie revealed that fellow Wham! singer George (pictured together in 1986) nudged her in a nightclub when he spotted the Spandau Ballet star

Family: The couple got married in 1988 and have two children: photographer Harley Moon, 31, and Capital Breakfast radio host Roman, 28 (pictured in 2019 with children Harley Moon and Roman)

Family: The couple got married in 1988 and have two children: photographer Harley Moon, 31, and Capital Breakfast radio host Roman, 28 (pictured in 2019 with children Harley Moon and Roman)