He is one of Britain’s favourite television actors, pulling in millions of viewers last week for his screen marriage in EastEnders; he starred in acclaimed movie The Krays; and before he switched to acting he chalked up a record 15 top 20 hits with Eighties pop group Spandau Ballet.

But as he sits at home with wife Shirley by his side, Martin Kemp admits he actually sees his greatest achievement as something he accomplished quietly, away from the spotlight – his painfully honest autobiography True, which tells of his battle against two brain tumours.

Unlike many celebrity authors, Martin refused to have a ghost writer help him, instead sitting up into the small hours typing out his story on a computer. After he was still recovering from the removal of his first tumour, “I knew I had another one growing inside my head” he tells us. “I would get up and put my feelings down on paper for my children Harley 11 and Roman eight in case things went wrong and I didn’t make it. I never intended for it to be published as a book, it was simply for them.”

Today, Martin is fit and well, glowing with health. His doctors have given him the all-clear and the only reminder of his former illness is a five-yearly-check. He is happy and settled working on EastEnders and his many fans will be delighted to learn that he’s just confirmed to HELLO! that he’s signed a new one-year contract with the show.

For the full story on Martin’s amazing recovery, see this week’s issue of HELLO!, on sale now.