Martin and Shirlie Kemp's 'dirty weekend' has fans all saying the same thing


The Spandau Ballet star and the Pepsi & Shirlie star left fans urging them to have a career change


Martin Kemp in a suit and Shirlie Kemp in a blue floral dress© MelMedia
Nichola MurphyLifestyle Editor
August 6, 2025
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Roman Kemp's parents, Martin and Shirlie, caught their fans' attention by posting a photo of their "dirty weekend" on Instagram.

Fear not, it was not an intimate glimpse inside their long-lasting relationship, but instead a play on words to promote their appearance on Gardeners' World.

© Instagram
Roman Kemp's parents joked about their "dirty weekend"

Perched on an overturned wheelbarrow, the Spandau Ballet star, 63, wore ripped jeans, a white T-shirt and a blue gilet, while the Pepsi & Shirlie star posed in green waterproof boots, an oversized shirt and a straw hat.

In a playful nod to their love of gardening, which they often show off at their Victorian family home, they were both covered in splats of mud, and their pristine outfits were scattered with dry branches.

"@shirliekemp @maisonnumber9 @gardenersworldtv. 'Now that was a dirty weekend'", Martin joked in the caption, but it wasn't the cheeky comment that left fans flocking to the comments section. 

"Loved the Good Life - you would make a perfect Felicity Kendall," wrote one fan, and several others agreed.

"You should do the Good Life with your brother being the other family that is so funny. Just an idea," remarked another, while a third added: "You both look exactly like the Good Life, perhaps they should make a new one and cast [you] both in it."

Meanwhile, their countryside appearance also had followers drawing similarities to Worzel Gummidge and Aunt Sally.

Kemps' garden renovations

© Instagram
The couple have worked hard on making the garden at their Victorian home beautiful

Martin and Shirlie haven't been afraid to get their hands dirty away from the cameras.

The former EastEnders star recently admitted the garden at their Victorian home was "beyond saving" when they first moved in in 2021. After four years of hard work, they have finally reaped the fruits of their labour.

© Instagram
The Kemps are growing vegetables

What was originally a lawn of dull, patchy grass and an old greenhouse has been turned into an oasis of colourful plants and raised beds with homegrown fruits and vegetables.

A white iron outdoor furniture set is now positioned on a mini patio, with stepping stones through the surrounding gravel and a pergola overhead. They also removed a "derelict" greenhouse and transformed the old pig's shed into an outdoor office.

© Instagram
Martin and Shirlie Kemp converted an old pigshed

"Can you believe the transformation of this field with its derelict greenhouse that was beyond trying to save and also sitting under huge trees so there was no point in restoring it," Shirlie previously explained.

"Next year I’m hoping to add a greenhouse to really feel that whole gardening experience and of course, more flower beds as you can never have enough flowers."

Home transformation

Speaking of their "doer-upper" home, they told HELLO!: "We took an old house that was completely run down, and we knocked every single wall and ceiling down that you can imagine and we rebuilt something that would be perfect for us."

They added that they plan to add the "finishing touches" to their dream property.

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