Roman Kemp regaled his I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Of Here! campmates with a touching story about George Michael that revealed what it was like having him as a godfather.
The Capital Radio DJ is the son of Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp and singer Shirlie Holliman, with George playing a big role in his parents getting together.
Speaking to his fellow contestants, Roman described the late singer as his “uncle”, describing him as “an amazing guy” who would compete with his parents to get him the best Christmas gift.
He said: “You’d see him at dinners, Christmas, the lot. It is really nice that all the memories I have are so nice, going on holidays, and having my parents compete with Christmas presents.
“One year, I must have been four or five and my dad bought me a bike, a Raleigh bike.
“I remember George came round to the house and brought in my present and he’d gone to Harrods and bought one of those electric cars but not just that, it was a Batmobile. I’ve still got it.”
He added: “Memories like that, they’re so nice to have but it’s strange because for me it was just my mum’s best mate.”
Roman also revealed that his mum Shirlie, who was a singer with George in the band Wham!, previously dated their eventual bandmate Andrew Ridgeley and it was through him that she met her eventual husband Martin.
He said: “My mother always said that she said to George Michael at a party that she was going to marry him (Martin).
“They were at some party and she didn’t want to speak to him (Martin) and one of George’s friends brought him over and they started talking and my dad gave my mum his phone number and my mum went back to George’s house and George forced my mum to call him.”
Roman went on: “But their first date, George went with them.
“My mum didn’t want to go on her own. They went to see Sade at the Camden Palace. My dad spent the whole date trying to get rid of him.”
George died on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53.
I’m A Celebrity airs nightly at 9pm on ITV.
