Q&A with Martin Kemp
Martin Kemp is a judge on BBC One’s brand new Saturday night entertainment show, Let It Shine.
Published: 4 January 2017
With any band, as you progress everyone's real personalities come out, and that's when it can all turn sour. The responsibility of picking the right guys who aren't going to upset the apple cart down the line, that's the tough part.
How did your involvement in the show come about?
They asked me to do it, it was as simple as that. I feel because my experience spreads over several different fields, it's not just about being in a band - there's more to it, like acting. When you're in a band part of it is performance, I think that's where I come in.
Did you know Gary personally before the show?
I'd never been friendly with Gary as we'd never met on that kind of level, but we've shaken hands before. He's one of the nicest men and it's been a real pleasure working with him.
Are you a fan of Take That?
When Take That came around my band had just come to an end and I was settling into acting life. We used to have a nanny who was obsessed with Take That. She was in love with Mark Owen and her room in our house would be plastered with Take That posters. Whenever I used to walk in the door she would be playing Take That songs to Harley, my daughter. That's when I fell in love with the song A Million Love Songs, that song means a lot to me. They are a great bunch of lads and they have great songs - it's always the songs that make bands last. You can do whatever you want but if you don't have the songs you won't last five minutes.
Is Gary a fan of your music?
He did tell me he loved Spandau. That's always a compliment, in those days the two bands up and running were us and Duran Duran. It's one of the things I'm most proud of because I love those competitions between bands, whether it's Oasis versus Blur, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones or us and Duran Duran.
What was it about this show that appealed to you?
It's obviously a talent show, but it's a talent show with a lot of heart. That's what really appealed to me, it sounded so warm and hopefully that will come across.
What's surprised you the most?
I think for me it's just how emotionally involved I have become with the show. That's surprised me a lot. I've been in this business a long time and I have never felt like this on any TV show before. It's the sort of feeling I get when I am doing some sort of drama and I've worked myself up into an emotional state to play a part. I've never had this feeling before. I'm emotionally involved in the journey of these boys, you can't be flippant about it, when we're discussing them you've got to remember you're responsible for the rest of their lives. You can't help but feel emotionally involved, but it's one of the nicest, warmest and most rewarding shows I have ever been involved with.
Is it nice that you're offering someone a job and not instant fame?
That's right, it's a job they are working towards and that's why our boys are working harder. They're not kids sitting in their bedrooms thinking they just want to be famous. They are kids that are actually saying they want to work, they want a job, the platform we're giving them is huge. The kids that make it through and take the job for 12 months, it won't just stop there, at the end of it there will be a whole new world opening up to them. They can go off and be in other shows, do whatever they want, they've had a huge springboard into the next part of their life.
How good is the standard of contestants you've seen on the show?
The standard of talent on this show is huge. I've been incredibly impressed not just by the standard but also by how quickly they learn and have developed. To watch their development is what I've loved, and it takes real talent to do what they have done. When you watch some kids who are completely out of their comfort zone but still giving it their all and doing a great job. I'm impressed.
Did you disagree with the other judges about the talent on stage?
Yeah, absolutely. It wouldn't be fair on the boys or a natural process if we didn't care and just sat back going, 'What do you think?'. We have to say what we think, and that doesn't necessarily mean we agree on things, but you have to put your side across. Sometimes you might pick someone who just does something to you that you can't explain, the others might see it in a different way; it's a nice surprise but you have to have the discussion. In the back of our minds we all have the same goal - we all just want to colour it slightly differently.
Gary has said you are looking at personality as well as talent because one 'bad egg' could ruin it for everyone...
Of course it does, but it's a very difficult thing because over a short period of time they can all be good eggs - it takes a little time for that to come out. At the moment they are all on the same level, all starting out. The hardest thing with any band is that as you progress everyone starts to become a little different and their real personalities come out. That's when it can all turn sour, it's how long you can then keep it going. So the responsibility of picking those guys and hopefully getting the right ones who aren't going to upset the apple cart down the line, that's the tough part.
Your career has lasted so long, what is the secret to a long career?
When I was young, I first went into the theatre which opened up across from my house. My mum and dad put me in there, not to become an actor or anything but to get rid of my shyness, which was so bad, to the point it was painful. My time there was all about encouragement and improvisation. I think improvisation is a skill, that if you learn it at a really young age then you can use it for the rest of your life, whether that’s acting or singing.
