Roman Kemp says George Michael is the reason he stayed in the UK
Roman Kemp has George Michael to thank for being raised in the UK.
The 28-year-old star - who is the son of Martin Kemp and Shirlie Holliman - was born in Los Angeles and his parents were thinking about making a full-time switch to the US before George convinced them otherwise.
Roman - who is the godson of the late pop star - shared: "This huge row kicked off between my mum and George. I’d seen them argue before, but this was pretty big. And so much so that I think he actually stormed off.
"I remember seeing him drive away. It was all about, ‘You can’t take your kids there. Don’t put [Roman's sister] Harley and Roman in that world. They need to be as far away from there as possible.’ I’m grateful for that. I couldn’t be happier that I didn’t go."
Roman also revealed that George - who died in 2016, aged 53 - often overshadowed his parents during the festive season.
Speaking to the 'At Your Leisure' podcast, Roman explained: "George would bring gifts for me and my sister and there would be this awkward moment. His gifts were way better than my parents'.
"My dad bought me a bike, he bought me a Batmobile."
Roman was born at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, shortly after Martin and Shirlie arrived in the city.
And while having a baby in a US hospital was an expensive experience, it did create one unintended benefit for their son.
Martin - who starred in the band Spandau Ballet - previously explained: "It was quite an experience having a baby when you've got no family or friends there. It gave Roman an American passport at the end of the day, which I didn't intend for!"
