I’m A Celeb star makes tragic end of life confession: ‘Living with a time b.o.mb’

The ITV reality star admitted “it is amazing how quickly you accept everything – everybody d!es”.

ITV

Martin Kemp thought he was going to d!e for two years 

One I’m A Celeb star has made a poignant end of life confession after making waves on the 2025 edition of the ITV reality show. Martin Kemp followed in his son Roman’s footsteps and headed into the Australian jungle alongside the likes of Angry Ginge, Ruby Wax and Aitch this year – though he didn’t make it to the final.

Now Martin has made an emotional admission after being diagnosed with two brain tumours in 1995, which left him fighting for his life. Treated with radiotherapy in a pioneering technique at the time, Martin said he felt like he was “living with a time b.o.m.b” as he adjusted to the health battle. In an interview with The Telegraph, he said: “I had two years of living on the edge.

 

“I survived a fear that really shook me at first. Waiting for the second big old tumour to be treated was like living with a time b.o.m.b.

“At my worst, when I was in the hospital, I had to stop my parents and my brother coming to see me, because they just depressed me. I would watch them standing there at the end of the bed worrying and I wanted it all to be… y’know, fine.”

He added: “But it is amazing how quickly you accept everything. Everybody d!es. We all live with mortality. What I found was that I accepted that quicker than I expected.”

"The Blitz Club

Martin now lives with epilepsy (Image: Getty)

Martin spent two years of his life thinking he was going to die – and now, he admitted on a podcast: “Every day, every year, every month that I’ve lived has been a bonus. When I was 34 and I went through that brain tumour stuff, I was practically resigned to the fact I was gonna die.”

Martin developed epilepsy after his brain surgery to remove the benign tumours, and manages the condition with medication.

He said: “The things that happened to me after my operation resulted from bruising and trauma to the brain and, thank God, most of the effects disappeared.”