Roman Kemp and Tom Grennan have opened up about the reality of making friends in the public eye, in a revealing episode of their podcast You About?.
The pair spoke honestly about how fame has affected their ability to build trust with new people and how their long-standing friendship gives them both a sense of stability.
Tom shared how a past incident, involving a broken jaw from an unprovoked attack, led to a difficult time in his life and made him wary of trusting new people.
He said: “There was a big group of us, and I was let down by a lot of them… that then led to so much more, mentally and physically. PTSD basically.”
He admitted it’s still hard for him to open up to new people in music: “I think I’ve found it hard to make friends mate, in the music industry… I’ve got the biggest fear of being a beg.”
Tom says he avoids networking events and small talk, preferring to stay grounded with close friends and his wife, who he describes as his best mate.
Roman empathised, adding that even his dad, Martin Kemp, says he doesn’t really have friends, just family. “I asked him who his best mate is and he said ‘you’, then my mum and my sister,” he revealed.
The conversation also included a light-hearted revelation from Tom about his wife. “She really loves you mate,” he told Roman. “She actually fancied you at one point. I’ve never mentioned that, but she did. She’s gonna hate me for that!”
Despite some vulnerability, both agreed that having a core group of close friends and one another, was enough. Tom said their friendship works because they understand each other’s worlds: “I’ve got somebody who I can be like, what do you think of this? What do you think of that?”
Roman offered reassurance, suggesting Tom shouldn’t feel bad about being cautious. “You’ve got those core people. So once you’ve got those core people, you don’t need anyone else. The rest is a bonus,” he said.
Catch up with the boys every Tuesday, and their deeper dives in bonus episodes every Friday.
