Celebrity Race Across the World: Why Roman Kemp's sister Harleymoon refuses to be a nepo-baby
Harleymoon was 'put off' following in the footsteps of her famous mum and dadCelebrity Race Across the World‘s Roman Kemp and his sister Harleymoon have been issued a stark warning from their famous father.
The pair, who are taking on the BBC show together, have been ordered by their dad to make sure they win.
The brand new series, which kicks off on BBC One tonight, will see four celebrities and their loved ones trekking across Mexico.
They have limited cash, no access to the internet and are up against the clock. In the first episode, Harleymoon admits to her fellow competitors: “If we don’t win, our dad will kill us!”
But who is Harleymoon Kemp and where have you seen her before? And who is Harleymoon and Roman’s famous dad? Here, we find out!
Celebrity Race Across the World: Who is Harleymoon Kemp?
Harleymoon Kemp is Roman Kemp’s older sister. She is 36 years old, while Roman is 32. And they have very famous parents!
Harleymoon and Roman are the daughter and son of singers Martin Kemp and Shirlie Kemp (née Holliman). Martin is famed for being a member of the 80s pop group, Spandau Ballet. Shirlie was a backing singer for George Michael and Andrew Ridgely in Wham! She was later in the duo, Pepsi and Shirlie.
Harleymoon and Roman are Martin and Shirlie’s only children. George Michael, who died in 2016, is their godfather, along with Martin’s brother and Spandau Ballet co-star, Gary Kemp.
Speaking about their likeness to their parents, Harleymoon admits on Celebrity Race Across the World: “Mum and Roman are real worriers. They will think, ‘Oh, is that the right way?’ And me and my dad have not even noticed that there’s anything to worry about!”
Is Harleymoon Kemp a singer?
Harleymoon is in fact a singer and a songwriter. But rather than pop, her focus is country music. She also only recently decided to pursue a career in the music industry through fear of being branded a ‘nepo-baby’.
This came after an incident when she was 18 years old. Harleymoon visited a record label to play some songs she had written but was “put off”.
Speaking to CountryRadio.co.uk, Harleymoon previously said: “I was always scared. If your parents are successful musicians… well, I didn’t want to be judged on their success. I was really afraid of that.
“I remember going to a record label when I was 18 and they said, ‘Oh you’re so and so’s kid. We will give it a listen’. I know they didn’t really listen to it and I felt scared of the name attachment.
“It really put me off. So I ended up going down a photography route and did music in the background for other people.”
Thankfully, Harleymoon changed her mind as she got older and decided to forge ahead with her dreams. In 2020, her single Space hit number 1 in the UK Country Charts.
Harleymoon is set to perform her music in Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London next month.
What else is Harleymoon known for?
While working as a photographer, Harleymoon was also part of the crew for several movies and short films. Both the 2010 film Stalker and 2008 short film, Karma Magnet, were directed by her dad Martin. Harleymoon was among the camera and electrical crew.
She was also a producer for the music video for Impossible, by Nothing But Thieves, in 2020. Harleymoon still has her own Instagram page for photography and freelance directing. In October, she directed a commercial for the beauty brand JoJo Glow.
Harleymoon has previously described herself as “the invisible Kemp”, given the fame of her parents and younger brother Roman. Not for much longer, though!
When is Celebrity Race Around the World on?
Celebrity Race Around the World starts at 8pm on BBC One on Thursday November 8, 2025. The show will last a full hour and also stars actor Dylan Llewellyn and his mum Jackie, EastEnders star Molly Rainford and her partner, DJ Tyler West, and broadcaster Anita Rani and her dad Bal.
Unfortunately, if you find yourself enjoying it, you will have a full week to wait for the next episode. The show will continue to air in the 8pm slot on Thursdays.
Read more: Jonathan Ross admits watching The Celebrity Traitors makes him so ‘stressed’ he comfort eats
