ITV
Martin and Roman Kemp bring their Weekend Best to ITV
Martin and Roman Kemp are back on ITV – and this time the newly titled Martin & Roman‘s Weekend Best! airs across both Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Every Saturday and Sunday morning the father and son duo will be welcoming celebrity guests from the worlds of film, music, TV, books and podcasts to the studio each week for an hour of chat and unmissable entertainment.
The new Saturday show will help launch viewers into the weekend ahead with some celeb chat, essential recommendations as well as serving up deliciously simple dishes courtesy of chef Shivi Ramoutar, who will be helping Martin and Roman develop their culinary skills across the series.
On Sunday, Martin and Roman will bring the viewers more insightful chat with their guests, plus they’ll be taking them on a musical walk down memory lane with their new feature ‘Mixtape Memories’. Plus, like last series, Sunday is ‘funday’ as Martin and Roman, with the help of their guests, take on a series of fun challenges across the series.
Made by Cactus TV, here the guys talk about the forthcoming series.
How did it feel when you found out the show wouldn’t just be back, but now across both Saturdays and Sundays on ITV and ITV Hub?
Martin Kemp: “I thought it was amazing! I’ve always said to Ro, it’s so good they named it twice – it’s the only show that’s had two names. It’s an honour really to do a show and then they ask you to come back, not just once, but twice!
“It’s cool waking up with people on a Saturday and Sunday morning, amongst their hangovers.”
Roman Kemp: “It’s an amazing thing and to be honest I’m just so pleased people enjoyed it the first time round. And if they want us back – let’s do it!”
How would you describe the series?
Martin: “It’s a lot of fun – we’re going to break it into two this series because we’ve got the Saturday as well. So, the Saturday is going to be based more around cooking, preparing easy food. Me and Ro learning on the job, how to prepare easy food.
Roman will tell you, he’s a little bit of a better cook than I am, but I’m willing to learn. As long as he doesn’t get me to do the washing up, we’ll be fine! And then Sunday is going to be based around what we did last year – celebrity chats and fun and games.”
… and speaking of cooking, Roman, you spent £9 on an onion?
Roman: “Yeah… I spent that money well on an onion and it went to good use. Basically I was cooking at home and realised I didn’t have an onion, and I couldn’t leave the house because it was mid-cook, I had to get delivered just one onion. It didn’t even come in a bag!”
Do you have a go-to dish if you’re trying to impress someone?
Roman: “Italian food is always very good. But I’m not just saying your pasta… I like to make a truffle risotto, burrata sides… those are always good. I love making curries. My dad pretends he can make curries but I once watched him put peanut butter and tomato sauce into a curry.”
Martin: “That was years ago! That happened once when he was about six and he’s always held it against me. Mine has to be a curry. When I was younger I used to pour as much hot sauce into everything as I could. The older I’ve gotten, I prefer curries where the taste of curry comes through. A little bit more delicate.”
Anything you hope new resident chef Shivi Ramoutar will be able to teach you?
Martin: “Soufflé! I’ve never had any luck with those. If she wants to make one of those one week I’m more than happy.”
Roman: “Baked cheesecake!”
Martin: “I used to make a good baked cheesecake.”
Roman: “Dad, you did not, don’t lie to yourself.”
Martin: “One goes wrong and he holds it against me for decades…”
Roman: “My dad, he’s just so inconsistent as a chef. I could not tell you his signature dish… other than a trifle at Christmas.”
Martin: “Oh yeah, I made a good trifle at Christmas!”
Roman: “Put things in a bowl, he can do that!”
If there was a competition between you in the kitchen, who should we bargain on winning?
Roman: “Me.”
Martin: “Everything is a competition, isn’t it? You don’t have to make a competition with me and Roman. Everything we do is a competition. It turned into that when Ro was about 7 or 8 and he started playing FIFA and he started thrashing me every time he got on the machine. He just wouldn’t let me win!
“All of a sudden competition took over, so everything’s a competition. I’m sure somewhere along the line we’ll have a leaderboard. Me and Ro get a lot of fun out of it. I think that’s what the viewers liked – nothing’s serious. This is all like me and Roman having a lot of fun. If we have fun, then the viewers laugh at it.”
Who is your dream guest?
Martin: “I was lucky enough to have half an hour conversation with Buzz Aldrin, second man on the moon. It was the most fascinating conversation I’d ever had in my life and I’d love to bring that to the show. Telling me stories about him being on the moon. I couldn’t stop looking at his feet, as his feet had been on the moon. I’d love, love, love to get him on the show one day!”
Would you go into space if you could?
Martin: “I would!”
Roman: “100%”
Is there a guest that would leave you tongue-tied?
Roman: “Thierry Henry for me. We’re Arsenal fans and he’s an absolute hero.”
Martin: “I would have to say Michael Caine. I was lucky one day I had a conversation with him, that’s the last time I remember being really star struck.”
Who has the longest rider?
Roman: “My dad. Sushi, there has to be sushi.”
Martin: “Listen, I’ve done the whole rider thing growing up in Spandau Ballet, I spent a fortune on it. Now I’m happy with a little box of sushi.”
Who takes the longest to get ready?
Roman: “We’re both the same to be fair.”
Have you ever inadvertently turned up in the same outfit?
Roman: “Sometimes. Options are always important!”
What’s your favourite thing about working with each other?
Martin: “I can rely on and trust Roman. He is an absolute perfectionist. It’s lovely working with someone you can rely on and trust. I’ve worked with so many people over the years that you can’t rely on. I’m super proud of him. He entertains the whole nation four hours every day live and I trust him completely and I love that.”
Roman: “I feel safe when I’m working with my dad. It’s almost retrospectively, I love the fact that we can say we did this together. I like the fact that we’ve done this together and this is something we can be proud of. It’s good because he’s never really done presenting before this. In this, every day I’m watching him get better and better and better.”
Will Shirlie and Harley Moon be on this series?
Roman: “Always! My mum’s curries are very good, she’ll have to come on at some point.”
Martin: “Yeah, get Shirlie on to make her curry.”
What would be your best weekend, how would you fill it?
Roman: “Saturday, waking up and me and my dad are going to the gym in the morning. Straight after, come home, have a bit of breakfast. Then we’re leaving, heading to the Emirates Stadium for the noon kick off. Watch Arsenal win.
“Come home. And then Dad goes off and does his own thing, I’ll go out for a dinner and then a night out. Sunday, wake up, longest sleep in possible – 1pm – wake up, maybe go for a run. And then watch football until I fall asleep.”
Martin: “I’m a much earlier person than Roman at the weekend. On a Saturday morning, I love going to the market and buying all the fresh produce. That’s quite nice for the show, if we can show people on a Saturday ideas for cooking and eating, then they can get down the market and they can get all of that stuff. The timing’s really nice.
“I love doing that on a Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon is always spent in front of the TV watching the football scores come in. On a Sunday I love to go and see the football. That would be a perfect weekend.”
Martin & Roman‘s Weekend Best! starts 17th April at 8.30am on ITV and ITV Hub The second edition airs 18th April at 8.30am
