Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp paints ‘evil’ portrait of ex-bandmate Tony Hadley in spoof documentary

Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp is set to paint an ‘evil’ portrait of his ex-bandmate Tony Hadley in a spoof documentary for the BBC. 

The crooner, 60, acts as an embittered ex-band member alongside his brother Martin in the mockumentary The Kemps: All True and even throws Tony’s solo album out of his studio, in the show which will air on BBC2 on Sunday. 

Gary insisted Tony shouldn’t take the show, which is widely deemed a spoof of Bros’ widely-discussed documentary After The Screaming Stops, too seriously because he and his brother, Martin, 58 are ‘taking the p*** out of ourselves’.

The hit Eighties band split in 1990 to allow its members to pursue other acting and solo projects, before the new wave band reunited successfully for a number of world tours in 2009 before lead singer Tony, 60, quit in 2017.

The band decided to replace him with Ross William Wild, who had performed with Martin Kemp in the West End. This arrangement lasted eight months before Wild quit to perform with his own band and Spandau Ballet has not played together since.

Of the documentary and his character’s feelings for Tony, Gary said: ‘My character’s obsession with Tony Hadley is ridiculous but that’s what makes it funny…

‘Pop stars get that way don’t they? They get obsessed with a member of the band that’s doing them wrong or where there’s an injustice.’ 

Tony left loyal fans of the band heartbroken in 2017 when he announced his departure from the band on Twitter.

He wrote: ‘Due to circumstances beyond my control, it is with deep regret that I am required to state that I am no longer a member of the band Spandau Ballet and as such I will not be performing with the band in future.’

During the documentary Gary is seen refusing to sign a copy of Tony’s solo album while trying to hide his devilish portrait of the singer showing him with horns and pointy teeth.  

Martin said the film is like the comedy sketch show French & Saunders and is ‘proper comedy’. 

Filmmaker Rhys Thomas has also spoken out to make it clear that the film aims to be ‘fun rather than nasty’, although he did admit there might be ‘one person’ who wouldn’t enjoy it. 

Martin’s wife, Shirlie, 58, was left upset and in tears while filming an improvised argument scene for the documentary. In the film, Martin is married not only to Shirlie, but also her fellow Wham! backing singer, Pepsi DeMacque, 61.

During an improvised argument Martin started shouting at Shirlie and telling her that he had always preferred Pepsi. 

And afterwards Martin noticed that Shirlie was genuinely upset and had ‘tears in her eyes’.  Gary said that he was convinced it was a real argument because it wasn’t in the script. 

He said: ‘I was downstairs when they were filming that and I could hear these raised voices and I thought, ”Oh Christ, Martin and Shirlie are having a blazing row”.’  

The Kemps: All True airs on Sunday July 5, BBC2, 10pm.