Martin Kemp previously revealed he was warned not to join EastEnders back in the 1990s.

The actor – who is on The Festive Pottery Throwdown on Sunday (December 29) – played Steve Owen on the BBC One soap, making his debut in 1998. Martin ended up leaving in 2002.

But it seems some people were not too keen about the actor joining the long-running BBC One soap…

Martin Kemp landed EastEnders amid brain tumour battle

In an interview from 2022, Martin reflected on his life in showbiz. The TV star recalled how in 1995, he noticed a lump on his head. He was then diagnosed with two brain tumours.

Due to his diagnosis, he was unable to work for four years. He also developed epilepsy as a result. At the time Martin and wife Shirlie had two young children, and faced financial difficulty.

But in 1998, he was offered the role of Steve Owen on EastEnders – and Martin jumped at it.

Martin Kemp on being warned not to join EastEnders

However, some people issued a warning to Martin over his career decision. He told The Guardian: “Everybody said: ‘Don’t do it, don’t do it – you’re going to ruin your career.’ And I’m thinking, what career? What have I got to ruin?”

He went on to share that at the time, he didn’t know if he was “walking left, right, walk over here or walk over there”.

Martin added: “I knew that I had to do it, not for any other reason but to cure my brain of the leftover effects of the trauma that I’d been through. It was such a good thing.”

He then shared how learning the lines and dialogue brought him back to himself, calling it a “brain exercise”.

Martin and Shirlie on ‘make or break’ moment

Meanwhile, in 2020, Martin opened up about a “make or break” moment in his marriage with Shirley, amid his brain tumour diagnosis.

“The time when I was really sick was when it could have ended for me and Shirlie,” he said in a joint interview with Shirlie with Classic Pop magazine.

“For most couples, that moment makes you or breaks you. It made us stronger, but the stress is so humongous it can tear couples apart,” he then continued.

Shirlie then added: “When you’re with someone who’s that critically ill, it strips away everything. You see life for what it truly is and we realised life is so precious.”