Who Was Martin Kemp In Eastenders

So, picture this: It’s a rainy Tuesday evening in 1995, and my nan is glued to the telly. She suddenly slaps her knee and shouts, “That’s it, he’s gone and done it now!” I was about eight, and all I saw was a bloke with a very sharp bob haircut and a stare that could curdle milk. That was my first, visceral introduction to Martin Kemp in EastEnders. And honestly? It was terrifying, but I couldn’t look away.

Of course, back then I had no clue that the bloke terrifying my nan was actually a massive 80s pop star. Martin Kemp wasn’t just an actor—he was one half of the Kemp twins from Spandau Ballet, the band behind “True” and “Gold.” But waltzing into Albert Square? That was a whole different kind of performance. He wasn’t there to sing; he was there to bring the drama.

Martin Kemp played Steve Owen, and he arrived in Walford in 1998 like a shark in a fish market. Steve was a nightclub owner with a smile like a knife—charming enough to buy you a drink, but you’d check your wallet after. And your back. He wasn’t a cartoon villain; he was the kind of bloke who’d fix your car and then steal your girlfriend.

The Baddie We Loved to Hate

Here’s the thing about Steve Owen: he made being bad look fun. He wasn’t a mustache-twirling lunatic; he was slick. He wore sharp suits, ran the club “E20,” and had this habit of ordering a “large orange juice” right before beating someone up. It was iconic, and I’m not being ironic.

His storylines were a rollercoaster. He had a volatile marriage to Mel Healy, played by the brilliant Tamzin Outhwaite. Remember that whirlwind wedding? He literally took her to a register office in a limo mid-argument. That relationship was a car crash in slow motion, and we were all rubbernecking.

But Steve wasn’t just domestic drama. He was a proper gangster. He got involved with the Beales, the Mitchells, and even ended up in a toxic partnership with Phil Mitchell—the king of the “you better be careful” looks. Watching them circle each other was like watching two angry badgers in a handbag.

The Big, Explosive Exit

You can’t talk about Martin Kemp in EastEnders without mentioning his exit. And oh boy, what an exit. In 2002, Steve Owen went out in a blaze of glory. Literally. He died in a car explosion after a high-speed chase. It was the kind of stunt that makes you forget you’re watching a soap; you’re just gripping the sofa cushions.

EastEnders iconic couple Tamzin Outhwaite and Martin Kemp reunite

Here’s the kicker: Steve didn’t go quietly. His final line was to Mel’s new husband, “You want a brandy?” Then boom. It was so perfectly, dramatically stupid that it became legendary. Martin Kemp left the Square with a bang, not a whimper, and the show felt a little less dangerous after he was gone.

Why did he leave? Real life got in the way. Kemp had been diagnosed with brain tumours a few years earlier (two, actually, in 1994 and 1995), and while he’d recovered, the grind of a soap schedule is brutal. So he decided to bow out while he was on top. Smart man.

Beyond the Square: The Pop Star Connection

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: the Spandau Ballet thing. Martin Kemp wasn’t just some actor who turned up; he was a pop icon slumming it in a soap. And it worked perfectly. He brought a real-world grit and glamour to Steve Owen that a soap-only actor might have missed. He knew how to command a crowd—he’d done it at Wembley.

Funnily enough, his real-life twin brother, Gary Kemp, also appeared in the show years later. Gary played a small-time gangster, which felt like a cheeky in-joke for fans. “Look, mum, we both can be dodgy!” But Martin was the one who made the role his own, and he never let the pop star tag weigh him down.

Tamzin Outhwaite and Martin Kemp send EastEnders fans wild after SHOCK

After EastEnders, Martin went on to do reality telly like I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (where he was reliably charming) and wrote a cracking autobiography. But for a generation, he’ll always be Steve Owen. The man who brought big hair, bigger cars, and the smallest amount of mercy to Albert Square.

Why We Still Talk About Him

So, who was Martin Kemp in EastEnders? He was the pop star who proved he could hang with the toughest hardmen of Walford. He was the villain you secretly rooted for because he dressed better than you. And he was the actor who took a soap role and made it iconic—so much so that people still compare new bad guys to Steve Owen.

If you ever rewatch those 1998-2002 episodes, do it. You’ll see a masterclass in being a good bad guy. And you’ll probably find yourself missing that sharp bob haircut. I know my nan still does. “He was a wrong ‘un,” she says, “but he had style.” She’s not wrong.

So next time you hear Gold by Spandau Ballet, don’t just think of the 80s. Think of a nightclub in London, a man in a leather jacket, and a huge explosion. That’s Martin Kemp in EastEnders. Pure, unfiltered soap gold.