is ready to join forces again with Sarah Greene for a third instalment of The Finish Line, although he has opened up about the valuable yet difficult lessons learned during his appearance on Million Pound Drop.
Now 32, the TV host is eager to steer the quiz show for another season, asserting, “I would never do a show I don’t enjoy,” and noting the rarity of reaching a third series: “For quiz shows, series three is a bit of a myth. So many don’t even make it to that.”
Kemp places a strong focus on enjoyment, which became especially significant after his challenging experience on Million Pound Drop, where he and his father, Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp, lost out in 2012: “I once lost my dad a million pounds on Million Pound Drop,” he recalls, “This was peak Twitter, I got killed and I felt so stupid.”
His previous ordeal has shaped how he approaches his role as a presenter: “From the moment this show was launched, I wanted to make sure that no one ever left feeling like that,” he asserts. “The most important thing for me is that people have fun.”
Sarah Greene shares in the excitement of their collaboration, fondly referring to Roman as her television offspring: “He’s heard me say this a hundred times over, but I do consider him my TV son,” she declares. She also insists on their mutual care: “I’m there purely to look after him, and he looks after me too. He’s the only one I want.”, reports .
Roman Kemp is back at the helm of The Finish Line for the BBC show’s third season (Image: BBC)
The hugely popular game show has become a fan favourite but it has not been without its struggles as Roman addressed an on-set moment that left him on the verge of tears.
He exclusively told The Sun’s TV Mag: “I remember the first time I ever did this, I got on the phone to my parents almost in tears going: ‘I can’t do this, it’s so hard.’ And every time we do it, it’s still difficult.“
“So you look at people like Bradley Walsh [who has hosted The Chase since 2009] and you think: ‘Wow, what an incredible feat you’ve been able to do.’”
He added: “Hats off to all of the quiz hosts out there!”
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Roman Kemp pictured with his dad Martin Kemp (Image: Getty)
For fans of The Finish Line, the upcoming season promises to deliver some thrilling new elements. After the second series’ track extension heightened the tension, Sarah teases an explosive addition: the supercharged end zone.
“You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen our supercharged end zone,” she claims, “It almost sets the studio alight as people are getting towards the finish line. Roman also gets through more questions on this series than the last two put together!”.
The quiz show is renowned for its relentless pace, challenging contestants to tackle quickfire questions with no time to spare – it’s a high-stakes environment where there’s no margin for error.
Roman thrives on the intense drama as competitors are pushed to their limits, but he admits to taking a guilty pleasure in witnessing their mistakes, revealing: “You’re going to see a lot of people fail this season,” and concedes, “And there’s a sick part of me that quite enjoys seeing people set on victory and not make it.”
On the other hand, Sarah has a soft spot for the underdogs, noting, “It’s very compelling for viewers to see someone who comes in a little more unsure of themselves,” She notes how some contestants manage to shine unexpectedly when luck brings them the right questions.
Yet, the appeal of the game show goes beyond mere winning; it’s about the personal stories. This season features a contestant whose reason for participating resonated deeply with Roman.
He reveals, “He came on wanting to win money for his dad.
“He didn’t think his dad would be around for much longer, and he wanted to take him to see a Six Nations rugby match and travel, do things only money can buy,” Roman discloses. He continues: “I won’t give it away if he did it or not, but you can’t help but root for someone like that.”
The contestants brought a variety of unusual ambitions to the table. Sarah divulges, “One player wanted to buy a goat because they couldn’t afford a lawnmower,” illustrating the diverse dreams of those taking part.
In a creative spin on how to use the prize money, one participant envisioned adding an element of intrigue to Edinburgh. Roman hints, “Someone made a game out of our game,” alluding to the idea of hiding the cash for a city-wide treasure hunt.