Roman Kemp has opened up about being “shocked” by people’s reaction to him taking antidepressants.
Last year, the Capital Breakfast radio host, 29, fronted the BBC One documentary Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency which looked at Britain’s mental health and suicide crisis and the impact it is having on young men.
Kemp said the stigma around taking antidepressants was still apparent based on people’s reactions to him opening up about his own mental health journey.
He told the Standard: “When I did the documentary and they filmed me taking it in the morning, I didn’t see that as a big thing.
“But off the back of it, one of the biggest comments was ‘oh my god, I can’t believe you took an antidepressant on telly.’
“I’ll be totally honest with you, I was most shocked that it was the thing people were most shocked at.
“Why would anyone be shocked at someone trying to help themselves? It’s sad that people are shocked by that.
“So that for me was a big sounding board to be like, wow we’re pretty far behind in terms of breaking down that stigma.”
The I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star recently told Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast that he considered taking his own life after coming off antidepressants and hitting a rock bottom in 2019.
He said that speaking to his mum, Shirley Holliman, on the phone saved his life after she kept him talking until she could get home and help him seek help.
Kemp also told the Standard he was “overwhelmed” by the reception the documentary received, which saw him nominated for a National Television Award.
He was prompted to make the programme after his best friend and co-worker Joe Lyons took his own life at the age of 31.
He added: “I’ll go to the pub or a party, or even in the street and I’ll have young guys coming up to me telling me how they’re trying to take their own life and they’ve never told anyone that.
“It’s a regular thing now for me, and how maybe they saw the documentary and now they want to go and get that help and that’s the most important thing.
“That’s the bravest thing that they can do.
“It’s really from every angle, it’s completely and utterly overwhelming when it happened, I was too overwhelmed by it that I couldn’t turn my phone on for the next couple of days after the documentary.”
Kemp has teamed up with Boots as it launches on-demand mental health services including talking therapies and an online mood and symptom checker.
It comes as the number of adults experiencing depression and anxiety is still up on pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.6 million people waiting to access mental health support on the NHS.
As part of its services, Boots has launched an Online Doctor Depression and Anxiety Treatment which involves a GP consultation, followed by tailored treatment and a support plan. Medicine will be prescribed if deemed appropriate.
They are also offering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and a Support Room which matches patients up with a therapist who they can talk with via text and offer video-check-ins.
Those opting for a more hands-off approach can use the Mood & Symptom Checker, which offers a short, confidential mental health report reviewed by a professional. An information hub with free advice and articles is also available.
Kemp continued: “I feel like what Boots are doing is they’re doing a fantastic job with the intervention and postvention side of things.
“I really like what boots have done and it’s the main reason I wanted to team up with them, because having that access as quickly and as safely as possible, is so important.”
