Roman Kemp breaks down in tears over death of producer Joe Lyons

Roman Kemp broke down in tears live on his Capital Breakfast radio show on Monday as he returned to work following the death of the show’s producer, Joe Lyons. 

The presenter and his co-stars Sian Welby, 33, and Sonny Jay, 27, took time off from the show from last Tuesday after hearing the sad news during their radio show.

And Roman, 27, took the decision to talk to viewers about how he was feeling on Monday as he paid tribute to his ‘best friend’ Joe. His cause of death has not been revealed.

Breaking down, he said: ‘We wanted to share some really sad news. I never thought I’d have to do this ever.

‘Last Tuesday, very suddenly, we lost one of our best friends. Our producer Joe, he was a member of the Capital Breakfast family. 

‘We are trying to process this all together. We wanted to share this news with you.’ 

Roman contined: ‘Joe had worked for Global, the parent company, for nine years.

‘He was the very first person I met when I walked through the door. I remember thinking he was a bit of a Del Boy.

‘He was with me right from my very first show. He taught be everything. I don’t know sitting in a radio studio without him.’

Discussing their close bond, Roman added: ‘He’s the person I’d sit here and rinse constantly.  

‘He loved dogs. Obsessed with his daily step count. Never ironed his clothes. He loved his family so much. His dad Ivan, his mum Celia, his sister Lou. 

‘He did love his friends… his fans, he did have fans. The thing he loved most of all was doing this show, you listening.

‘He was like a genius coming up with these ideas. He was driven by the reaction from you every day.’

Roman’s mother, Shirlie Kemp wrote on Joe’s final Instagram post, shared on June 20, ‘God Bless you Joe …. you were and always will be so loved.’

Fellow Capital Breakfast presenter Vick Hope, took to Instagram on Monday morning to pay tribute to Joe. 

Sharing a series of pictures of them, she wrote: ‘Our Joe. My JoeJoe. My special, magical, beautiful friend. We signed off every message with “I love you, buddy”, and yet I’m worried I still didn’t tell you enough.

‘I really do love you, bud, so so much. We all do. I hope you know that. We are so lucky to have known you. The world is a better place for having had you in it. And now the stars have gained an extraordinary gift in you. Look at everything you made, Joe. Everything you achieved, what you built, who you inspired. 

‘Your talent and creativity are so immense, but more than that you are the kindest, most hilarious, caring, fun, fiercely loyal and spectacular person any of us had the pleasure of meeting. You really are the best one we ever knew. Our friend. My friend. 

‘For the last four years you have been my solace, my rock, my confidante. I’ve told you all my secrets, and you said you’d take them to the grave. And now it seems you did just that, and it breaks my heart. 

‘Words cannot describe this pain, it doesn’t make sense and it’ll take time to process. I keep repeating: Not you, please not you. But now you’re at peace, you’re in a better place. I’m going to miss you Joe Lyons, so much.’

She continued: ‘Thank you for every crab dance, every “you’re embarrassing us babe”, every cereal box game, every 5am-er at a houseparty we’re not invited to, every “bah bah”, every undersized chino, every photobomb courtesy of your a**e, every cocktail we shook in your flat or evening spent in my yard doing things we shouldn’t on a school night, every club we sat in the corner of scheming, every time we were back and ready to do it all over again, every single damn laugh, every hug that meant the world because you made me feel safe and understood. 

‘And thank you for being my favourite valentine. We met our match in each other. I’ve never encountered anyone else as weird and as wild, and together we were chaos. 

‘Wherever you are I hope you’re causing chaos there too. We never wanted the party to end, and I don’t believe this one is over either; I’ll just see you at the afterparty. Until then, I love you, buddy. My thoughts are with your parents and Lou; Ro, Sonny and the team; Olly and everyone who loves you.’