SAVED

If you must put a name and a face on 1998, don’t look in the Senate or even the governor’s mansions. Look in the White House. The dominant female image, the single most impressive political performance, came from Hillary Rodham Clinton. The woman of this year was the first lady.

In the August doldrums, it was common wisdom that Monica Lewinsky would cast a shadow over the election. In the November exit polls, it was Monica who? In between, it was all Hillary.

Hillary Clinton was here, there, everywhere. The true Democratic National Campaign was the HRC Road Show. The candidates who regarded Bill Clinton as the third rail of this election embraced her. She hit 20 states, did 100 radio and TV ads, raised millions of dollars–and millions of spirits.

Instead of hiding in the wings, the woman straightened her spine, ran a comb through her hair and went back out: show time. Whether she was sulking or spitting nickels in private, she was unstoppable in public.

Why did Hillary’s popularity soar in the wake of the scandal? Maybe we prefer a wronged woman to an uppity woman. Surely at the beginning of the HRC Road Show, many came to gawk, as if they were passing an accident on the highway. There were others who came like girlfriends in a crisis with a box of Kleenex and chocolates.

But eventually, both those who think she should dump the guy’s clothes on Pennsylvania Avenue and those who want her to stand by her man stayed to admire her strength, including the strength of her convictions.

Ruth Mandel, the political scientist, calls Hillary the defining figure of the election. “We’ve all got troubles. The message is how she’s handling it. The unstated message of Hillary Clinton, the one that mothers tell their kids, is that you stand up and you carry on.”

Carrying on, she may have saved her husband’s political future. Carrying on, she was shield as well as surrogate against the most lethal attacks on his personal behavior. But she was also the clearest Democratic voice on the national trail.

Roman Kemp has tearfully opened up about feeling like he “didn’t want to be here anymore” during a dark period in his life, with his mum rushing over to be with him

Roman Kemp has spoken about the moment that his sister Harleymoon and mum Shirlie “saved his life” after he admitted that he “didn’t want to be here anymore”. The TV presenter, 32, reflected on the dark period in tonight’s episode of Celebrity Race Across the World, which he’s competing on with Harleymoon.

The sibling duo are trekking from Mexico to Columbia in the series, while competing against presenter Anita Rani and her dad Bal, Derry Girls’ Dylan Llewellyn and his mum Jackie, and radio host Tyler West and his now-fiancée Molly Rainford.

After making it to Mandungua in Panama in tonight’s episode, Roman said that the landscape showed him that “there’s stuff worth living for”. Speaking to the camera, he said: “There’s been moments in my life where I didn’t even want to be here anymore and things like this make me think that if I’d made different decisions then I would never have seen this or I never would have experienced this.”

He continued: “It was a bad time in my life. I remember one moment in particular where it was really bad.

“I just remember my mum passing the phone to Harley and Harley trying to just talk to me to try and distract me and keep me on the phone so that my mum could get in the car and drive to me. I don’t think I have ever spoken to Harley about that call. I don’t think we’ve ever been ready to have that conversation. That’s hard to talk about man.”

Breaking down on camera, Roman admitted that his mum and sister may have stopped him from ending his life. “What I do know is that conversation between my mum and Harley might have saved my life on that day,” he said, through tears.

Speaking to Harley on the beach, Roman thanked her for helping him that day. “I’ve had moments in my life where I didn’t really want to be here anymore. It’s just hard because we had that day where it was really bad for me.

“The more that I think about it and that it was you on the phone to me until mum got there, I can’t even remember what the conversation was but I knew I was safe if I stayed on the phone. And I feel bad because I never really said thanks for that.”

While an emotional Harley told Roman that she just wanted him to be ok, Roman said: “I appreciate that so much. I’m so sorry that I put you guys through that.”

Speaking to the cameras afterwards, Harley said: “When someone has had episodes of really bad mental health, I think you’ll always worry about them. I was worried about him coming out here and he’s really turned it around and he’s doing great. I’m really proud of him.”

Roman has been open about his mental health struggles in the past, revealing that he’s suffered with depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) throughout his life.

The presenter’s dad, Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp, is currently taking part in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, with Roman cheering him on from the UK. Taking to social media, Roman said that his dad will be “really chuffed” about making new friends in camp.

“One thing I have noticed is my dad keeps saying ‘my new friends’. He genuinely doesn’t have mates so he means it, he’ll really be chuffed. Again not being mean, that’s the truth,” he wrote on X.

*If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

Celebrity Race Across the World continues next week at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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