Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts gets a new lease of life after BBC presenter's health scare

A beloved BBC presenter has been given a new lease of life - and a fresh outlook on it - after suffering a health scare.

Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts said he was struggling with an “overriding thought it could have all ended” but wants to make the most of the time he has left. Speaking to the Mirror, he opened up about the life-saving medical attention he received two years ago and how that has changed the course of his life.

The former I’m a Celeb contestant underwent emergency surgery in April 2022 after being diagnosed with pericardial effusion - which is where fluid builds up around the heart, causing organs to fail. He still has regular check-ups to this day.

He said: “I can’t understate the mental after-effects of what happened to me. The physical stuff you get over, but it’s the overriding thought it could have all ended. Everything you tried to do, and your family, you realise it could all be gone.

“The thought it could end so quickly made me desperate to do all I can because I don’t know how much longer I’ve got left. None of us do. I’ve been given this opportunity to change kids’ lives and I feel so privileged. This is an ambitious project, the building was closed at the start of lockdown and the village lost its heart. thought, ‘This needs me.’ It’s turned into a major community project.

“My wife runs the fort at home, which enables me to get on with the job. They understand how important it is for me.”

Living in Bath, Martin has now focused his efforts onto renovating a pub in Blaencwm, Rhondda Valley, enlisting the help of disengaged teenagers to transform it into a community hub. He says the “ambitious” project has become a major community project after the building closed and fell into disrepair during the Covid-19 lockdowns.