Martin Roberts feels he has “no time to die” following his health scare.
Martin Roberts feels he has 'no time to die' following his health scare
The 60-year-old TV star - who is best known for hosting ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ - learned he was suffering from pericardial effusion - a condition in which fluid builds up in the structure surrounding the heart - in April 2022, and was rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery.
And Martin has insisted he is determined to live life to its fullest after his brush with death.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, he said: “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.”
The former ‘I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!’ campmate admitted the mental scars from his health scare still haven’t healed.
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. I was told I needed to slow down and I’ve gone the other way.
“Hopefully I’ve got many years but you never know. That whole thing that happened to me makes you realise how thin a thread we dangle from. But you can’t go through life living in that fear.”
Martin is now on a mission to improve the lives of troubled teenagers through a new renovation project.
The TV presenter bought a tired pub and hotel in the Welsh town of Blaencwm, Rhondda Valley, and has recruited youngsters to help him turn it into a community hotspot.
He explained: “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. I thought, ‘This needs me.’ It’s turned into a major community project.”