Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts unsure ‘how much time’ he’s got left to live
Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts has revealed he does not know how long he has left to live.
The 61-year-old, who has presented the popular BBC property auction series since 2017, has undergone a series of health complications in that period.
In 2022, the TV host revealed doctors had told him he had just hours to live after he suffered a pericardial effusion, a condition caused by too much fluid build up around the heart, and was rushed into emergency life-saving surgery. At the time, he had thought the chest pains were the effects of long Covid.
Following the operation, Roberts admitted he still has “twinges” in his chest, which cause him to worry. He admitted “I don’t know how much time I’ve got left”, as he went against advice to “slow down”.
“The physical side of things took a lot longer than we thought to get around,” he told MailOnline.
“I still get twinges and every single time I get a twinge in my chest, I panic. As anyone who has had any kind of problems with their heart would attest to it.”
He explained that he was only told much later that he “probably had maybe two or three hours to live” when he underwent emergency surgery, according to a consultant.
“That was two to three hours from dying and not being here and not seeing the kids anymore and not fulfilling all my ambitions and doing all the things I want to do,” he explained.
“So that’s sort of the psychological side of that. It takes a lot longer to get over than the physical side.”
However, Roberts said that despite medical advice to slow down, he has taken the opportunity to do more than ever.
“I was told I need to slow down and take things easy and all that kind of stuff, and I’ve gone completely [the] other way,” he said.
“This is why I’ve got this project in Wales where I’m renovating a pub, for the community, and we’re using local kids to do the work and bringing kids who are disengaged and disadvantaged, giving them a chance to get construction skills. Just doing lots of good.”
He said his extra projects were influenced by the need to do as much as he can in the time he has left, as he is unsure how much longer he will be alive.
“I don’t know how much time I’ve got left, so I just want to do as much as I possibly can to help,” he said.
“It’s not really about money. It’s about just making a difference, because that’s what you’ll be remembered for.”
