Martin Roberts has opened up about the mental impact of his near-death experience after undergoing emergency heart surgery in 2022.
The 60-year-old Homes Under the Hammer host previously shared how he was told he had ‘a few hours to live’ after finding out he suffered from pericardial effusion, which is a buildup of fluid in the structure surrounding the heart, and underwent emergency surgery that saved his life.
Speaking about the surgery two years later, Martin is still struggling to heal from the mental impact of the surgery and how it changed his attitude to life, as he admitted: ‘I was told to take it easy but I did opposite’.
In an interview with The mirror he confessed: ‘I cannot underestimate the mental consequences of what happened to me. The physical things you get over, but the overriding thought is that it all could have ended.
“Everything you tried to do, and your family, you realize it could all be gone. I was told to slow down and I went the other way. Hopefully I have many more years, but you never know.
Martin Roberts has revealed that he has struggled more with the mental impact of his heart surgery than the physical after his near-death experience in 2022.
The 60-year-old host of The Homes Under the Hammer previously shared how he was told he had ‘a few hours to live’ after discovering he was suffering from pericardial effusion, a build-up of fluid in the structure surrounding the heart, and was rushed into surgery, which saved his life
“That whole thing that happened to me makes you realize the thin wire we’re dangling from. But you can’t go through life with that fear.’
After the health problems, Martin decided to grab life with both hands and is currently embarking on a new renovation project to help change the lives of teenagers.
For his latest venture, the star has bought a run-down pub and hotel located in the former mining village of Blaencwm in the Rhondda Valley, an hour from Cardiff.
With the help of four local schools, Martin is renovating the property in an effort to help the young people find purpose in their lives.
Some of the students he works with have been going through a tough time and this project has helped them find an outlet to spend their time.
Martin explained how they have given children who are not doing well at school the opportunity to obtain their construction diploma.
Last year Martin took part in a reality show The great celebrity detoxin which stars tried very strange therapies, such as drinking their own urine.
He talks about his heart scare during his time on the show, Martin admitted he felt “shocked to his core” by his health scare.
In an interview with The Mirror, he admitted: ‘I cannot underestimate the mental after-effects of what happened to me. The physical things you get over, but the overriding thought is that it could all have ended.”
“That whole thing that happened to me makes you realize the thin wire we’re dangling from. But you can’t go through life living in that fear’ (Martin pictured on The Big Celebrity Detox last year)
Martin introduced himself during the grueling show, which came with a warning to viewers not to attempt the tasks at home, and reflected on his ‘terrifyingly terrible year’.
He said: ‘This year has been a terrifyingly terrible year for me. A few months ago I had a near-death experience that shook me to my core.
‘I really want this to make a difference, do I think it will? The jury is out.’
While Martin initially mistook his chest pain for long Covid-19, he later discovered he was suffering from pericardial effusion
He told me before TVMag from The Sun: ‘A year ago I had a problem with my heart that had not yet been noticed.
‘The bag around my heart had expanded and was putting pressure on the heart. I had less than a few hours to live.
‘If I hadn’t been in the right place… Three weeks earlier I was on the road in a van and if it had happened then I would have been dead.’
