Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts, 61, revealed he still "panics" about his heart condition after he was rushed to hospital for an "emergency operation" in 2022.
Ignoring medical advice to slow down following his surgery, Martin took on a big renovation project in Wales which he hopes he'll be remembered for, after he admitted he fears for his long-term health.
© Ellis O’Brien / Lion Television Scotland / BBCMartin suffered a pericardial effusion, which is a build-up of fluid around the heart, leaving him hours away from death. Opening up about his recovery over the past two years, he told the MailOnline that the psychological toll of the life-threatening condition was just as damaging as the physical one.
"The physical side of things took a lot longer than we thought to get around. 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 added: "It sends you into a flurry of worry because they only sort of dribble out these stories afterwards. It was like I went to see the consultant who did the emergency operation, and I said to him, 'So how long would I have survived?'
"He said, 'Well, you probably wouldn't have made it through the night. So it was just as well I was on duty... you probably had maybe two or three hours to live.'
"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. So that's sort of the psychological side of that. It takes a lot longer to get over than the physical side."
Martin explained that he was told to "take things easy" going forward, but he went "completely [the] other way."
Speaking about his pub renovation in Wales, the Celebrity MasterChef star said: "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."
He added: "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. It's not really about money. It's about just making a difference, because that's what you'll be remembered for."
Martin's operation
© Can Nguyen/ShutterstockBack in 2022, Martin shared a video from his hospital bed explaining his health woes.
"Bit of good news, bit of bad news. I ended up in hospital. I've been having quite a few chest pains and feeling generally lousy, so I was brought in, turns out I had a massive amount of fluid all around my heart which was stopping my heart working.
"They got rid of it in an emergency operation, it's sort of quite serious with hours to live," he continued. "But here I am, still around."
He documented some parts of his recovery, which included a walk to a waterfall near his home, stating he was "gradually trying to get back to normality."
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