Latest news with #MartinRoberts
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Homes Under The Hammer star 'failed on every level' with £500k pub rennovation
Martin Roberts has admitted he drastically underestimated the time and cost of his latest project, with his deadline of two years up and half a million spent on a derelict pub Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts admits he has "failed on every level", after he underestimated how challenging it would be to renovate a derelict South Wales pub. The former I'm A Celebrity contestant, 61, bought the Hendrewen Hotel in Rhondda in 2023, and invested half a million to revamp the rundown boozer. Not far from his own farmhouse, renovation guru Martin wanted to help the local community, which he said had "lost their heart". But he has now admitted he had completely misjudged how much time and money it would take. Having originally estimated it could be done in two years at the cost of £500,000, Martin has already gone over his deadline and the makeover is nowhere near finished. He admits it has been 'challenging', and has only been motivated to get through thanks to his team of 15-17 year olds, who have been working with his tradesmen. Martin hoped it would give them practical skills to use when they leave education, having chosen a pub in one of the most deprived areas in the country. The reality TV star wanted to give the kids a "step up the ladder" to help them get jobs when they finish, as well as planning to employ 30 locals when his project is finally complete. Speaking to the Sun, Martin explained how he felt like he'd failed. He told the paper: "For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level. "I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been, I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications, I'd say we are 60 per cent there." Martin's vision for his hotel includes an eight-bedroom establishment, with each of the rooms having a television theme. He plans to have Fawlty Towers, A Question of Sport and Homes Under The Hammer themed accommodations, paying homage to the show he's presented for more than 20 years. The TV star previously told WalesOnline: "I often act a bit on gut instinct, and possibly don't always tell my wife because sometimes I think there's a danger I will be talked out of things because they appear daft on the surface, I only sort of mention it when it's too late!' He added: 'I've never run a pub, I've never run a restaurant, and I've never run a hotel. So, hey, what could possibly go wrong?!" Martin's idea for his new venture came after he had emergency surgery and suffered a terrifying health scare after he suffered chest pains. He thought he had COVID, but when he was hospitalised, medics told him he had pericardial effusion - a build up of fluid around his heart. Doctors warned him that he could only have hours to live if he didn't go in for the op. He told Metro: "It was a bit of an eye-opener to be honest, being three hours from death, that's always going to ruin your day. "I was told to slow down and really take things easy… so I bought a pub which needed complete renovating and which I've got try and run, having no experience of running a pub, restaurant or a hotel. It suddenly makes you realise how fragile we all are in lots of ways."
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts, 61, admits he's 'failed on every level' on major refurbishment project - after getting a 'second chance at life' following health scare
Martin Roberts has admitted he's 'failed on every level' in his attempt to turn around an out-of-use pub in the Rhondda Valley. The Homes Under The Hammer star, 61, purchased the Hendrewen Hotel in Blaencwm, Rhondda, in 2023 and planned to inject £500,000 to give the boozer a complete makeover. Situated not far from Martin's farmhouse in South Wales, the renovation expert wanted to bring bark a spark to a community which had 'lost their heart'. He'd estimated that the half-a-million would be enough for works to be complete in around two years, but after that exact amount of time, the makeover is far from finished. In fact the eight-bedroom property looks the exact same, with the presenter admitting he's 'failed on every level'. Martin told The Sun: 'For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level. 'I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been, I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. 'There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications, I'd say we are 60 per cent there.' One of the many hold-ups which he has encountered has been dealing with planners who insist he prepares for possible floods. Helping Martin power through the many obstacles he's overcome to get to this point have been a host of young locals. The presenter has a group Welsh teens aged between 15 to 17 working with his tradesmen, learning various practical skills they can use after school. Given his boozer is located in one of the country's most deprived areas, Martin hopes he can give the children 'a step up the ladder' and help them gain employment. With the pub now months away from completion, the former I'm A Celeb star is aiming to have around 30 locals employed when it 'hopefully' opens later this year. Martin is designing the Hendrewen so that each of its eight bedrooms has a different theme, all centred around television. He's planning to have a Fawlty Towers room, A Question of Sport room and - of course - an offering centred around Homes Under The Hummer - a show's he's presented for more than two decades. Martin purchased the pub in South Wales after suffering a health scare a year earlier in 2022 when his heart, kidney and liver failed. He was hospitalised with chest pains that he mistook for long COVID, but doctors told Martin he was suffering from pericardial effusion, a build-up of fluid in the structure around the heart. He had to have surgery and was ultimately 'given a second chance at life' thanks to the incredible work of surgeons. In December 2024 Martin issued a worrying update on his health, revealing he fears he doesn't have much longer left. Speaking to MailOnline, he said that he still gets twinges in his chest that cause him to panic. He explained that he doesn't 'know how long he has left' and is trying to do as much good in the world as possible. 'The physical side of things took a lot longer than we thought to get around,' the father-of-two said. '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.' Martin continued: '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 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. 'I was told I need to slow down and take things easy and all that kind of stuff, and I've gone a completely other way. '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. 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.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Homes Under The Hammer's Martin Roberts gives shock update on hotel project, admitting ‘I have failed on every level'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WITH total honesty, Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits: 'For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level.' Two years ago, the property expert showed The Sun around his own DIY project to turn a run-down Welsh village pub into a top tourist attraction. 8 Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits his project to renovate a Welsh pub has been a failure Credit: Dan Jones Images 8 The back of the hotel shows a building in dire need of urgent renovation Credit: Huw Evans And just like he does on the hit property show, I asked: 'What is your timescale?' Back then, in spring 2023, Martin was convinced it would take just two years and around half a million pounds to rebuild the Hendrewen Hotel in the Rhondda Valley. So here we are, two years later, and on the outside, the eight-bedroom boozer looks . . . exactly the same. Martin, 61, who has witnessed more than 3,000 property renovations on his BBC daytime show, says: 'I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been. 'I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. 'There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications. 'I'd say we are 60 per cent of the way there.' But when I ask how soon we can expect the pub to be open, Martin hedges his bets and shrugs: 'I think it's going to come together really quickly in the final few months. 'I'm hopeful for Halloween but Christmas would be good. If not, in time for Easter.' One of the many hold-ups, according to Martin, has been dealing with planners who insist he makes preparations in case the pub in the former mining village of Blaencwm is hit by a once-in-a-century flood. Homes Under the Hammer's Martin Roberts announces new series that's world's away from beloved BBC show He says: 'We've got to do it right, and we will do it right, but unfortunately that means there's lots of hoops to jump through.' It is only three years since Martin was minutes from death and needed an emergency heart op. Doctors who carried out the surgery to drain fluid from the sac surrounding his heart told him in future to choose the easy life and avoid unnecessary stress. That is advice he does not seem to have followed. He could have spent his spare time living at his Rhondda Valley farmhouse — which he bought after falling in love with the area — and enjoying the stunning scenery which is popular with mountain bikers. Instead he decided to seize life and bought the pub lock, stock and barrel — without telling his wife Kirsty. My head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. Martin Roberts In fact, father-of-two Martin thought he had kept the purchase a complete secret, but he reveals: 'My cleaner rang me up one day and said, 'Have you bought the Hendrewen?' 'It turns out her auntie was in the queue at Asda and the woman behind was saying, 'That Martin Roberts has bought the Hendrewen'. 'It's just hysterical because as far as I was concerned I hadn't told anybody, but it was being discussed in Asda.' Martin is making a ten-part documentary series called Oops! I Bought A Pub, which will be shown on ITV next year — or whenever the pub finally opens. But he has also given The Sun an exclusive peek at his architect's visualisations of how the pub will look when the work is finally done — including a wacky upside-down Rolls-Royce suspended from the ceiling in the dining area. 8 Martin has shared an artist's impressions of his ambitious plans to renovate the bar and restaurant Credit: Supplied 8 The bar and hotel aims to employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe Credit: Supplied As well as a new bar and restaurant, there will be eight bedrooms, all named after hit TV shows. Martin says: 'When I was a travel journalist I probably stayed in hundreds of hotels and often they all looked the same. 'The ones I remember most are those where the rooms felt individual. "So in my hotel I wanted to create rooms that had an individual feel. 'Then I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly thought, why don't I theme them around what I know and what I'm known for, which is television. 'Each room is themed around a legendary TV show. Obviously we're going to have a Homes Under The Hammer room with lots of memorabilia and funny stuff from the 20 years of the show. 'We're going to have a Doctor Who room, which is very science fiction-y. 'Next Stereophonics' 'A Fawlty Towers room where the light fittings are broken, the wallpaper is hanging off, beds are going to be very creaky and lots of quotes from Fawlty Towers on the walls. 'A Question Of Sport room will have lots of sports memorabilia. 'There will also be a Top Of The Pops room, an Antiques Roadshow room, a Planet Earth room and one that is a tribute to Top Gear. 'I've been collecting things from car boot sales, flea markets and online for the last two years. Now I've got lots of TV memorabilia so these rooms can be decorated in the style of different telly programmes. It's going to be great.' 8 Martin is still optimistic his grand plans will accelerate over the coming months Credit: Supplied When the Hendrewen Hotel does finally open it will employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe. Teenage students on catering and hospitality management courses will get practical experience working in the pub and in the hotel. Martin says: 'They'll get a chance to run a real-world place. We're going to have a teaching kitchen where celebrity chefs will come along and pass on their cookery skills. 'We're also putting in a stage with lots of musical instruments, which the locals will be able to come and use. 'And we'll have visiting musicians coming along, teaching musical skills to local kids. We might discover the next Stereophonics.' He also has a team of teens aged 15 to 17 working with his tradesmen, learning the skills to be plasterers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers. Martin says: 'By working in the pub, these kids are getting a massive step up the ladder. A lot of their lives have been transformed. 'We've had kids come off drugs. We've had kids who wouldn't get up out of bed in the mornings who are now arriving early to work because they're enjoying it so much. 'These kids have been told by the schools that they're rubbish. They come in, we give them a paintbrush or a trowel and say, 'There's a wall, you've got to work on this'. We teach them, and they walk away, heads held high, a belief in themselves has returned. 'They also walk away with a CSCS card, an industry qualification which shows they've got the safety experience to work on a building site. 'If one day they say working with me was a turning point in their life, I'll be thrilled. 8 Martin plans to create TV themed rooms in the hotel, including one based on Homes Under The Hammer Credit: Supplied 'Village lost its heart' 'Some of the youngsters have given up drugs. We have one lad who struggled to communicate because of a really strong stammer, but he's grown in confidence. 'Now he won't stop talking and his stammer has diminished, which is great to see. 'I was three hours away from death, so I am even more driven to do things, not to make me money — because it's certainly not doing that — but to do some good, and to change lives. 'Because that's what you'll be remembered for, not for having a million pounds in the bank.' He adds: 'Bear in mind that some families around this area have generations of unemployment. It's like breaking a cycle and the kids get to see the joys of working.' 8 Martin has been presenting Homes Under The Hammer for two decades Credit: Lion TV And Martin admits there are still months of hard graft ahead. He says: 'I've broken every single one of my rules! 'I have been driven by my heart. I made the classic error of going, 'It's a little pub, it closed at the start of lockdown, and the village has lost its heart and it needs me'. 'At the same time, my head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. 'It has ups and downs. I still have days when I really struggle with my health. 'This is the thing that just keeps me going. 'I've got people relying on me and I won't let them down. I'm not going to give up.' The last episode of Martin's programme will be the hotel's grand opening. He has already booked the world- famous Treorchy Male Choir and a big-name female celebrity. He says: 'I am absolutely supersizing it for the opening. 'The Valleys will have never seen anything like it." And there's light at the end of his tunnel too... 8 Martin has played a key role in the renovation the tunnel linking the Rhondda and Afan Valleys Credit: Huw Evans THE end is in sight for Martin's other fix-me-up project in the Welsh Valleys. His hotel in Blaencwm sits at one end of an incredible two-mile railway tunnel that has been closed off for more than 60 years. Martin is patron of the campaign to reopen the tunnel, which links the Rhondda and Afan Valleys, and turn it into a major tourist attraction. When it reopens it will be the longest all-year-round-use tunnel in the world for cyclists and walkers. Last week Railway Paths, a charity that restores old railway infrastructure, became a partner in the Rhondda Tunnel, which was used to transport coal from mines in the Valleys to Swansea docks. The £2million restoration could be open in two years. Martin says: 'Now all we want is for the Department for Transport to give us the tunnel. It's not going to cost the UK or the Welsh governments anything. 'The partnership with Railway Paths is a marriage made in heaven. 'This could be the vital step to finally making our dreams and hopes a reality. 'Being the longest continually open walking and cycling tunnel in the world will attract visitors from all around the globe to this area.'
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Homes Under The Hammer's Martin Roberts gives shock update on hotel project, admitting ‘I have failed on every level'
WITH total honesty, Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits: 'For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level.' Two years ago, the property expert showed The Sun around his own DIY project to turn a run-down Welsh village pub into a top tourist attraction. Advertisement 8 Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits his project to renovate a Welsh pub has been a failure Credit: Dan Jones Images 8 The back of the hotel shows a building in dire need of urgent renovation Credit: Huw Evans And just like he does on the hit property show, I asked: 'What is your timescale?' Back then, in spring 2023, Martin was convinced it would take just two years and around half a million pounds to So here we are, two years later, and on the outside, the eight-bedroom boozer looks . . . exactly the same. Martin, 61, who has witnessed more than 3,000 property renovations on his BBC daytime show, says: 'I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been. Advertisement READ MORE ON MARTIN ROBERTS 'I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. 'There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications. 'I'd say we are 60 per cent of the way there.' But when I ask how soon we can expect the pub to be open, Martin hedges his bets and shrugs: 'I think it's going to come together really quickly in the final few months. Advertisement Most read in News TV 'I'm hopeful for Halloween but Christmas would be good. If not, in time for Easter.' One of the many hold-ups, according to Martin, has been dealing with planners who insist he makes preparations in case the pub in the former mining village of Blaencwm is hit by a once-in-a-century flood. Homes Under the Hammer's Martin Roberts announces new series that's world's away from beloved BBC show He says: 'We've got to do it right, and we will do it right, but unfortunately that means there's lots of hoops to jump through.' It is only three years since Martin was minutes from death and Advertisement Doctors who carried out the surgery to drain fluid from the sac surrounding his heart told him in future to choose the easy life and avoid unnecessary stress. That is advice he does not seem to have followed. He could have spent his spare time living at his Rhondda Valley farmhouse — which he bought after falling in love with the area — and enjoying the stunning scenery which is popular with mountain bikers. Instead he decided to seize life and bought the pub lock, stock and barrel — without telling his wife Kirsty. Advertisement My head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. Martin Roberts In fact, father-of-two Martin thought he had kept the purchase a complete secret, but he reveals: 'My cleaner rang me up one day and said, 'Have you bought the Hendrewen?' 'It turns out her auntie was in the queue at Asda and the woman behind was saying, 'That Martin Roberts has bought the Hendrewen'. 'It's just hysterical because as far as I was concerned I hadn't told anybody, but it was being discussed in Asda.' next year — or whenever the pub finally opens. Advertisement But he has also given The Sun an exclusive peek at his architect's visualisations of how the pub will look when the work is finally done — including a wacky upside-down Rolls-Royce suspended from the ceiling in the dining area. 8 Martin has shared an artist's impressions of his ambitious plans to renovate the bar and restaurant Credit: Supplied 8 The bar and hotel aims to employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe Credit: Supplied As well as a new bar and restaurant, there will be eight bedrooms, all named after hit TV shows. Advertisement Martin says: 'When I was a travel journalist I probably stayed in hundreds of hotels and often they all looked the same. 'The ones I remember most are those where the rooms felt individual. "So in my hotel I wanted to create rooms that had an individual feel. 'Then I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly thought, why don't I theme them around what I know and what I'm known for, which is television. Advertisement 'Each room is themed around a legendary TV show. Obviously we're going to have a Homes Under The Hammer room with lots of memorabilia and funny stuff from the 20 years of the show. 'We're going to have a Doctor Who room, which is very science fiction-y. 'Next Stereophonics' 'A Fawlty Towers room where the light fittings are broken, the wallpaper is hanging off, beds are going to be very creaky and lots of quotes from Fawlty Towers on the walls. 'A Question Of Sport room will have lots of sports memorabilia. Advertisement 'There will also be a Top Of The Pops room, an Antiques Roadshow room, a Planet Earth room and one that is a tribute to Top Gear. 'I've been collecting things from car boot sales, flea markets and online for the last two years. Now I've got lots of TV memorabilia so these rooms can be decorated in the style of different telly programmes. It's going to be great.' 8 Martin is still optimistic his grand plans will accelerate over the coming months Credit: Supplied When the Hendrewen Hotel does finally open it will employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe. Advertisement Teenage students on catering and hospitality management courses will get practical experience working in the pub and in the hotel. Martin says: 'They'll get a chance to run a real-world place. We're going to have a teaching kitchen where celebrity chefs will come along and pass on their cookery skills. 'We're also putting in a stage with lots of musical instruments, which the locals will be able to come and use. 'And we'll have visiting musicians coming along, teaching musical skills to local kids. We might discover the next Advertisement He also has a team of teens aged 15 to 17 working with his tradesmen, learning the skills to be plasterers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers. Martin says: 'By working in the pub, these kids are getting a massive step up the ladder. A lot of their lives have been transformed. 'We've had kids come off drugs. We've had kids who wouldn't get up out of bed in the mornings who are now arriving early to work because they're enjoying it so much. 'These kids have been told by the schools that they're rubbish. They come in, we give them a paintbrush or a trowel and say, 'There's a wall, you've got to work on this'. We teach them, and they walk away, heads held high, a belief in themselves has returned. Advertisement 'They also walk away with a CSCS card, an industry qualification which shows they've got the safety experience to work on a building site. 'If one day they say working with me was a turning point in their life, I'll be thrilled. 8 Martin plans to create TV themed rooms in the hotel, including one based on Homes Under The Hammer Credit: Supplied 'Village lost its heart' 'Some of the youngsters have given up drugs . We have one lad who struggled to communicate because of a really strong stammer, but he's grown in confidence. Advertisement 'Now he won't stop talking and his stammer has diminished, which is great to see. 'I was three hours away from death, so I am even more driven to do things, not to make me money — because it's certainly not doing that — but to do some good, and to change lives. 'Because that's what you'll be remembered for, not for having a million pounds in the bank.' He adds: 'Bear in mind that some families around this area have generations of unemployment. It's like breaking a cycle and the kids get to see the joys of working.' Advertisement 8 Martin has been presenting Homes Under The Hammer for two decades Credit: Lion TV And Martin admits there are still months of hard graft ahead. He says: 'I've broken every single one of my rules! 'I have been driven by my heart. I made the classic error of going, 'It's a little pub, it closed at the start of lockdown, and the village has lost its heart and it needs me'. 'At the same time, my head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. Advertisement 'It has ups and downs. I still have days when I really struggle with my health. 'This is the thing that just keeps me going. 'I've got people relying on me and I won't let them down. I'm not going to give up.' The last episode of Martin's programme will be the hotel's grand opening. Advertisement He has already booked the world- famous Treorchy Male Choir and a big-name female celebrity . He says: 'I am absolutely supersizing it for the opening. 'The Valleys will have never seen anything like it." And there's light at the end of his tunnel too... 8 Martin has played a key role in the renovation the tunnel linking the Rhondda and Afan Valleys Credit: Huw Evans Advertisement THE end is in sight for Martin's other fix-me-up project in the Welsh Valleys. His hotel in Blaencwm sits at one end of an incredible two-mile railway tunnel that has been closed off for more than 60 years. Martin is patron of the campaign to reopen the tunnel, which links the Rhondda and Afan Valleys, and turn it into a major tourist attraction. When it reopens it will be the longest all-year-round-use tunnel in the world for cyclists and walkers. Advertisement Last week Railway Paths, a charity that restores old railway infrastructure, became a partner in the Rhondda Tunnel, which was used to transport coal from mines in the Valleys to Swansea docks. The £2million restoration could be open in two years. Martin says: 'Now all we want is for the Department for Transport to give us the tunnel. It's not going to cost the UK or the Welsh governments anything. 'The partnership with Railway Paths is a marriage made in heaven. Advertisement 'This could be the vital step to finally making our dreams and hopes a reality. 'Being the longest continually open walking and cycling tunnel in the world will attract visitors from all around the globe to this area.'
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Homes Under The Hammer's Martin Roberts gives shock update on hotel project, admitting ‘I have failed on every level'
WITH total honesty, Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts admits: 'For a man who spends all his time telling people to make sure they stick to their budgets and timescales, I have failed on every single level.' Two years ago, the property expert showed The Sun around his own DIY project to turn a run-down Welsh village pub into a top tourist attraction. 8 8 And just like he does on the hit property show, I asked: 'What is your timescale?' Back then, in spring 2023, Martin was convinced it would take just two years and around half a million pounds to rebuild the Hendrewen Hotel in the Rhondda Valley. So here we are, two years later, and on the outside, the eight-bedroom boozer looks . . . exactly the same. Martin, 61, who has witnessed more than 3,000 property renovations on his BBC daytime show, says: 'I'm still smiling but, oh my word, what a challenge it's been. 'I'll be honest, it's the first commercial property I've ever done. 'There have been lots of residential houses and flats, but commercial properties have a lot more complications. 'I'd say we are 60 per cent of the way there.' But when I ask how soon we can expect the pub to be open, Martin hedges his bets and shrugs: 'I think it's going to come together really quickly in the final few months. 'I'm hopeful for Halloween but Christmas would be good. If not, in time for Easter.' One of the many hold-ups, according to Martin, has been dealing with planners who insist he makes preparations in case the pub in the former mining village of Blaencwm is hit by a once-in-a-century flood. Homes Under the Hammer's Martin Roberts announces new series that's world's away from beloved BBC show He says: 'We've got to do it right, and we will do it right, but unfortunately that means there's lots of hoops to jump through.' It is only three years since Martin was minutes from death and needed an emergency heart op. Doctors who carried out the surgery to drain fluid from the sac surrounding his heart told him in future to choose the easy life and avoid unnecessary stress. That is advice he does not seem to have followed. He could have spent his spare time living at his Rhondda Valley farmhouse — which he bought after falling in love with the area — and enjoying the stunning scenery which is popular with mountain bikers. Instead he decided to seize life and bought the pub lock, stock and barrel — without telling his wife Kirsty. My head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. Martin Roberts In fact, father-of-two Martin thought he had kept the purchase a complete secret, but he reveals: 'My cleaner rang me up one day and said, 'Have you bought the Hendrewen?' 'It turns out her auntie was in the queue at Asda and the woman behind was saying, 'That Martin Roberts has bought the Hendrewen'. 'It's just hysterical because as far as I was concerned I hadn't told anybody, but it was being discussed in Asda.' Martin is making a ten-part documentary series called Oops! I Bought A Pub, which will be shown on ITV next year — or whenever the pub finally opens. But he has also given The Sun an exclusive peek at his architect's visualisations of how the pub will look when the work is finally done — including a wacky upside-down Rolls-Royce suspended from the ceiling in the dining area. 8 8 As well as a new bar and restaurant, there will be eight bedrooms, all named after hit TV shows. Martin says: 'When I was a travel journalist I probably stayed in hundreds of hotels and often they all looked the same. 'The ones I remember most are those where the rooms felt individual. "So in my hotel I wanted to create rooms that had an individual feel. 'Then I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly thought, why don't I theme them around what I know and what I'm known for, which is television. 'Each room is themed around a legendary TV show. Obviously we're going to have a Homes Under The Hammer room with lots of memorabilia and funny stuff from the 20 years of the show. 'We're going to have a Doctor Who room, which is very science fiction-y. 'Next Stereophonics' 'A Fawlty Towers room where the light fittings are broken, the wallpaper is hanging off, beds are going to be very creaky and lots of quotes from Fawlty Towers on the walls. 'A Question Of Sport room will have lots of sports memorabilia. 'There will also be a Top Of The Pops room, an Antiques Roadshow room, a Planet Earth room and one that is a tribute to Top Gear. 'I've been collecting things from car boot sales, flea markets and online for the last two years. Now I've got lots of TV memorabilia so these rooms can be decorated in the style of different telly programmes. It's going to be great.' 8 When the Hendrewen Hotel does finally open it will employ around 30 locals in one of the most deprived areas in Europe. Teenage students on catering and hospitality management courses will get practical experience working in the pub and in the hotel. Martin says: 'They'll get a chance to run a real-world place. We're going to have a teaching kitchen where celebrity chefs will come along and pass on their cookery skills. 'We're also putting in a stage with lots of musical instruments, which the locals will be able to come and use. 'And we'll have visiting musicians coming along, teaching musical skills to local kids. We might discover the next Stereophonics.' He also has a team of teens aged 15 to 17 working with his tradesmen, learning the skills to be plasterers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers. Martin says: 'By working in the pub, these kids are getting a massive step up the ladder. A lot of their lives have been transformed. 'We've had kids come off drugs. We've had kids who wouldn't get up out of bed in the mornings who are now arriving early to work because they're enjoying it so much. 'These kids have been told by the schools that they're rubbish. They come in, we give them a paintbrush or a trowel and say, 'There's a wall, you've got to work on this'. We teach them, and they walk away, heads held high, a belief in themselves has returned. 'They also walk away with a CSCS card, an industry qualification which shows they've got the safety experience to work on a building site. 'If one day they say working with me was a turning point in their life, I'll be thrilled. 8 'Village lost its heart' 'Some of the youngsters have given up drugs. We have one lad who struggled to communicate because of a really strong stammer, but he's grown in confidence. 'Now he won't stop talking and his stammer has diminished, which is great to see. 'I was three hours away from death, so I am even more driven to do things, not to make me money — because it's certainly not doing that — but to do some good, and to change lives. 'Because that's what you'll be remembered for, not for having a million pounds in the bank.' He adds: 'Bear in mind that some families around this area have generations of unemployment. It's like breaking a cycle and the kids get to see the joys of working.' 8 And Martin admits there are still months of hard graft ahead. He says: 'I've broken every single one of my rules! 'I have been driven by my heart. I made the classic error of going, 'It's a little pub, it closed at the start of lockdown, and the village has lost its heart and it needs me'. 'At the same time, my head is going, 'What the absolute bleep have you done here?' Every single wall was cock-eyed, every single window was falling down. Add to that the small matter of bats nesting in the leaking roof. 'It has ups and downs. I still have days when I really struggle with my health. 'This is the thing that just keeps me going. 'I've got people relying on me and I won't let them down. I'm not going to give up.' The last episode of Martin's programme will be the hotel's grand opening. He has already booked the world- famous Treorchy Male Choir and a big-name female celebrity. He says: 'I am absolutely supersizing it for the opening. 'The Valleys will have never seen anything like it." And there's light at the end of his tunnel too... 8 THE end is in sight for Martin's other fix-me-up project in the Welsh Valleys. His hotel in Blaencwm sits at one end of an incredible two-mile railway tunnel that has been closed off for more than 60 years. Martin is patron of the campaign to reopen the tunnel, which links the Rhondda and Afan Valleys, and turn it into a major tourist attraction. When it reopens it will be the longest all-year-round-use tunnel in the world for cyclists and walkers. Last week Railway Paths, a charity that restores old railway infrastructure, became a partner in the Rhondda Tunnel, which was used to transport coal from mines in the Valleys to Swansea docks. The £2million restoration could be open in two years. Martin says: 'Now all we want is for the Department for Transport to give us the tunnel. It's not going to cost the UK or the Welsh governments anything. 'The partnership with Railway Paths is a marriage made in heaven. 'This could be the vital step to finally making our dreams and hopes a reality. 'Being the longest continually open walking and cycling tunnel in the world will attract visitors from all around the globe to this area.'
