Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts on pain of losing best mate

Martin Roberts reveals he’s taking part in ITV’s The Real Full Monty

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Martin Roberts is a familiar face for Homes Under the Hammer viewers, but he’ll soon be taking on an entirely different project. The star is swapping property searches for stripping as he takes part in this year’s The Real Full Monty. Along with a cast of other celebrities, Martin will be getting his kit off for charity in a bid to raise awareness for cancer checks. In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, Martin opened up about his motivations for baring all on the ITV show. The star revealed he’s dedicating the performance to his best friend who he lost to bowel cancer.

Speaking about why he signed up for the show, Martin said: “It’s not really about the stripping off, it’s all about cancer awareness.

“You know, I unfortunately lost my best mate to bowel cancer four years ago.

“He was the same age as me and at 52 years old he got diagnosed with bowel cancer.

“Two years later, he died leaving a widow and two teenage daughters. You know, I saw the pain first-hand that creates the family.

“I felt the pain first-hand in terms of what it felt like to lose a loved one and you know the best mate,” he explained.

Martin revealed that despite being nervous about baring all on stage, when he understood what the show was really about he was determined to take part.

He said: “It’s about creating the biggest buzz for a show, which will hopefully get the maximum number of people watching and the maximum proportion of those people hearing the message which is ‘At the first signs of problems, get to your doctor’.

“Especially for blokes, those sorts of cancers of private places, you know, bowel cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer.

“You know, blokes are terrible aren’t they? They procrastinate at the best of times.

“But, when the idea of going to the doctor and I mean some bl***y doctor sticking their finger up your bum – which is what blokes think right?

“It’s like, ‘No, bl***y way am I gonna do that?’. But, you know, I tell you what, it’s better than the other option which is to die,” Martin commented.

The Homes Under the Hammer star confessed he felt passionate about raising awareness of cancer checks in men in particular after witnessing his friend’s experience.

Martin explained: “He didn’t go to the doctor as soon as he could have done.

“So, I thought, I’ve got to overcome my own sense of insecurities and think of the bigger picture which is why I agreed to do it,” he added.

Martin admitted he felt quite emotional about taking part in Strictly The Real Full Monty because of the “important” cause behind it.

“It’s probably the most important thing I’ve ever done,” he remarked.

“At the end of the day, if it saves lives, then that’s more important than anything I’ve ever done right?

“All it takes is one person to be encouraged to get to the doctor a little bit sooner and it’s been worthwhile,” Martin added.

Martin isn’t the only famous face taking part in the show this year as Olympian Colin Jackson, Blue singer Duncan James, Loose Women star Colleen Nolan are also all stripping off for charity.

Strictly the Real Full Monty is on ITV on December 13 and 14 at 9pm.

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