Kids today have to deal with issues we never had to worry about
Martin Roberts talks to Luke Rix-standing about lockdown and children’s wellbeing
Martin Roberts has spent 17 years at the helm of Homes Under The Hammer, charming viewers and guest homeowners alike with his astute insight, genial manner and catchphrase, ‘It’s unusual, but I like it’.
He’s moonlighted as a property expert on various shows down the years, and others may know him from his 2016 turn on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The presenter, 57, also writes children’s books, most notably the Villes series (Boredsville, Coldsville, Windyville…). Sadsville, written in support of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), sets out to talk to children on their own level about emotions – and when the pandemic hit, Roberts donated copies to every primary school in the UK.
“I’ve been a supporter of the NSPCC since childhood, as my mum volunteered for them, and I’ve done a lot of charity projects. I thought there might be a way to write a book – nothing too emotional or heavyweight – that starts a conversation about children’s wellbeing at the age when they’re starting to come to terms with their emotions.
“In Sadsville, everyone is sad, but like all the lands [in the series] the reason is silly and the book is filled with whimsical pictures. At the back, there’s a section outlining what to do if you feel sad, and how to separate ‘good sad’, which is sadness that is normal in life, from ‘bad sad’ that comes from being bullied, neglected or abused.
“The idea originally was to give a copy to every Year 4 pupil in the UK, but when Covid came along there were reports that primary school children were really struggling, so I thought we should get something out there now. We raised enough money to give free copies to every UK primary school, with a lesson plan for teachers to check if children in their classes are struggling.”
“For kids to open up, it has to seem informal. You can’t just say, ‘Right, today we’re going to talk about abuse’. Instead if you ask, ‘Why might people be sad?’, and if they say, ‘Maybe their mummy doesn’t give them enough breakfast’, you can make a mental note.
“We recently released a version read by 22 different celebrities, ranging from David Hasselhoff to Alexander Armstrong, all held together by Basil Brush. Children can sit in class and be engaged by a fun story read by Basil Brush, which leads into a proper conversation.”
“We have a lot more grown-up conversations with the kids than we might otherwise have done, and it makes you appreciate what you’ve got.
"My children have a pretty nice life, and when I do readings we generally go to schools in deprived areas. I’m happy my children have what they do, and if I can bring a bit of that to others, that would be the thing I’m most proud of in my career.”
“Some of the things kids have to deal with are issues my generation never had to worry about."
● Martin Roberts provided every primary school in the UK with a teaching version of his children’s book Sadsville. See sadsville.co.uk