Martin Roberts: Kids today have to deal with issues we never had to worry about

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’.

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.

Here, he talks to us about the story, parenting during the pandemic, and communicating with children about serious topics…

What’s the story behind Sadsville?

“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 for them. 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.”

Do you think these issues require a very light touch?

“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.”

Martin Roberts recently provided every primary school in the UK with a teaching version of his children’s book Sadsville.

For more information, see sadsville.co.uk