Interview: Why Martin Roberts faced his biggest fear on stage
Martin Roberts is a seasoned TV presenter with decades of experience in front of the camera, known for his engaging style and ability to connect with audiences.
From hosting live events to bringing authenticity to every show, he has built a reputation for being real, resilient and refreshingly human.
When he accepted the challenge of ITV’s The Real Full Monty, Martin stepped far outside his usual zone — confronting both physical and mental hurdles in pursuit of something far bigger than himself.
His journey is not just about performance, but purpose.
Film News Blitz presents this exclusive interview with The SpeakOut Agency, Martin shares what it felt like baring more than just emotion on stage, how he prepared for his most vulnerable role, and why this show matters much more than entertainment.
Q: You recently took part in ITV’s The Real Full Monty, a show known for pushing participants outside of their comfort zones. What was that experience like for you, both physically and mentally?
Martin Roberts: “This is taking me so far out of my comfort zone doing the Full Monty that you wouldn’t believe it.
“I’m not physically particularly fit, and so the physical challenges, along with the mental challenges, I wasn’t particularly well prepared for.
“We’re being taught how to dance a fairly insane routine, which lasts ten minutes, by Diversity.
“So that’s Diversity — the guys who jump and swirl and do all that stuff at a high pace. They’re teaching us, and we’re expected to sort of keep up.
“To give you an idea of the pace, the main dance that we do is fast — every move you do is at that kind of speed.
“You can do it very nicely when you do it slowly in practise, but when the music comes on, it just takes it to another level.
“So yeah, battered and bruised physically, and mentally let’s not go there.
“The idea of what we’re doing is off anybody’s charts in terms of being comfortable.
“But you come back to the reason, and that is why we’re doing it for cancer awareness — to get people, guys and girls, to go to the doctors at the first sign of any issues.
“And if by me getting my kit off it gets more people watching… actually, I’m not sure that’s the case, but it gets more interest in the whole thing.
“Then it’s a pretty important show for me to be part of.”
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Q: Preparing for such a demanding live performance must have been daunting. How did you approach training and getting yourself ready for the stage?
Martin Roberts: “I have been trying to do a little bit more exercise, so I got a personal trainer — very grand.
“She’s been brilliant, just pushing me a little bit further than I would normally go. Basically, that is from stop to the very first gear.
“I was quite horrified how out of shape I had become. It’s very easy to slip into things, isn’t it? Especially during lockdown.
“We all either did much more exercise, or a lot of people drowned their sorrows in drink and food. I was probably the latter category.
“So I gave her a mission impossible of trying to get me sorted out in five weeks. But of course, I’m a 58-year-old bloke.
“My back is delicate, my knees are delicate, and so actually, the first week when we did the first bit of dancing, I went and pulled a tendon because I was just trying something I really shouldn’t have been trying.
“Now I’m taking it a bit more carefully and hopefully the body will survive.
“It’s definitely out of my comfort zone doing this, but I’m doing it for the main reason — in memory of my best mate, who was the same age as me and who, four years ago, died of bowel cancer. That rocked all our worlds.
“He left two teenage daughters and a wife.
“He was my best mate and was the best man at my wedding. To see him — a big, strong, strapping 52-year-old — basically be wiped out in two years was extremely sobering.
“So when I was asked to do this, it’s completely outside the norm of what I would do.
“But I’m doing it in memory of Dave and also with a view to raising awareness and getting more people to the doctor sooner.
“His widow sadly thinks that if he had gone to the doctor sooner, at the first signs of any problems, he might still be here today.
“If we can avoid anybody else going through the kind of pain and suffering that we’ve all gone through — me to a large degree, but mostly his family — then it’s very worthwhile.
“It’s a massive challenge, though. I like a challenge, but this one is about as extreme as it gets.”
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Q: Beyond the entertainment value, why do you believe The Real Full Monty carries such an important message?
Martin Roberts: “The Real Full Monty isn’t about raising money for cancer. It isn’t raising money for cancer awareness or even tied into specific cancer charities.
“Although, obviously the essence is cancers of, if you like, “private parts” in blokes: testicular, bowel, prostate. And in women, breast and cervical.
“Its only reason for being is raising awareness, with the hope that somebody at home watching goes — or the partner of somebody at home watching goes — “You’ve had a bit of blood in your poo, haven’t you? Has that gone away, or are you hiding under a rock?”
“None of us like the idea. We’d rather be in blessed ignorance. We don’t want somebody to tell us that we’ve got cancer because that’s terrible.
“But I’ll tell you what — it’s a lot better to be told it at stage one, when they can do something about it, than be told it at stage five, where they say, “That’s it. Goodbye.”
“If you catch it early, your chances of survival are so much better. That’s why it’s such an important show.
“To do it in this kind of frivolous entertainment way is just a way to get the maximum number of people in.
“But also, the programme follows our journey. So there are two shows: the first one, and parts of the second, are all about us doing our training, our worries about taking part, and putting the whole thing together.
“Most importantly, it covers all our backstories, because everyone taking part has got a backstory.
“Everyone has got an association with cancer — whether they’ve suffered it themselves or through family and friends. That becomes the essence of the show.
“The bit at the end — taking the kit off — is just a bit of light relief. It’s not really what the show is about.”
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Q: The show brings together people from many different walks of life. Which of your fellow cast members did you find yourself connecting with the most?
Martin Roberts: “You know what? We’ve been really lucky. We’ve had a really strong and supportive team, and without that it would have been really difficult. There are no prima donnas, no big “I ams”.
“As a group, we’ve been really, really lucky. They’re all great in their own way — a real cross-section of people from different backgrounds.
“My only concern about the blokes, and I said this at the start, was that I wasn’t doing this if I was with a lot of Chippendales and super-hunks.
“But blow me, I’m with an Olympic athlete, a professional dancer, a Love Island super-hunk and a boy band Adonis. So that didn’t quite go to plan!”
Q: With cancer survival so dependent on early diagnosis, what message would you share with those who may still be reluctant to get checked?
Martin Roberts: “I understand why people are nervous about going to the doctor. In some ways, you don’t want to be told, because you fear the worst.
“But it’s always better to know — and you’d have been better off going sooner.
“We live in a world of incredible medicinal, technological and cancer-treatment advances.
“But you’ve got to get yourself to the doctor so that process can start as soon as possible.
“There isn’t one type of cancer where it doesn’t make a hugely positive difference if you get to the doctor soon.
“Especially with those embarrassing cancers where you think, “I don’t want some doctor to check that out.”
“Honestly, whatever it is, it’s not as bad as dying, okay? That’s it in a nutshell. Get yourself to the doctor at the first signs of a problem.
“And when you get there, if you’re fobbed off or told, “You’re not susceptible to cancer, don’t worry about it,” but you know your body and you know something’s wrong, then be persistent.
“Say: “Okay, that might normally be the case, but I need a few more tests.”
“That’s not to put extra strain on the NHS — but they’d rather start treatment sooner. So if you feel something is wrong, be persistent.”
This exclusive interview with Martin Roberts was conducted by Megan Lupton of The Motivational Speakers Agency.
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