Homes Under the Hammer host Martin Roberts’ firm ‘goes into administration with £3million debts, leaving would-be customers fuming’

• Bosses are said to have laid off all staff, leaving would-be customers in the lurch
• Aspiring property developers claim they’ve paid fees but got nothing in return
• Martin is described as an ‘advanced speaker’ for the company 

A firm fronted by Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts has reportedly gone into administration with £3million of debts.

Asset Academy has allegedly laid off all its staff, leaving a number of potential customers hanging in the balance who claim they have paid out cash and got nothing in return, according to the Mirror.

Television presenter Martin, 59, and his wife Kirsty had shares in the firm which offered training sessions for aspiring property investors, with Martin named as an ‘advanced speaker’, according to the publication.

Organisation bosses promise on their website to help students of the academy learn how to ‘invest in property the right way’ and ‘thrive in today’s market’ during a three day intensive learning course.

They offer online courses, Zoom meetings and support groups via social media, although they state they are no longer taking on new students.

Weathering a storm? A firm fronted by Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts, 59, has reportedly gone into administration with £3million of debts (pictured in May last year)

Martin is familiar to many people having appeared on property shows, helping people to purchase home at auction before renovating them.

In a YouTube video for Asset Academy, he says: ‘The great thing about property investing is, with the right training and the right guidance, anyone can do it.

‘You don’t need to be some prima ballerina, you don’t need to be some God-given talent.

‘Anybody from any walk of life, I believe, with the right training and right support, can become a successful property investor.’

Unimpressed customers left negative reviews on website TrustPilot before the company went into administration.

One person wrote: ‘After I had booked in and paid for a course, they cancelled and moved it to a date that I couldn’t do, so I asked for the money back guarantee and have been chasing them for five weeks with no reply.

‘Save your money and go for someone better.’

Another person wrote: ‘I registered to attend [online] training on the 22nd February 2023, paying the booking fee. It is now over one month later and I have still not been provided with details.’

Unimpressed: Asset Academy has allegedly laid off all its staff, leaving a number of potential customers hanging in the balance who claim they have paid out cash and got nothing in return (pictured in February 2017)

A spokesperson for Martin told the Mirror that Martin’s involvement with Asset Academy was as a brand ambassador, an auction trainer and a minority shareholder, and that he did not receive any dividends.

They added: ‘He had no involvement in the financial operation of the company. He stopped his association several months ago. Martin himself is currently owed a considerable amount of money.’

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Martin, and Asset Academy bosses for comment further comment.

It comes after Martin told how he was hoping to bring part of a Welsh valleys community’s heritage back to life by injecting £500,000 of his own money into a special project.

The television presenter and property expert is planning to renovate the local pub and has the keys to the Hendrewen Hotel in Blaencwm at the top of the Rhondda Fawr valley.

Owners of the much-loved village pub decided to close the business during lockdown and Martin snapped it up last year as he felt the community had ‘lost their heart’.

However, the property developer admits the task is his ‘most worrying’ yet and he says he decided not to tell his wife Kirsty about his plans so she couldn’t talk him out of it.

He 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!

‘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?!’

New beginnings: Martin Roberts, 59, is hoping to bring part of a Welsh valleys community’s heritage back to life by injecting £500,000 of his own money into a special project (pictured in May last year) 

The former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! campmate is plowing a substantial amount of his own money into the hotel, saying he wants to turn the establishment into a ‘really funky and fun bar, restaurant and gastropub’.

He insists he will keep references to the history of the area and its industrial heritage in the hotel building.

Martin is also looking to open some additional accommodation nearby which will provide rooms with access for disabled people and wheelchairs, and three-wheel mountain bikes.

Along with the new accommodation, he is planning to expand a restaurant and village shop which will cater for tourists visiting the area.

Source: Read Full Article