The Block judge Marty Fox says his wife Charlotte saved his life after a terrifying health scare that left him unable to breathe.

Fox, 38, ended up in hospital last month when a flu he could not shake during a whirlwind period of work developed into pneumonia. The Block judge Marty Fox in hospital with pneumonia

Marty ended up in hospital with pneumonia, after pushing through illness for five weeks. Instagram/@martyfox01

“After four months of not taking my foot off the gas, I finally broke,” the real estate expert said, sharing his health scare with his 51,000 Instagram followers.

Fox said he had been hanging out for June 1, the beginning of his holiday break after taking no days off since January.

But before that, he had a lot of work and travel to do – all while being sick and losing his voice.

“No matter what, I couldn’t shake the cough and the flu had turned into bronchitis,” he said.

Fox continued with a planned panel in Brisbane, but when he landed back home in Melbourne things took a turn.

“I was lying in bed after spending the next two or three days at home. I went to lie down to go to bed and launched into a full bronchial spasm. I couldn’t get air into me, couldn’t breathe and felt like I was drowning,” he said.

“To the point Charlotte rushed in, got my inhaler and genuinely saved my life.

“If I was home alone, I would have passed out or had a heart attack. It was something I had never experienced. The kids woke up, the ambulance was there within minutes and I was rushed to hospital. Scariest moment of my life and gutted the kids saw it happen.” The Block judge Marty Fox taken to hospital with pneumonia

Paramedics took Marty to hospital after he struggled to breathe. Instagram/@martyfox01

His next 36 hours involved “three bags of IV, testing and getting my chest to open back up”, and his fourth course of antibiotics in five weeks.

“Strict orders to keep away from work, switch off, rest and recoup from pneumonia,” he said.

The Block judge Marty Fox in hospital with pneumonia

Marty had to recover in hospital. Instagram/@martyfox01

Fox missed the final day of filming for The Block 2026, which is coming to Channel 9 later this year, but was thankful for fellow judges Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and landscaping expert Dave Franklin for holding down the fort.

“These guys literally carried me over the line for the previous four weeks and I’m so grateful for their kindness and care,” he shared.

After being discharged, he and his family travelled to Queensland for some R&R. The Block judge Marty Fox with his kids

Marty, pictured with his kids, say he “finally broke”. Instagram/@martyfox01

Fox hoped that after another week off, he would be back to full strength.

He said he would “take some learnings out of what I’m currently juggling and where I need to add additional bumper rails, support or drop certain things”.

However, even after the health scare, he said he was unlikely to slow down.
Advertisement
“Life’s all about learning but slowing down isn’t my jam. Sometimes, you need to slow down to speed up,” he noted. The Block judge Marty Fox and wife Charlotte Fox

The Block judge Marty Fox and wife Charlotte Fox Instagram/@martyfox01

Fox became a guest judge on The Block in 2023 before joining permanently the following year.

The real estate expert and his wife, Charlotte, founded Whitefox in 2017 as a boutique agency in Melbourne.

It quickly grew, expanding across Brisbane, Perth, the Gold Coast and Adelaide and internationally to New Zealand.

In 2025, it opened its first Sydney office in Manly.

SOURCE: 9 NEWS

https://www.nine.com.au/tv-shows/the-block/marty-fox-health-scare-hospital-pneumonia-20260608-p604ot.html