With the series coming to an end this week, I asked former contestants about their experience filming and what affect the show had on their businesses
Reality TV tends to divide opinions. Some (like me) think it is the best thing since the Vuvuzela Silencer (please someone make this!) Others believe it’s the devil’s work - an artificially constructed reality, designed to ruin the reputations of those taking part, in aid of cheap audience titillation.
I was concerned about asking the contestants if they found it a positive experience. Worried they might swear at me because the show had ruined their lives. TV is still a very powerful medium and can make or break businesses.
The first owner who agreed to talk was Andrew from The Lodge in Avebury. Cast your mind back to Episode Two and Andrew charged £250 a night and an extra £75 for a tour around the stone circle, which the B&B looks over.
Even though the owners (including the former S&M prostitute… now you remember!) paid well under the room rate and gave the place a bit of a thrashing, Andrew still enjoyed the experience.
“I have been repeatedly recognized in the street since the show,” he said. “99% of approaches have been kind and friendly. There was just one woman who wasn’t nice. She called me a Wan*er for saying that a megalithic stone was symbolic of a clitoris. She evidently lacked any sense of humour.”
Andrew had a good response from his family and despite the B&Bs negative feedback in the show bookings are up. “I had the best May ever and far more show related bookings than I had ever expected.”
Ray and Julie Bright from the Ashleigh Hotel in Bournemouth (Episode Six) also didn’t win but have a positive story. (You may remember it was a very commercial operation and the breakfast was served in trays) “Our site had an extra 96,000 hits that night and an extra 170,000 for the end of May - better than we could have ever hoped for. We had many bookings from the show and moved up the Google rankings.”
Arthouse B&B in Canterbury (Episode Four) also had a worthwhile experience, even though the owners who visited weren’t anywhere near their target market and criticized their DIY breakfasts.
“We have been much busier and have been recognised lots in the street which is fun. We’ve been inundated with very positive and supportive e mails which is fantastic.”
No doubt some owners will regret taking part. Like the lady who took her own sausages for breakfast and then embarrassingly mistook the hosts sausages for her own. Or the woeful ghost hunting experience in Scotland, that went down like a haggis at a vegan convention.
But these people failed to answer my emails or phone calls. I emailed every B&B that took part throughout the series and no one replied with any negative comments. Maybe the ones that did have a bad experience just didn’t want to talk about it. I have no obligation to Channel 4 and I'm sure readers would have been empathetic towards them if they said the show had forced them to improve their practices which they have done, or that they were harshly edited.
In the email I wrote, ‘This is your chance to have your say. If you didn’t like the way your business was portrayed in the show, then please say so.’ Their silence speaks volumes. It says to me that they have no excuse for their silly behaviour and bad business practices, and can’t blame anyone but themselves.
Veronica and James Ritchie from Hanover House, Cheltenham (Episode 7/8, the one where Veronica got upset and asked to stop filming) were very helpful and sent me so much information I can’t fit it all in here.
“Filming was extremely enjoyable and we were looked after very well. The young team was friendly and we got on with them very well indeed. Even after filming was complete we kept in regular touch with Studio Lambert and they frequently emailed us to find out how we were and to keep us in touch with progress. The experience as a whole was very good, and the organization and administration by Studio Lambert in arranging travel, accommodation etc was first class.
“They did a very good job overall, depicting us as fairly as possible. At one point at the end, when we had been paid considerably less than we thought we were worth, but conscious of the ‘tactical voting’ by the couple determined to win, Veronica was overcome by emotion and asked the team to stop filming. When it came to the editing, the team thought that that particular scene was quite touching and emailed to ask if they could include it anyway, to which we agreed. They could have included it nonetheless if they had so chosen as we had signed away our rights to stop it in the contract, but they had the decency to ask us if we would object.
“In the weeks since transmission, we have been deluged by supportive emails, some from previous guests but surprisingly a number from other B&B owners around the country who thought we had been unfairly treated and thought us the best. “However B&Bs are a matter of personal taste, and no doubt the other owners would have received similar supportive emails.
“Many of the supportive emails said that they’d definitely stay with us if and when they came to Cheltenham, but were not definite bookings. We have had a number of bookings as a direct result of the programme too.
“In summary we have no regrets at all in taking part. We had an interesting and amusing time, which was very enjoyable. We were flown to Durham and stayed in other good precursor B&Bs and all at no cost to ourselves.”
If you would like to appear in the show contact Emily Hudson at Studio Lambert on threeinabed@studiolambert.com or 0207 534 2030.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/three-in-a-bed
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