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Last Night's Three in a Bed - Reviewed by Emma from 4Homes
Emma is the Senior Writer for Channel 4’s 4Homes website, but opinions expressed in this post are her own and not those of Channel 4.
I have to admit that, of all the programmes we cover at 4Homes, Three In A Bed has become a personal favourite.
Perhaps I shouldn't admit to a favourite - after all, a parent shouldn't admit to a favourite child - but I just love the personality clashes that the programme-makers put together.
This week's was no different, pitching the flamboyant Susie - whose 'little touches' for her guests include chocolate on the pillows, feathers on the breakfasts and petals everywhere, including the loo - against practical, outdoorsy Nikki and Steve, and unashamedly money-minded Ray and Julie.
At Clayton Wickham, Mike and Susie's pretty farmhouse in Sussex, the guests - notwithstanding the petal penchant - seemed to be enjoying themselves. It only started to go sour the next morning, when they eschewed Susie's extravagant fruit salad, complete with rosemary sprigs and, yes, more petals, in favour of good old toast.
And payment? Perhaps sensibly, given that they were yet to be judged themselves, both sets of guests paid exactly 100 per cent of their bill.
Next up was Nikki and Steve's Arbor Low, in the Peak District. The weather had turned a bit drizzly and it was obvious from the moment she saw the brochure that Susie wasn't going to love it. Or the weather. "God forbid I get the hair wet," she declared in the car, before she'd even arrived. "And I hope to God we're not going on a mammoth walk this afternoon..."
Three guesses what activity Nikki had lined up for the group.
Despite a breakfast where guests had to make their own tea and toast, Ray and Julie overpaid by more than 33 per cent. We all knew this was more to do with a lack of petals than an abundance of anything else, but Nikki and Steve were happy and of course, it took them into the lead.
Thirdly, to the Ashleigh Hotel in Bournemouth, where Mike and Susie managed to describe Julie and Ray's fairly plain, but modern, black and white decor as 'gaudy' - an irony obviously lost on a woman who puts feathers in her grilled tomatoes.
As ever, the best part of the programme was saved until last, because Ray - whose knee injury precluded any kind of exercise - had organised the perfect activity for the remaining bunch. Surfing. As they traipsed out in their wetsuits, I had to laugh (and it got me wondering how far in advance of filming each set of contributors chooses their activity. I suddenly imagined Ray, having originally picked something far more innocuous to do on 'his' afternoon, meeting Susie for the first time, then sneaking off to the production team to desperately beg a swap).
Next morning, Ray and Julie’s commercial-hotel-style breakfast 'troughs' didn't go down too well with either couple, but by now it was obvious how the marking would go. Susie and Mike underpaid, whilst Nikki and Steve overpaid... but not by enough to give away the top spot.
And Ray, in response, managed to sum up the whole series: "It's useful to hear what you think, but as we all know, our audiences are completely different." He might as well have said, "as we all know, we're only here because it makes great telly." And you know what? He’d be right. I don’t really care who wins each week, because it is just great telly.
Finally, Paul has mentioned before on this blog that the B&B owners on Three In A Bed always seem to go to bed with clothes on. It had been troubling me, too. But this week, I'm not sure whether or not I'm happy to report that Mike and Susie bared all (or, at least, as much of them as was visible above the covers). An image, quite frankly, that I could have done without.
If you haven't seen it yet (or want to see it again!) watch last night's show here
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