A WOODFORD Valley couple feature in a new series of Four in a Bed airing next week.

Eddie and Karen Deighton, who established Finch Cottage as a B&B in 2019, were fans of the Channel 4 series and thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when they were approached by production company Studio Lambert to do the show.

The show sees B&B owners take it in turns to stay with each other as they compete to be crowned the best hosts, 

Unfortunately, just as filming was about to start, the country entered its first Covid-19 lockdown, and all plans were put on hold. A number of weeks later, when restrictions were eased for the first time, the production company began filming again.

An opportunity not to be missed

Eddie said: “To be honest, I wasn’t initially keen as I’m not too comfortable engaging in social media or appearing on TV, but I knew appearing on the show had the potential to not only be a life experience I would never forget but it could also really help us promote the B&B business for when lockdown ends.

"The majority of hospitality businesses have suffered so much this last year (ours included) and it had the potential to be a great way of reinvigorating our offer to the public.

"As it was, we had an amazing time and enjoyed ourselves immensely and, psychologically, it really helped get us through the last six months of 2020.”

'Excitement and nerves'

Eddie says they feel a mixture of “excitement and nervousness” about the episodes airing.

"Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions we didn’t know when Channel 4 were planning to show the episodes so we weren't building our hopes and expectations but, now we know they're airing soon, it’s a mixture of excitement and nervousness We’re really hoping we come across well and that the viewers find us entertaining," said Eddie.

"Neither of us have had any experience of being in front of the camera before, it was all quite alien to us. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone as my primary business is running An.X Ltd, a local branding and marketing agency here in Salisbury, so I’m more used to being behind a camera giving directions rather than in front taking them."

'I actually thought it was a friend winding us up'

Karen says she intially thought the call about the show was a "wind up" and adds: “I have loved the show for many years so couldn’t wait to do it. I was the one who initially took the call from them and I actually thought it was a friend winding us up.”

Sharing business experiences

On what he enjoyed most about the experience, Eddie said: "It was great seeing how the programme is put together - the crew were fantastic and extremely professional.

"We had a great time and met some really lovely people who have already become good friends.

"It was also good to share business experiences and see how everybody else coped during the first lockdown; I think we all learnt a lot about each other and it helped us appreciate we were all in similar positions business-wise. I don’t think it could have come at a better time for us.

And Karen added: “We made some lovely, new friends and some incredible, lasting memories.

"We’ve worked so hard to make our cottage a destination experience over the last few years and I hope that comes through on the programme.

"Unfortunately, we can’t reveal anything about the show or who won – you’ll have to watch it to find out!”

When do the episodes air?

The episodes are due to air next week, starting Monday (March 8) at 5pm on Channel 4.

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