BREAKING: A Place In The Sun BOSS WARNS buyers won’t appear on show if they disobey ONE RULE
Siobhan O’Gorman, the television producer at the helm of A Place in the Sun, has revealed how the popular Channel 4 show selects potential house buyers to feature on the programme. She noted that certain aspects have significantly changed since A Place In The Sun first aired a quarter of a century ago: “The first-ever episode 25 years ago featured a couple looking for a holiday home in the French Pyrenees with a budget of £40,000,’ she told the Daily Mail.
“That wasn’t a bad budget then, but today you wouldn’t get much for that.” However, some elements remain consistent, Siobhan explains: “We need to be sure every applicant is in a position to put in a genuine offer,” she states. “We have great relationships with estate agents all over Europe and beyond, so it’s important to maintain that.”
“While approximately two-thirds of applicants are seeking a new home in Spain, many others contact the show with aspirations of discovering properties in Cyprus, Portugal and Greece. But we’re also seeing increased interest in countries such as Croatia, Turkey and Dubai,” Siobhan adds.
Regardless of their desired destination, applicants begin by completing a 12-page application form. Then Siobhan and her team meticulously review each one, identifying property seekers whose preferences align with the locations the show plans to visit in the upcoming season.
The next stage involves an on-camera interview to determine whether the applicants will provide engaging television content, and if their property ambitions are feasible.
Competition is fierce, Siobhan reveals: “‘It’s fair to say we have at least ten applications for every show and it’s 20 for some of the more popular resorts.” She continues: “We like to reflect a variety of budgets and areas in each country, though, so we wouldn’t do six shows with the same budget and the same wish list in Mijas Costa in Spain, but we may do two shows there with differing budgets.”
“All of this meticulous preparation ensures A Place In The Sun appears seamless and professionally organised on television.
Yet presenter Laura Hamilton, who has fronted the programme since 2012, recalls one chaotic episode she jokingly dubbed “Mudgate” where everything that could possibly go wrong, did indeed go wrong.
Whilst the crew were attempting to assist a prospective expatriate in locating a retirement property in Abruzzo, Italy, torrential rainfall wreaked havoc. Laura recalled: “The production team were travelling in separate vehicles due to social distancing protocols, and one after another, each became hopelessly stuck in treacherous mud.”
“We were there for three hours and had to have tractors pull us out,” Laura remembered. “I’m known for wearing high heels on the show because I’m quite short. I remember having these ridiculously high heels on and they got caked in mud.
House hunter Sue was “mortified,” Laura recalled, blaming herself for choosing a remote rural location that didn’t even have proper tarmac roads. Laura tried to reassure Sue, telling her “It’s not your fault – and I always say you’ve got to love a house come rain or shine,” to which the embarrassed homebuyer replied: “Well, I definitely don’t love this one!”
