Alan Carr and Amanda Holden join forces to renovate a crumbling property in Italy for an escapist new eight-part series produced by Voltage TV for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Amanda And Alan: The Italian Job will follow the duo as they join the ranks of the ‘One Euro’ home buyers, purchasing their own slice of heaven at a bargain price in a little town nestled in the sun-kissed hills of rural Sicily.
Armed with a shared passion for travel and interior design they will spend the summer immersing themselves in the Sicilian way of life, as they transform their depilated house into a luxury holiday home.
Alan and Amanda have renovated their own properties in the past, but neither of them has tackled a project of this scale before. Whilst they’ll try their hand at everything - from plumbing to painting and plastering - they’ll be drafting in local tradespeople to show them the ropes and help keep the project on track.
As the pair roll up their sleeves to take on the challenge in their own inimitable style, they’ll also throw themselves into the local lifestyle, making friends with their Sicilian neighbours and exploring what this beautiful region of Italy has to offer.
Alan Carr says: “After presenting two series of Interior Design Masters I feel now it’s time for me to pop my hard hat on, slip on my steel toe capped boots and really get my hands dirty. Working in beautiful Sicily with one of my dearest friends is like I’ve won the jackpot. Expect a summer of drilling, demolition and hopefully la dolce vita!”
Amanda Holden says: “Alan and I came up with the idea for this show together and approached the BBC as we knew it was the perfect home.
"We are both very passionate about interior design and we'll be very hands on, injecting some much needed life into an area of Sicily that's in need of some Holden & Carr magic. Although we're on the same page most of the time, I'm more practical and organised than Alan. However he's up for some shameless bargaining so that will help us keep on budget!
"We've already started filming and one thing's for sure, we're not shy of a power tool!”
Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment, says: “I’m delighted Alan and Amanda are embarking on this adventure with us. I hope this series will bring much needed joy and inspire our viewers as they follow our couple of friends in their mission to learn new skills and breathe new life into a derelict building.”
Claire Walls, Executive Producer Voltage TV, says: “Many of us dream of taking on a wreck and turning it into a palace, and what better way to do it than tap into these exciting one-euro properties. It’s a genuine passion project for Alan and Amanda but it will be hard work for them to pull it off by the end of the summer in Sicily.”
At the end of the summer the property will go on sale and all the profits will be donated to charity.
Amanda And Alan: The Italian Job is being made by Voltage TV. The Executive Producers are Sanjay Singhal and Claire Walls. It was commissioned by Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment and the BBC Commissioning Editor is Clare Mottershead.
