The people behind luxury lodges in Co Derry are set to feature in Channel 4 'Four in a bed' series to be aired next week.
Oak Luxury Lodges, set in the heart of The Oaks Wood in Killaloo, just outside Derry City, is run by Louise Hamilton and Albert Allen.
Set in one of the many woodlands in Co Derry, soon to be all linked together as the longest forest walking trail in Ireland, comprising The Oaks, The Ness, Ervey and Burntollet, guests can soak in the stunning beauty the county has to offer.
Read more: Calls for progression on apartments for over 55s in Derry city centre
Opening in October 2021, the duo decided to jump right into the thick of it and applied to take part in the Channel 4 daytime hit.
However, when Mr Allen was unavailable to take part, Louise phoned across the water to Manchester where her friend Lynsay Robinson was living.
Speaking to MyDerry, Louise said: "They were advertising for people from Northern Ireland to appear on Four in a Bed and people began to tag me and I thought why not and I applied.
"Then we had a casting interview over facetime and my business partner was unavailable to do it so we had to find someone else and that's when I asked one of my friends would they take part and they were up for it so, they interview her as well.
"It was pretty funny because we had literally just opened our doors to the public and we decided that we would apply to do the show so we hadn't a notion what we were doing. It was sort of done on a whim and we're glad that it was because the whole experience was brilliant.
"It was a great opportunity and it was great publicity for the entire area. I didn't understand how big of an operation it would actually be until they turned up with four big vans and a full production crew.
"I never did any camera work at all beforehand and so it was all very new to us both. We had an absolute blast over the two weeks that it was filmed"
The British reality TV show sees B&B owners throw open their doors and take turns to stay with each other, as they compete to be crowned best hosts.
"We finished went to three other places in Northern Ireland, with one in Fermanagh, Castlewellan and another one in Co Derry.
"The actual filming itself was very tiring but we were glad that it took part. I don't have any experience in B&Bs, hotels or anything like that so it was all new to me.
"Lynsey works in events and she would travel quite a lot for her job and she would love reviewing hotels so I was leaning on her for advice as well.
"And it was even more nerve-racking because we were the first ones to host and get filmed so we were thrown straight into the deep end.
"The closer it gets to appearing on TV as well the more nervous I'm getting. Loads of people are messaging me now wishing me good luck so it will be an interesting watch on Monday that's for sure."
You can catch ‘Four in a Bed’ featuring The Oak Luxury Lodges on Monday, October 24 at 5pm on Channel 4.
READ NEXT:
Derry man to take on 12th marathon in memory of his beloved aunts
NI mum on how autistic son inspired new higher education qualification
Woman reunited with wedding ring after it was lost on beach for two months
To get the latest breaking news from Co Derry straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
