Ever find yourself looking for an easy watch in the afternoon after a long day at work or a binge watch on a rainy weekend?
A game show like The Chase might hit the spot, but if you're thinking of where to plan your next staycation, you might want to cast your eyes towards Four in a Bed - which pits four bed and breakfast owners against each other from across the country.
And viewers this coming week may see the familiar sight of the Northumberland countryside - as Crackin' View Guest House & Holiday Cottages in Tynedale appears on the show.
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Opened by husband and wife team Steve and Maria Turnbull just a week before the Covid lockdown was declared in 2020, Crackin' View hits our screens on Tuesday.
Though fun, Maria describes the two weeks of filming in April 2021 as gruelling. It took the Turnbulls to Yorkshire, the Midlands and Norfolk but since the country was still under lockdown, it meant they didn't have to cancel any guests' stays. Maria said: "It was extremely hard work. They were long days, early mornings and late nights. It got very repetitive but it was enjoyable... Exhausting though!"
Offering views of unspoilt countryside, a full cooked Northumbrian breakfast, and a place to enjoy stargazing in the largest dark sky park in Europe, Crackin' View has been popular with guests who have been able to stay there so far - earning an overall score of 9.5 on Booking.com. And since the show was filmed, the couple have added a swimming pool and sauna, which Steve is pretty confident is the only heated swimming pool for miles. It could be very relaxing after a cycle round Kielder Reservoir or a long walk.
Steve and Maria haven't yet seen the show but are confident that they've come across well and their appearance will lead to more bookings. Steve said: "We've been assured by Channel 4 that we'll have a lot of bookings coming through, it's happened with others who have appeared on the show in the past. I'd like to think we're quite nice people but it depends how they edit us! We're entirely in their hands, but we were just ourselves. We were nice."
One of the Four in a Bed staples is on arrival, guests' check how clean their new quarters are. This can go far beyond what regular tourists expect, with guests marking other contestants down for seemingly microscopic dots on skirting boards, or cobwebs in hard to reach places.
But Steve says that's not the couple's style. He continued: "We're not going into it and rubbing our fingers around everywhere. If there's something blatant, we'd point it out and we did do that. I'm quite sure some of the smallest things people picked up on will be made much bigger! But we take everything as it is and hopefully we'll get a lot of good feedback."
The couple remain tight-lipped on how they fared in the competition and their experiences with the other guests, meaning I'll have to see how they do at the same time as everyone else. They do reveal that they had a 'very funny' clanger with a banger though.
The Turnbull's haven't yet decided if they'll watch at home or with others, with Maria saying: "The family want to come over and have a party but I'm not so sure about that."
Steve added: "That's the thing about where we live. In Lanehead, everybody knows each other. Everyone wants to put it on and watch it together in the village hall!"
There are two big nights for Crackin' View. The first is on Tuesday 22, when they host, and the second is the final reveal on Friday - where business owners find out how much their competitors have chosen to pay, and most importantly, who the winner is.
Whether or not Crackin' View wins, its owners are optimistic after a 'rocky' start to their venture. According to Steve, the diary is very healthy at the moment, with around half a dozen bookings coming in every day. Maria is keen to add that they are getting return guests from last summer too, which she describes as quite pleasing.
And with a swimming pool and sauna added since filming took place, it's one more thing to tempt people booking their staycations in and around the North Tyne.
To find out more about Crackin' View, visit the website or tune in to Four In A Bed which airs at 5pm on Channel 4 from February 21 - 25.
