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Dublin Live
Entertainment
Roisin Butler

RTE Room to Improve 2023: What to expect as Dermot Bannon's hit show returns to screens

Room to Improve is making its welcome return to RTE One this weekend.

Viewers have waited in eager anticipation for the return of the hit show. Architect Dermot Bannon will spruce up homes across the country, with surprise appearances from guests, such as former Dancing with the Stars judge Julian Benson.

Details about this year's Room to Improve have been kept closely guarded. However, Dermot let slip some information about the show's premiere on social media, with a sneaky picture of one of the stunning homes featured in the series.

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Here is everything we know so far about what the RTE series has in store for viewers.

When is Room To Improve on?

Room to Improve will air on RTE One on Sunday, 8 January at 9.35pm. The show will air an hour later on RTE +1 and will also be available on RTE player at a later stage.

What will be shown on the first episode?

The celebrity architect will meet Amy and Conor, a young couple determined to renovate a farmhouse in Tullamore into their new home. The house is pictured on Dermot's Instagram page, boasting beautiful views of the tranquil countryside.

The airy kitchen featuring in an upcoming episode of Room to Improve (Room to Improve/Instagram)

The derelict property has a special place in the couple’s hearts, having been the former home of Conor's grandparents.. While they set a budget of €325,000 for the renovations, it's unclear whether Dermot’s ideas will fall in line with this figure.

Dermot told RTE that Amy and Conor are just one example of many young couples returning to their roots. The flexibility of working from home has allowed many people to consider rural living as an attractive option, according to the architect.

Dermot said: "I often feel like sometimes for people who live in rural Ireland, there was always this kind of pressure that eventually if you want to do a certain job, you're going to have to move to a city."

"Some people just never kind of settle there. They're always kind of yearning to get back to where they're from, where they grew up, where their roots are."

What episode should I keep an eye out for?

RTE has teased a special episode involving the creation of a facility for children with cystic fibrosis. Dermot will team up with Julian Benson, former Dancing with the Stars judge who lives with the disease, on the project.

Dermot told RSVP about the plans, admitting that the building was a "wreck" prior to the home renovations. The finished house will accommodate the families of cystic fibrosis patients who live far away from their child's hospital, providing support and convenience at a stressful time.

However, RTE has not yet confirmed the release date of this episode.

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