Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree have captivated fans since their smash hit Channel 4 first aired in 2016.
Escape To The Chateau won the hearts of legions of viewers throughout its nine series as it followed the couple on their journey to turn a dilapidated French chateau into a dreamy home for them and children Dorothy and Arthur and a stunning wedding venue with accommodation to boot.
The pair met in 2010 when they were introduced by their mutual agent at a 40th birthday party. They paid tribute to their friend In the ninth and final series which has just gone off air, during an episode when they threw their matchmaker a 50th birthday party at the chateau in their own inimitable style.
But though it was definitely a case of love at first sight for the couple, their union almost didn’t have as happy an ending as it did. Dick, 63, worried about the age gap as he was 51 at the time and Angel - real name Angela Newman - was 20 years younger.
"I was over 50 when I met Angel, and I didn't ask her age because that was a scary thing to do," the former British Army lieutenant told the Daily Mail.
Despite a powerful connection - Angel admitted she was ‘blushing’ throughout the first conversation - with their difference in age, he was worried if they would go the distance and he even tried to end things so Angel could start a family and find a younger man.
"The first thing I saw when I met Angel - I call her Angela - was her smile. It's phenomenal," he previously told The Times.
"We barely spoke that night, but we knew that there was something at first sight. And we fell in love very quickly."
He added: "After spending Christmas together we knew we had to have the conversation. I said: 'Damn, girl, this is wonderful, but we really have to think about ending this.'"
And in a separate interview, he explained he believed this was for the best for Angel.
"Angel and I had our fun, then I told her it was time for her find a young man, have children, because I felt I shouldn't keep her from that," he said.
However, Angel had other ideas.
"What she said, bloody woman, was that she actually wanted me," Dick continued, admitting it made him realise, "you're a long time dead. Why wouldn't you just jump in and live life?"
Dick, who has also appeared on Coast and Scrapheap Challenge, faced an ultimatum early on In their love story, which set them on the path they are on now.
When they had been together for 16 months, Angel told Dick, who already had two adult children James, 38 and Charlotte, 36, to ex wife Brigit, she wanted to get pregnant and she gave him a calendar with the words ‘impregnate me by this date’ written on it.
Dick succeeded with seven months to spare and soon they welcomed son Arthur, nine, followed by Dorothy, eight.
And then they swapped their two-bed home in east London for the 45-room chateau in France's Pays de la Loire region.
The moated property cost just £280,000 and is now a dreamy wedding venue which can cost up to £38,000 a time.
Dick and interior designer Angel are now looking forward to a new chapter after Escape To The Chateau came to an end at Christmas.
Fans were left gutted when it was announced earlier this year that their ninth season was going to be their last, but they put worries at ease when it was announced they'd be focusing on their show Secret France instead.
A statement from Two Rivers Media, the production company behind Escape to the Chateau, said at the time: "The 2022 season will be packed with more heart-warming family adventures, innovative renovations and spectacular celebrations from Dick and Angel and their children Arthur and Dorothy. But this year will also have special significance for, whilst it is not goodbye, it will be au revoir from the Chateau, because 2023 will see Dick and Angel focusing on their Secret France (wt) adventures."
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