A Northumberland couple who took over a guest house in Northumberland National Park have spoken of a mixture of excitement and anxiety ahead of appearing on Four in a Bed.
Married couple Michael and Danielle Hudson, both 30, lived in a caravan for a year to make their dream come true of opening a B and B in Northumberland. However, Fountain Cottage Café and Bed and Breakfast in Bellingham hasn't had the easiest start, it opened in January 2020 and was closed again in a matter of months due to the national lockdown - and with the cost of living and energy crises, Danielle says that they "haven't had a normal year yet."
Despite that, they've won Café of the Year for Northumberland and Tyne and Wear at England's Business Awards for the past two years, and have been nominated this year too. And an appearance on Channel 4 daytime hit Four in a Bed could give a further boost in helping them to capitalise on the increasing number of tourists who visit Northumberland National Park.
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As well as the National Park on the doorstep, the village is home to a woodland walk that leads to a waterfall named one of the most beautiful in the UK, Hareshaw Linn. Danielle said: "We love the location, especially in summer, as it's a lot busier than the winter.
"We get a lot of different kinds of customers coming through, there are walkers, cyclists and families coming through on their holidays, and day trippers coming to the village too. We've made quite a few friends of regular customers who keep coming back once or twice a year too."
It's not the first time this corner of England's most northerly county has been showcased on the popular daytime TV show. Guest house Crackin' View in Tarset just three miles from Bellingham saw its bookings rocket after it appeared on the show in February 2022, despite host Steve Turnbull dropping a "clanger with a banger" at breakfast.
However, the Bellingham couple are remaining tight-lipped on any memorable moments that may occur. Danielle said: "It depends what they edit, we don't know what they're going to put in."
Michael echoed that, saying: "There's that much you do over the two week process, it's trying to nail down something specific. We had a great time though, travelling to different parts of the country was really interesting, but it's really hard to pick out anything that we know will make the final cut."
And with long and strenuous days of filming during the Easter holidays in 2022 condensed into five 30-minute episodes almost one year on, it's no wonder the couple are unsure of what will make it onto the show. Danielle said: "The filming was very strenuous, it was tiring.
"But it was a good laugh, a lot of fun. The days are a lot longer than people realise!"
Danielle and Michael can't reveal too much about the other guests, such as the names and locations of the other sites, but say that they got on with the other guests. Michael added: "They were all just nervous like us, we didn't know what to anticipate at the start.
"Everybody thinks their own B and B is the best and that's why the show's a great success because you get everyone coming together with that."
Though it's just the couple who appear on the show, they say they couldn't run Fountain Cottage without an "excellent" team. The six-room B and B was closed to guests during filming but said staff run it while Michael and Danielle were away at other sites.
The couple are planning a watch party when the show airs, with Michael saying: "We're going to watch it altogether because as much as we're on the show, it's a massive team effort at the Fountain. We really love our team and hopefully that comes across in the show, so they're watching it with us so we can all have a laugh together."
Neither Michael nor Danielle have been on TV before, and Michael admits that they are feeling a little bit anxious at seeing themselves on screen. He finished: "You know you've said a thousand things but you don't know what ten are going to make it on the screen.
"It's the unknown that makes me anxious! But we know that we had fun when we were doing it, we were happy with the process, and hopefully it'll be something that the viewers enjoy too."
The first episode of Four In A Bed, which features Fountain Cottage, will air on Monday March 13 and the remaining episodes will follow each evening until Friday March 17. For more information about Fountain Cottage Café and Bed and Breakfast, visit the website.
Will you be watching Fountain Cottage on Four In A Bed? Let us know!
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