Dick and Angel Strawbridge amassed a legion of loyal fans with their beloved Escape to the Chateau show.
The wholesome series on Channel 4 followed the creative couple as they transformed their stately French home week by week along with their adorable kids, Arthur and Dorothy.
Angel, 46, who first found fame on Dragons ‘ Den touting her 1940s party-themed business, and her trusty husband, Dick, 65, were two of the broadcaster’s brightest stars. But then their primetime programme was dramatically axed following reports of behind-the-scenes bust-ups and foul-mouthed rants from the couple.
Channel 4 is now replacing Escape to the Chateau and giving one lucky pair the chance to bag their very own French home. Building on the success of Chateau DIY, producers have teamed up with Spark Media North for a new reality show, Chateau DIY: Win the Dream, where twelve pairs of hopefuls will go head-to-head in a string of challenges to prove they’ve got what it takes to run a grand French estate.
So, as fans focus on a new French connection on Channel 4, here’s what Dick and Angel are up to now, starting with their huge UK tour…
UK tour
After calling it a day with Channel 4 when Escape to the Country was axed, The Strawbridges decided to bring their storytelling skills back to Blighty.
They shared the exciting news on their joint Instagram account, revealing that they will be launching a brand new tour, which promises to be their biggest and most interactive yet.
Sharing a selfie of their family and tour manager in October, they wrote: “It’s happening!!! Our incredible tour team has arrived at the Chateau! 1 tour manager…1 tech! 1 empty van and a lot of excitement”! they wrote in the caption: “It’s nearly showtime! See you very soon”!
Dick and Angel’s new Forever Home tour is set to kick off in just four weeks, and will include 33 shows across the UK.
Podcast presenters
After taking a break from TV after allowing the cameras into their home for seven years, Dick and Angel decided to launch their own podcast.
Speaking about their new gig, which promises to “follow the extraordinary day-to-day goings on for the Strawbridge family today”, the couple explained that Dick and Angel’s Chat… eau podcast provides them with more opportunities to open up to each other in comparison to filming for TV.
Speaking to Hello! magazine, Angel claimed that Escape to the Chateau left a lot of the ‘ good stuff ‘ on the cutting room floor. She said: “Not that Escape wasn’t]authentic], but you’re only going to get the juiciest bit of everything. A lot of it hit the]cutting room] floor. We realised the beauty of it was just the simple things.
” The podcast is very personal. And there’s something about when people listen to it on their own. Escape was very much a family show where you’d sit down and watch together, but this feels really, really personal. “
Dick agreed. saying:” We actually have the chance now to sit down and chat. It’s like a date. It’s ridiculous we say that, but it is true. We sit down and have a lovely time. “
Proud parents to Arthur and Dorothy
Despite reports suggesting Channel 4 would not work with Dick and Angel again following an alleged recording of the mum-of-two purportedly swearing at one of the programme’s crew members, the couple insist it was their decision to leave Escape to the Chateau, partly because of their children.
Arthur and Dorothy had grown up on the programme, but Dick says he wanted to protect them as they became older and more at risk of the perils of social media.
Speaking about parenthood in January, he told Devon Live:” The thing is, Escape to the Chateau is a year-long project for every season, and Arthur starts senior school, Dorothy is in her last year before she moves, and that change in the children was the rationale. “He added:” Because we had back in 2022 huge conversations saying, before they get all the pressures that young people have in their lives on them, it was time for us to walk away from the escape. That’s why we did it. “
Saying she was happier now the cameras are off their kids, who enjoy going on tour with the couple, Angel added:” It was exactly the right decision to make because they had never… since we moved here, they’ve had the cameras here all year round and it was just exactly the right thing to do. What we’re not against, we haven’t sort of hid them away from the media. They love it, they’re in the books and they come on tour. “
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Source: Mirror
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