Former contestants on Four in the Bed have shared what filming the show is actually like.
The Channel 4 show sees bed and breakfast owners take it in turns staying at each other's establishments.
Adding to the competitive element, they must then pay what they consider fair for their stay.
Dani and Cameron, co-owners of Distant Hills Guest House in Inverness-shire, previously took part in the programme.
After filming ended, Dani later penned a blog post about their experience.
Dani wrote: "Just to give you an idea, we were asked to make a bed together.
"This usually takes us no more than a couple of minutes.
"We must have been filmed for about 45 minutes making and remaking the bed, shooting from different angles, taking close-ups, putting your hand in this position and then that position, doing it slower, looking this way and then that way."
As fans know, each stay ends with breakfast the following morning followed by privately giving
The post described this aspect as "the trickiest part of all."
Meanwhile, the competitors' off-screen dynamic bonding time was described as "stilted."
The post added: "We were never left to talk without the supervision of at least one crew member to ensure we didn’t give any information or clues away about our own properties.
"That made the bonding process a little stilted."
Overall, the first group activity took over five hours to film.
Channel 4 boasts a number impressive competition shows, but which ones are really the best?
Four in a Bed
Come Dine With Me
The Great British Bake Off
Bake Off: The Professionals
They added: "We had a quick bite to eat back before we were filmed having drinks, and then it was the first ‘bedding down’ scene.
"Oh my goodness, that was weird and personal! Filming stopped for us around 12.30am on that first day!"
Once all four stays were completed, Dani and Cameron were crowned as the winners.
Four in a Bed airs on Channel 4.
Nigel Dixon and Damian Bailey, the married couple who graced our screens on Channel 4's reality hit in 2022, have opened up about their "nightmare" experience on TV.
The proprietors of Blackpool's Newholme Hotel, the duo has levelled accusations of foul play at the Channel 4 production crew, claiming that the director was guilty of "stirring up conflict" away from the cameras.
The pair shot to fame on the beloved competition Four in a Bed last year, where they vied for top honours against three other pairs: Nyoami and Joe, Liz and Tracey, and Meg and Yvonne. However, their stint was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic, which interrupted filming and caused lengthy delays between visits to the various accommodations.
Following a delightful visit to Nyoami and Joe's tranquil Broomhill establishment in Northumberland, it was Nigel and Damien's turn to welcome the competitors to their Blackpool retreat, which they tout as "a high-end budget hotel" complete with "luxury touches."
Yet, what should have been an exciting opportunity turned sour, as they later revealed, labelling their participation as a "nightmare", reports the Mirror.
Taking to their website, Nigel and Damian shared a scathing post, alleging that the Channel 4 show's director had "deliberately" amped up the drama off-screen, leading to a harrowing experience during the shoot for everyone involved.
"As the day unfolded and we continued filming with the director, however, tensions began to escalate. His actions seemed deliberately aimed at stirring up conflict between us," the couple penned, before revealing the dire food situation: "To make matters worse, the lunch provided was an utter disappointment. Cold, burnt, and barely edible, it was food I wouldn't even have served to my dog,".
Nigel and Damian went on to explain: "At that point, we had reached our breaking point. We both voiced our frustrations, threatening to bring the filming to an abrupt halt before the evening drinks."
They added: "Liz and Tracey joined our protest, echoing our desire to put an end to this unpleasant ordeal."
Thankfully, things calmed down the following day, with Nigel and Damian reporting a more positive filming experience.
The pair marvelled at the stunning Scottish scenery as they journeyed to Liz and Tracey's property near Loch Lomond, and then on to Meg and Yvonne's place on the Isle of Arran.
Despite this, the couple pointed out that on several occasions, they felt let down by the crew's lack of care towards them and their fellow contestants, an issue that ultimately led to Liz and Tracey's early departure from the show.
The Express have contacted Channel 4 for a response.
A Four in a Bed cleaner has spilled the beans on a property that previously featured on the show admitting that preparation for guests arrival felt like “cheating”.
The Channel 4 hit show quickly became a hit among viewers as a group of B&B owners show off their homes and compete against each other for a chance to be crowned winner.
As fans know, hosts are expected to provide the exact same standard they would for regular guests away from the show and also make sure to keep the price the same.
However, things don’t always seem to be that way as one cleaner who used to work at a property that previously appeared on the show claims that their cleaning schedule felt ‘inauthentic’.
The cleaner, who did not reveal the identity of the B&B in question, admitted that they spent "hours" getting the rooms ready before the cameras came into film compared to their usual 30 minute clean up on a normal day.
Giving viewers a glimpse of what went on behind the scenes, the cleaner started off by saying: “Not a contestant but I worked as a cleaner at a B&B while they were on Four in a Bed.”
They told how B&B owners were given very little information about each property before their visit and that they were even banned from talking to one another when not filming.
Like others said they didn't know where they were going or who owned which B&B until they went, The cleaner continued: “They were told beforehand basic information about the properties ie. a glamping B&B in Wales, a historic house in South England but no more information. They weren't allowed to talk to other contestants when they weren't filming but they were able to sneak in small chats every now and then.
“They weren't told to say anything in front of cameras but were made to repeat conversations several times so they could try different camera angles”
“Me and two other cleaners spent hours cleaning the rooms when we usually spent a maximum of thirty minutes. It kinda felt like cheating. I can't remember if we even won and have never been able to find our episode.”
Channel 4 has been contacted for a comment.
Four in a Bed airs on Channel 4
Four In A Bed is one of Channel 4's most popular early evening programmes, with Brits up and down the country tuning into the show every day.
The flagship production sees batches of B&B owners throwing open their doors and taking turns staying with each other, competing to be crowned the winners.
They rate each other on cleanliness, quality of sleep, cooked breakfast and entertainment.
However, there is more than meets the eye and some of the staff involved with the B&Bs that made it on-air have spilled all of their secrets - including what happened when the cameras weren't rolling.
On the show, the establishments that compete are expected to be presented to the other property owners in the same way they would be to regular guests, as well as charging exactly the same price.
However, one cleaner who used to work at one of the B&B's that made it on to the Channel 4 hit has admitted that getting the rooms spotless took a lot longer than the broadcaster let on.
Opening up about their experience online, the staff member took to Reddit to explain: 'Me and two other cleaners spent hours cleaning the rooms when we usually spent a maximum of 30 minutes.'
Opting not to name the owners or the property, they admitted that it 'felt like cheating' and they can't remember whether the B&B they worked at won following their deep clean.
They also divulged how little information the contestants were given when filming Four In A Bed.
The cleaner revealed: 'They didn't know where they were going or who owned which B&B until they went.
'They were told beforehand basic information about the properties ie. a glamping B&B in Wales or a historic house in South England, but no more. '
They added that to keep things fair, they were not allowed to talk to other contestants when they weren't filming - however, some B&B owners would 'sneak in small chats every now and then'.
Opening up about the filming process, they said: 'They weren't told to say anything in front of cameras but were made to repeat conversations several times so they could try different camera angles.
Going into further detail, they disclosed that producers did a 'walk through' and 'asked to change small things before filming'.
Commenters on the social media post quickly chimed in with their own experiences, including those who have stayed in the B&Bs that have found fame on the show.
The guest lifted the lid on befriending the owner and finding out what his time was really like on the programme.
'He was telling us how the contestants were not allowed to socialise outside of the filming hours,' the guest explained.
'He was saying how they all snuck out to the pub and were chased down by a producer who had to sit with them and make sure they didn’t discuss each others' properties.
'He also told us that they had no idea where they were going, who they were staying with or that the show was filmed over two weeks.
'There was a bit of cheating in his series but I can’t really say much about it other than those who cheated were screwed over come payment day.'
The unnamed guest revealed that, shockingly, the payment day segment of the show, which is usually full of backstabbing and drama, took a whopping twelve hours to film.
Finally, they quipped: 'He was also saying that they had to keep doing multiple takes for things like being shown to the bedroom and meeting at the front of the B&B. That’s why sometimes it looks so forced and unnatural.'
The juicy admission comes just after one contestant on Four In A Bed broke down in tears after serving up a breakfast disaster on this week's episode of the show.
Julie, from Wales, was left disappointed with the negative feedback that she received in the feedback session.
She wanted to address it with the other people taking part - after they said they wouldn't stay at her establishment again.
One person in the group described the meal as a 'builders breakfast' as she began to get teary.
She said: 'We have had a lot of builders in and they like their breakfast like that...'
Julie added: 'What I feel disappointed in, I feel like I am a good cook. I always pride myself on a good breakfast.
'You lot, you've got chefs working!'
Later, her partner Alistair tried to comfort Julie saying: 'Seeing Julie break down over breakfast was actually heartbreaking.
'I don't think she's a bad cook, I just think the pressure got to her.'
MARRIED couple Nigel Dixon and Damian Bailey appeared on the Channel 4 reality show in 2022, but have since opened up about their “nightmare” experience.
The pair, who own the Newholme Hotel in Blackpool, have spoken out against Channel 4's production team claiming the director was responsible for “stirring up conflict” behind-the-scenes.
Nigel and Damian appeared on the long-running B&B competition show Four in a Bed in 2022. They were joined by three other couples: Nyoami and Joe, Liz and Tracey, and Meg and Yvonne.
Because of lockdown restrictions, filming for their five episodes was disrupted, which meant they had long waits between visits to each property.
After a pleasant trip to the Nyoami and Joe’s hotel in the tranquil village of Broomhill, Northumberland, it was Nigel and Damien’s turn to host.
After a five-month hiatus, they excitedly welcomed their competitors to their Blackpool abode, which they described as “a high-end budget hotel” with “luxury touches.”
However, the couple have since revealed that they got more than they bargained for during the visit.
Writing about their experience on their website, Nigel and Damian detailed how they felt the series director “deliberately” amped up tensions behind the scenes, making filming a really unpleasant experience.
“To make matters worse, the lunch provided was an utter disappointment. Cold, burnt, and barely edible, it was food I wouldn’t even have served to my dog,” the couple explained.
Nigel and Damian added: “At that point, we had reached our breaking point. We both voiced our frustrations, threatening to bring the filming to an abrupt halt before the evening drinks.
“Liz and Tracey joined our protest, echoing our desire to put an end to this unpleasant ordeal.”
Thankfully, tensions were diffused somewhat the following day and Nigel and Damian recalled having a better experience as filming progressed.
They enjoyed the stunning Scottish scenery as they visited Liz and Tracey’s property near Loch Lomond, and Meg and Yvonne’s place on the Isle of Arran.
However, the couple added that they felt that the crew did not take care of them and the other contestants properly on several occasions, which led to Liz and Tracey departing from the show early.
Channel 4 has been contacted for comment.
Channel 4 boasts a number impressive competition shows, but which ones are really the best?
Four in a Bed
Come Dine With Me
The Great British Bake Off
Bake Off: The Professionals
Four in a Bed is available to stream on 4.
