Latest news with #KevinMcCloud
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wigan woman thrilled to become Flatpack World Champion
A woman who took just over nine and a half minutes to build a bedside table has said she was "thrilled" to become the first person to be crowned Flatpack World inaugural Flatpack World Championships saw eight competitors battle it out to build flatpack furniture as speedily as they could, at the opening of Grand Designs Live at ExCel McAuley from Wigan said it had been a "rollercoaster" but after taking a mere nine minutes and 33 seconds to build a bedside table, she proved she had the speed and determination needed to become a said she was keen to take part in the race as she had always been "a bit of a machine" when it came to flatpack furniture. 'Hugely amusing' The contest was split into two rounds and involved participants making bookcases and bedside tables."It's been a rollercoaster of a morning, and I am absolutely thrilled to have been crowned Flatpack World Champion," Ms McAuley said."When I first heard about the competition I jumped at the chance to enter as I've always thought I'm a bit of a machine when it comes to building flatpack furniture."Everyone truly did a fantastic job." Ms McAuley was awarded with a golden hex key medal and was congratulated by Kevin McCloud, who was the host of the event and is best known for presenting Grand Designs on Channel said: "This was great fun and hugely amusing."It was wonderful to see who took this seriously, and who accidentally sabotaged their own attempts to win."We had a really spectacular audience who found it hugely entertaining."The furniture pieces are to be donated to the charity British Heart Foundation. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer
Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
My attempt to win the first flatpack world championship
Utter humiliation. 'You're doing it wrong. You need to put the lock nuts in,' a guy in the crowd shouts. I've gone bright red and am cursing my incompetence. I'm competing in the first Flatpack World Championships and am in the process of — badly — building an Ikea 'Billy' bookcase. Next to me, screwdrivers in hand, three other competitors are battling for a place in the final. Behind us Kevin McCloud, he of Grand Designs fame, is talking the assembled crowd through what's going on. 'Anna is having a nightmare,' he says with that delight afforded to so many people who have just gone £200,000 over budget on their conversion of a grade II listed water tower. • How to DIY — the expert's
Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Times
Kevin McCloud: Britain is set to become a two-tier housing nation
Britain is on track to become a two-tier nation, with the majority of people in England living in uninspiring, mass-produced homes, while those in Scotland, Wales and a few exceptional English local authority areas live in high-quality, well-designed, energy-efficient buildings. Despite the government's plans to reform the English planning system, Kevin McCloud, 65, the presenter of the Channel 4 programme Grand Designs, says: 'My prediction for this country is that we're going to enter a new two-speed race. 'There are going to be those towns where the local authority is under-resourced, it hasn't got the budget to produce an ambitious [housing] plan. What emerges is a weak plan that mass-production developers can take advantage of and produce the kind of housing that we see
Wales Online
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Grand Designs viewers 'change channel' as they spot 'mistake'
Grand Designs viewers 'change channel' as they spot 'mistake' Channel 4 viewers of Kevin McCloud's Grand Designs were left disappointed after watching the latest episode of the show on Tuesday evening. Grand Designs: Kevin McCloud revisits architect Fans of Channel 4's Grand Designs were less than impressed this week after tuning into what they expected to be a fresh episode. Dedicated followers of the series, hosted by Kevin McCloud, felt underwhelmed on Tuesday night, having realised the show was dishing out a rerun. After discovering that the programme was not new content but an instalment previously aired on 16 April, people were left changing channels. The episode in question had revisited a couple, Graeme and Melanie, as they tackled their intricate and expensive undertaking in Hackney – a project previously showcased to audiences.' This repeated episode did not sit well with loyal Grand Designs enthusiasts, who were quick to air their thoughts online. Channel 4 viewers were less than impressed by the repeated episode Article continues below One vexed viewer expressed:"I don't know why they have to repeat them so often." This sentiment was shared by another, who added: "We thought exactly the same... @granddesigns changed channels now." Someone else wrote: "@granddesigns @Channel4 I think you've made a mistake - you're showing the same #granddesigns episode you showed the week before last." Another viewer tweeted: "Oh I've seen this one. I'm sure it was on not long ago. #GrandDesigns." One fan reeled: "Why are we getting repeats midway through a new series? #granddesigns @Channel4." Grand Designs viewers 'change channel' as they spot 'mistake' Graeme and Melanie's bold Hackney endeavour was taking form on a tiny plot, previously home to twin garages, nestled within a classic Victorian terraced street, which they snapped up for £275,000. The couple had set themselves a stringent one-year deadline to complete the build, with a budget earmarked at between £400,000 and £450,000. Graeme, who is an architect by profession, painstakingly crafted what he hoped would be a snug haven for his family, including his teenage daughters. His vision for the property was "an unapologetically modernist bright red design", cleverly incorporating an interior that maximised space vertically. The episode aired earlier in April Yet, the venture encountered a setback when the firm in charge of constructing the basement withdrew, blaming the escalating costs of materials – an issue Kevin pointed out was impacting building projects worldwide. Further strife emerged with the neighbours, culminating in a pressing ultimatum for the couple to take down their scaffolding or face penalties. As their daughters became increasingly agitated by the ongoing disruption, the pressure intensified for Graeme and Melanie to bring their grand plan to fruition. Kevin returned for a catch-up visit 18 months after the initial setbacks to discover if the family had succeeded in creating their dream abode. Article continues below Grand Designs can be streamed on All 4.
Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Channel 4 Grand Designs viewers reel over 'mistake' as they 'switch off'
Channel 4 viewers were left feeling deflated after tuning into the most recent edition of Grand Designs on Tuesday night. It seems as though Channel 4 has ruffled a few feathers amongst Grand Designs viewers this week, leaving them disgruntled after airing what turned out to be a repeated episode. Loyal fans of the show, fronted by Kevin McCloud, were less than impressed on Tuesday night as they felt duped after tuning in to watch the programme. Audiences took to social media, expressing their frustration and noting they had switched channels once they realised it was a rerun of an episode aired recently on April 16. The disappointed devotees watched as host Kevin McCloud caught up with Graeme and Melanie's Hackney project, which escalated in complexity and price, reports Express. Grumbling online, one irritated fan commented: "I don't know why they have to repeat them so often." Echoing the sentiment, another voiced: "We thought exactly the same... @granddesigns changed channels now." Someone else remarked: "@granddesigns @Channel4 I think you've made a mistake - you're showing the same #granddesigns episode you showed the week before last." Another chimed in with: "Oh I've seen this one. I'm sure it was on not long ago. #GrandDesigns." Meanwhile, one viewer quizzed: "Why are we getting repeats midway through a new series? #granddesigns @Channel4." Graeme and Melanie's daring construction project in Hackney was taking form on a tiny plot, previously home to twin garages, nestled among traditional Victorian terraces, which they snapped up for £275,000. The couple set themselves a challenging one-year deadline to complete the build, budgeting between £400,000 and £450,000 for the entire endeavour. Architect Graeme meticulously crafted plans for what he hoped would be a snug haven for his family, including his teenage daughters, designing "an unapologetically modernist bright red design" with clever use of vertical space inside. But their plans hit a bump when the firm handling the basement works withdrew, blaming rocketing material costs – an issue presenter Kevin McCloud noted was impacting builders worldwide. Neighbourly disputes further complicated matters, leading to a pressing ultimatum to remove their scaffolding or face penalties. As their daughters became increasingly agitated by the building mayhem, pressure intensified for Graeme and Melanie to finish their dream home. Kevin returned for a catch-up visit 18 months after the initial setbacks to discover if the family had succeeded in creating their ideal abode.
