A holiday retreat played host to two celebrities for the filming of a primetime TV dating show.
A Channel 4 production crew took over Winchcombe Farm near Banbury in September as part of the new series of Celebs Go Dating, featuring reality stars including Gary Lucy and Pete Wicks.
The Only Way Is Essex favourite Pete Wicks, 33, is appearing for the third time and said he is “determined to find love on the show”.
He appears alongside Gary Lucy, 40, who played Kyle Pascoe on Hollyoaks until earlier this year.
The pair spent two days filming while staying in George’s Getaway lodge while their potential love interests stayed in The Chicken Shed at the site on the edge of the Cotswolds and most of the filming took place in Winchcombe’s largest property, Ben’s Burrow.
Jo Carroll, who co-owns the business with husband Steve Taylor, said: “It’s not often to get the talk about the celebs that comes and stay with us.
“We’ve become a popular retreat for quite a few famous faces and politicians, who want a private and secluded rural getaway.
“It created quite a buzz of excitement on the site and was fascinating for us to see what goes on behind the scenes filming these shows.
“It took two days to film just a half-hour slot for the show and we had to close the bookings down for the whole site as we had celebrities and 23 crew members running around.”
Jo added: “Gary Lucy and Pete Wicks were really down to earth delightful people and both utterly charming. Gary Lucy in particular absolutely loved the place and wanted to know all about it.”
The popular reality dating series, narrated by comedian Rob Beckett, sees matchmakers Paul C Brunson, Anna Williamson and Tom Read Wilson set the celebrities up with total strangers.
As well as Lucy and Wicks, the latest series brings together Love Islands Laura Anderson, 33, and Liam Reardon, 23, Geordie Shore’s Bethan Kershaw, 27, singer Sinitta, 58, The Apprentice star Navid Sole, 27 and Cecilie Fjellhøy, a cast member from hit Netflix true crime documentary The Tindler Swindler.
Celebs Go Dating airs weeknights at 10pm on E4. See Winchcombe Farm in episode 15 (first aired December 16) and episode 16 (first aired December 19) or on Catch Up via https://www.channel4.com/programmes/celebs-go-dating
This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.
Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.[email protected]. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris
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