Four in a Bed

8 June 2011

Week 3, from Monday 13th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: This week's first set of hosts are exuberant Jon Shorrock and his wife Julia, who run the four-star B&B Derwent House in West Sussex. The guests take a quiet gander at their rooms where Andy and Julian have concerns over their carpeted bathroom - worrying it could hide alien hair.

Once they have settled in, Jon and Julia split the group up by gender for a glimpse of the local area. While the boys fire machine guns at the local shooting range, the girls head off for an afternoon of relaxation at the local spa. Andy and Julian confess they'd have rather gone to the spa, but then proceed to beat the other men hands down at the range.  Annette, on the other hand, wishes she'd had a go at the firing range, and soon gets bored of relaxing in the Jacuzzi and heads off to work up a sweat in the gym instead.

 

Before dinner Peter makes an abortive attempt to have a shower, but fails to get any hot water - a point he makes to Jon over dinner. Having slept on the problem, Jon convinces himself that Peter is a game player, stating ‘there is a nemesis in the house'.

At breakfast, whilst enjoying Jon's extra sized sausages, the next B&B host Sharron admits that at their place nobody's ever asked for any type of egg other than fried. The group speculate over what they can expect at their next visit, with Andy concluding that it sounds like a ‘trucker's café'.

Looking over their feedback forms, the hosts are a little taken aback by Pete's complaints over the shower, so Julia vows to toughen up. 

 

Tuesday: Today's hosts are soul mates, Peter and Sharron Sorsky, who share the warmth of their Liverpool home with this week's guests. 

On arrival at Kirkby Park B&B, via the industrial estate, Annette is immediately on her guard after noting the CCTV camera on the outside of the house. Things don't get much better during the room inspection, as guests find dust, curly hair, unspecified dirt, stains and a hole in the wall.

Peter and Sharron have got a surprise package in store for their guests to see a part of Liverpool they would never expect - it's wildlife. A tour of the local gem, Knowsley Safari Park, provides a chance for the guests to monkey about. All that fun means things get a little sweaty in the back of the Land Rover, so it's back to the B&B for a shower...which is easier said than done, as the Kirkby shower rota proves fallible.

Still, at least Peter and Sharron have lined up one of their favourite restaurants for their guests' pleasure, an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. However, the chow mein and chips don't distract Sharron from talking breakfast orders. 

 

Wednesday: Today it's Andy and Julian Banner-Price's turn to host the competition at their swanky Plas Dinas Country House in Snowdonia, where they've allocated their guests their priciest rooms costing between £190 and £250 per night.

Peter and Sharron arrive in North Wales still reeling from receiving their own feedback forms, and immediately begin finding fault with seemingly every aspect of their room, particularly the antique furniture. Meanwhile, Jon and Julia are so bowled over they consider it almost an insult to look for problems.

A visit to the local slate museum provides a chance for the B&B owners to wash bedding the old fashioned way, and far from being a busman's holiday, it proves an unexpected hit. However, Jon can't help a jibe, and comments that Peter and Sharron could use the practice when it comes to washing sheets at their B&B.

Over dinner Peter raises the subject of the ‘distressed' furniture in his room with Andy and Julian, asking if they've ever considered stripping it back to the wood. ‘Not a clue,' Julian later confides.

At breakfast, Jon's so-far-perfect stay is suddenly thrown out of kilter by a breakfast predicament and asks, "where on earth should I put my sauce sachet?" A full blown discussion takes place incorporating the host and all his guests. Peter's suggestion of squeezy bottles as a possible solution is met with derision.

When it comes to the feedback forms Andy and Julian identify the chief complainers as the Sorsky's.

 

Thursday: The final B&B of the week is Annette McAnespie's Hazelwood Farm in Crake, Yorkshire. Annette is a one woman whirlwind, as she cleans and cooks everything herself in her four-star silver B&B and also provides extra touches such as homemade biscuits in each room.

Most initial impressions are favourable. Even six foot tall Jon has no problem with the small bed, as he sleeps ‘in the foetal position'. Peter and Sharron, however, are still in fault-finding moods. When their window proves a little hard to manage their hostess demonstrates it just needs a little elbow grease... effort that they don't seem keen to expend.

After settling in, hyperactive Annette has lined up her idea of fun for her guests - a cycling tour.  However, not everyone feels up to it, so Peter, Jon and Julia head off to a local craft centre to make mosaics. Over the paper and glue, Peter and Jon begin to bond for the first time all week, although Jon could just be enjoying the audience. Meanwhile, the cyclists have a lovely time when they find their picnic spot in a lay-by. 

Back at the B&B, Peter's ventilation frustrations continue. He struggles to get a good night's sleep, citing wind noise through the window gaps as the main culprit. Sadly, Annette says she doesn't have any control over the whims of Mother Nature.

In the hoteliers' final breakfast send off, one-woman team Annette makes hosting look easy, as she cooks and serves all the breakfasts herself with fresh local produce. Julia's only criticism is that she'd have preferred a sausage with ‘more girth'. Peter and Sharron are less keen and mark the breakfast down.

When it comes to the feedback forms Annette isn't bothered that one set of guests don't want to stay again, as she thinks she knows who they are.

 

Friday: The group return to final host Annette's Hazelwood farm for one last meeting to discover how much they've been paid and to have the chance to defend their comments and their B&Bs, before the winner is revealed.

First up are Jon and Julia Shorrock of Climping's Derwent House. Jon is immediately on rival Peter's case over his complaints about their power shower, attempting to blame the man himself for the problem. Will there be an underpayment behind his harsh words?

Next to face the music, it's Peter and Sharron Sorsky of Kirkby Park B&B. They received criticism over their breakfast and the cleanliness of their rooms, and now have chance to defend themselves, or whoever cleaned the rooms...

Andy and Julian are next to defend their upmarket Plas Dinas Country House, which came under criticism for ‘shabby finishing' from one set of guests. Despite this complaint, Andy and Julian are clear that a payment under £100 for their £190 room would be ‘insulting'.

Finally it's Annette's Hazelwood Farm in the firing line. Her windows were described as a ‘fire hazard' by one set of guests, but it's her payments which provide the most intrigue. When she discovers the truth behind the payment and the criticisms, she can't contain her emotion and the tears flow.

After quite a few Kleenex, Annette gets down to announcing the winners and the losers. It's been a week of waterworks, tall tales and breakfast scrambles, but who is going to end up with the final prize? And with the competition over, will anyone want to see each other again?

 

Week 4, from Monday 20th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Hosts Melvyn and Sindy kick-start the week's competition with their Morgan sports car themed B&B, The Pitstop in Hertfordshire.  Despite some good first impressions, after closer inspection both Wayne and Deborah and Gill and Peter think the satin sheets are a bit of a stretch.  And the absence of tea and coffee in the rooms and the presence of the odd cobweb also cause a raised eyebrow or two.  But for Dave "Butterfly" Botha, the luxury leaves him speechless. 

 

 Melvyn's choice of activity is a no brainer - a trip to a sculpture garden - and they travel in style in a convoy of their host's beloved Morgan's. This goes down a treat with most, although straight-talking Yorkshire man Wayne notes that it isn't something Melvyn would do with his regular guests, so decides he won't be scoring any extra points. And with Wayne generally being quite mischievous throughout the trip, fellow guest Gill comments that it'll be an interesting week with so many strong characters all vying for attention.

Dinner provides a whole new platform for Melvyn to monologue about his darling Morgan sports cars, but not everyone feels the same way about them. And attempts to politely change the subject fall on deaf ears as Melvyn explains the delights of the V-twin three wheeler.

As they settle down for the night, there is a lot of hilarity over the slippery satin sheets and Gill thinks that as Melvyn's attention is all on the car business, and not the B&B, that they have the edge in the competition. And with breakfast being a bit of a DIY affair, with Melvyn and Sindy absent, the guests are less than comfortable and Wayne goes as far as to say that if he was staying here normally he would leave without having breakfast.

When it's time to fill in the feedback forms, it's clear that Dave was totally awe struck by the hosting and cleanliness, Wayne and Deborah penalise the hosts for their DIY breakfast, and Gill and Peter comment on the lack of tea and coffee in the room. For Melvyn it's harsh reading, and he determines to play the game from now on.

 

Tuesday: It's the turn of corporate couple Gill and Peter Tydie to host the rival hoteliers at their four-star B&B, The Victory at Mersea in Essex. Straight away it's noted that this is a ship that takes some running, with twenty six staff helping to organise a bar and a restaurant as well as the accommodation. 

After a rummage around their rooms, cobwebs, missing bedside lamp bulbs, and curly hairs in the shower are all discovered, leaving four out of the five guests to feel that the accommodation isn't quite reaching its potential.

Given that there's ample sea surrounding the Isle of Mersea, Peter and Gill choose to take their guests to a local fishery for some crustacean education. But as per the last B&B visit, there is one errant pupil in the class - Braddon Hall owner, Wayne - whose behaviour once again proves irritating to some.

Over dinner in their own restaurant, Gill and Peter let the group into the marketing secrets behind keeping The Victory afloat. Not all their guests are on board with these theories as they reckon their hosts need to get more hands on with their product.

Come bedtime Wayne and Deborah learn the full extent of Gill and Peter's other businesses as the bar music creeps through the floor. Meanwhile Melvyn goes on a midnight fault finding foray and uncovers a major flaw - a hole in the bed sheet.

And in the morning, while Gill and Peter's breakfast cooking team are on fine form, the hosts themselves let the side down, with spilt coffee and a general lack of attention paid to their guests. All in all, it's a fairly unsuccessful send off and Gill and Peters' feedback forms aren't as glowing as they'd hoped. Suddenly The Victory is left looking a lot less sure.

 

Wednesday: It's Dave ‘Butterfly' Botha's turn to host his fellow B&B owners at his two-star establishment, Butterfly Paragliding B&B on the Isle of Wight. But tension builds in the group from the outset as Wayne and Deborah discover that they will be spending the night in one of Dave's tepees in the garden, with an outdoor toilet.

In fact, even the indoor guests are all left unimpressed by the basic rooms complete with cobwebs and dust. 

With his accommodation taking a nose dive with the guests, Dave has one ace up his sleeve - paragliding lessons. And despite yesterday's hosts Gill and Peter still reeling from their poor reviews, by the end of the activity Dave brings the group back together through the art of flight. But, in true Four in a Bed style, as soon as one guest gets airborne this competitive bunch soon begin a B&B paragliding battle.

In keeping with his unconventional hosting style Dave opts for a BBQ dinner - despite the freezing weather - and over the burgers, Dave's guests grill him about his marketing strategy and business plan, which Dave has neither of.

After a restless night's sleep in their tepee Wayne and Deborah arrive at breakfast in a foul mood and are then made to sit separated from the other guests due to Dave's seating plan. And whilst most enjoy the views and their food, things go from bad to worse for Wayne and Deborah when they claim they have watery eggs and rubbery sausages.

As the guests fill out the feedback forms it's clear that Dave's hosting and breakfast were a hit but the rooms were a big miss, but how will the ever-positive host take the criticism?

 

Thursday: It's the fourth day of the competition and the turn of Deborah Morrison and joker-in-the-pack Wayne Bingham to host their rivals at their B&B, Braddon Hall in Torquay.

First to arrive are former business high-fliers Gill and Peter, who immediately search for Wayne and Deborah's ‘unique selling point', whilst Melvyn and Sindy are more interested in whether the chandelier's sturdy enough to do some swinging.

Upon inspecting their allocated rooms, while Dave is just happy that he has a balcony, Melvyn and Sindy find their four poster bed a little squeaky, and Gill and Pete are concerned over the mismatching type-faces in the in-room brochure, which is apparently a cardinal B&B sin.

Wayne and Deborah attempt to hit the bulls-eye by taking the group for a game of archery, but the conversation in the mini bus en route soon gets competitive and Wayne fears that Gill might shoot him in the back for giving her B&B poor marks.  The archery itself is equally competitive and after the final arrow is shot, allegations of unfair play fly.

The final supper is far from fun as true feelings surface. And when Gill and Pete berate Braddon Hall for its lack of coherent branding and no star-rating, Wayne bites back saying that Gill and Pete's website is far from perfect.

Undeterred, come morning, Wayne runs breakfast with military precision, telling people when they can and can't order and how to do it.  And despite chef for the day, Deborah taking the brunt of Wayne's bossy behaviour, the breakfast tastes fantastic and is a hit with the group.

As the guests fill out the feedback forms, it's clear that Wayne and Deborah's B&B was a hit, but Wayne's hosting style was not. Despite this Deborah feels confident that they could win the competition.

 

Friday: It's the final day of this week's competition, and all the B&B owners gather for one last time to find out how much they've been paid and reveal the winner.

First hosts Melvyn and Sindy immediately question their guests over criticism on their feedback forms about the so called "Morgan Domination" conversation. Once the truth is revealed its payment time and its one underpayment in particular that causes initial tension - and it's all down to Melvyn's DIY breakfast.

Next to face the music are Gill and Peter from The Victory who are already bristling after their negative feedback form comments. And things go from bad to worse as they're hit with two underpayments with claims that The Victory lacked any ‘wow-factor'. With the hosts furious, and even mild-mannered Dave questioning the harshness of this colossal underpayment, accusations of tactics and game-playing abound.

Then it's the turn of Butterfly Dave and until now nothing has flapped this flying man.  But when his envelopes reveal a series of large underpayments - some more surprising than others - by the end, Butterfly Dave's wings have been well and truly clipped.

Last to find out how much they've been paid is Wayne and Deborah.  After a clash over criticism of Wayne's military style breakfast service, the hosts move on to their payments, where two underpayments and one guest paying asking price, leaves the competition result in the balance.

As the results are counted the winners are announced, but after alleged tactical game play by some, will there be a worthy winner in this week's battle of the B&Bs?

 

Week 1, from Monday 30 May, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Roberstbrooke Guesthouse in Swanage is the first B&B to be judged in this week's competition, run by hostess Claire Hilton who has some family pedigree in the hotel and catering industry. No, not her surname - her Mum used to run a B&B. So Claire feels she has got more than a sporting chance in the competition.

Claire did not reckon on her first guests though - fellow hoteliers Lynn Self and Ziggy Broome - who, as soon as they arrive, argue amongst themselves about the cleanliness of their bedroom. Ziggy leaves no stone unturned in his search for dust - even dismantling the bed before deciding he would rather sleep in the wardrobe...much to Lynn's disgust.

 

Claire's next guests have stayed in a fancy pad or two in their time - with their singing daughter Charlotte Church. Not that Claire knows that yet, as James and Maria choose to keep their famous daughter under wraps for now.

After mixed reactions to Claire's tour of some ‘often missed' local attractions, the group all get stuck in to Claire's favourite pastime, fancy dress, and don some festive costumes for dinner. Here, talk soon turns to the serious business of star ratings and it isn't long before the first divisions appear in the group.

The questionable atmosphere continues at breakfast, where James and Maria Church irritate the others by talking on their mobiles and Claire's mountainous servings of food are too much for some. Will the sour atmosphere ruin Claire's chances of winning?

Tuesday: Today is the turn of quirky couple Lynn Self and Ziggy Broome to impress with their two-star paradise, Eden Lodge, where even the orange juice is complimentary. But with two guests - Charlotte Church's parents James & Maria Church - already saying that they wouldn't stay anywhere below a four star, it could be an interesting day.

From the offset the guests are wildly unimpressed by their surroundings, with peeling wallpaper, a dirty toilet brush, erroneous plumbing items, noisy boilers and mismatching dressing gowns to name but a few. But Lynn and Ziggy have a trick or two up their sleeves, including a day of fun-filled Falmouth antics like Cornish shanty-singers, cream-teas and a bucking bronco.

The Church's still haven't shared their famous family connection yet so when dinner conversation turns to brushes with fame, not only do James and Maria come clean - to the amazement of some, and apathy of others - guest Nicky also reveals she used to be Mr Blobby's fan-mail writer.

After an interesting night's sleep, breakfast provides Lynn with the perfect platform to show off her self-proclaimed Savoy-style service training. Unfortunately a risqué order of "two poached eggs and a sausage" is enough to reduce her to fits of giggles and service grinds to a halt. With things falling apart and their property heavily criticised by the others, will Lynn and Ziggy's quirky charm be enough to keep them in the competition?

Wednesday: Dexby Townhouse in Cardiff is third to be judged, and as the group head to Charlotte Church's parent's B&B, curiosity grows about what to expect from owners James and Maria. However the guests do not have to wait long after arriving before getting a chance to admire the plethora of famous faces in photos on the mantelpiece and the bountiful Charlotte memorabilia.

With a wealth of local culture on their doorstep, the Church's set out to do what their family is known for - entertain. But a day of white water rafting soon turns sour as, beneath the unnecessarily tight wetsuits, the competition both in and out of the water begins to bubble.

Dinner with the Churches means a chance for the hosts to wheel out their hugely talented family - cue Maria's young nephew Elliot Cooper and his expertise in sleight of hand. And after another chat about their famous daughter, Maria and James then get their excuses in for tomorrow's breakfast before it's even served.

So it's with low expectations that the guests rise at Dexby Townhouse while a nervous Maria struggles to even get the kettle boiling! Fortunately James is on hand to do the cooking, but falls at the last hurdle when he leaves some guests waiting for their breakfast.

At check-out time the guests are not backwards in coming forwards with their written criticism of Dexby Townhouse and as Maria takes umbrage with some of the comments, the Churches decide that not everyone would be welcome back. Can the group's relationships recover from such a trying trip?

Thursday: It is the last stay of the competition and everyone is expecting a touch of the high-life from newlyweds Pip Easby and Nicky Lesser-Easby's Muddifords Court Country House in Devon.

As the guests settle in, some cannot quite get over the price (approx £70) and others the three different types of cotton buds provided. But the Churches find things are a little on the small side - especially the historical 4-poster bed which James likens to ‘lying in a coffin'.  

As the competition heats up the hosts take the group to get rid of some hot air at a local glass-blowing factory. Unfortunately Pip and Nicky's idea of a good time isn't shared by all and before the activity is over James and Maria have disappeared altogether to make some phone calls - much to the annoyance of the others.

Dinner reveals the true factions in the group as Pip is accused of being posh, James and Maria reserved, and Ziggy everyone's best mate. Little do they know he and Lynn have been doing some heavy behind the scenes work to beat the other B&B's - a fact the mischievous pair are glad has gone unnoticed.

After some literal fireworks - which go off with a whimper rather than a bang - they are off to bed. And for James it's a night of cold feet as he realises he is about a foot longer than the bed!

And despite an underwhelming breakfast the following morning where Pip's bacon gets the thumbs down, the positive feedback at check out time leaves the hosts feeling pretty confident. But with the group still blissfully unaware of Lynn and Ziggy's increasingly underhand tactics, will anyone catch them out?

Friday: There are tears, outrage and arguments as the group meet up one last time to find out exactly how much they have been paid by their fellow hoteliers and air their grievances face-to-face.

Up first is Claire Hilton who runs Robertsbrook Guest house in Swanage. As with everyone around the table Claire suspects a disappointing payment from James and Maria Church. But an underpayment from a surprising source soon changes the group dynamics and the competition is suddenly turned on its head.

Next to open their payment envelopes are Ziggy Broome and Lyn Self, the owners of two-star Eden lodge in Falmouth. The couple went heavy on the hosting when their guests came to stay but their property let them down, so wonder whether the ‘shiny shower brigade' have penalised them for it.

Visit three saw Charlotte Church's parents James and Maria welcome the competition to their B&B Dexby Townhouse in Cardiff. Pip Easby and Nicky Lesser-Easby were the Church's main concern but after they open their payment envelopes a truce is called and new enemies are formed.

So far the surprising payments and bizarre feedback have left the group gobsmacked, and with final hosts Pip and Nicky last to open their envelope it's anyone's guess who will take the title of best value for money. With emotions high and friendships in tatters, will there be a worthy winner in this week's battle of the B&Bs?

 

Week 2, from Monday 6th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Mrs Tee of Gorse Meadow, a four star B&B in the New Forest, is the first host this week.  Her eccentric personality charms the guests on arrival but not everyone's rooms are up to scratch. John and Neil's bathroom window needs fixing and Mrs Tee's solution is ‘just don't open it'! Meanwhile, Alistair and Emma find they are sharing their room with ladybirds, cobwebs and dust, not to mention hairs in the bed.

 

Mrs Tee runs a business picking mushrooms and supplying them to the restaurant and hotel trade and so her activity of choice is to educate her guests in a mushroom master class when she takes them into nearby woods for some fungi fun. Blackpool jokers Jon and Neil are highly entertained by the abnormal activity but Mark and wife Fee find Mrs Tee a bit bossy and Alistair has hit information overload.

The menu for Mrs Tee's home-cooked dinner consists of, unsurprisingly, more mushrooms. The guests continue to marvel at her eccentricity, especially when they learn that her husband is buried in the garden. Jon and Neil decide Mrs Tee is a superwoman for successfully running the business whilst taking care of her guests. Alistair and Emma however, believe she has taken on too much and her B&B is suffering as a result (They sleep fully clothed after deeming the room too dirty).

At check out time most of the guests agree that while the Mrs Tee factor has won them over, the rooms just aren't up to standard. Alistair and Emma are the toughest critics, awarding a score of one for cleanliness, leaving Mrs Tee somewhat shocked.

Tuesday: It's Alistair and Emma Mundell's turn to host at their four-star bed and breakfast, Castle Hill Guesthouse in sleepy Lynton, North Devon. Having only opened three months ago, the B&B newbies are desperate to impress with their recently renovated rooms.

The accommodation proves a winner with Mark and Fee and John and Neil, but Mrs Tee is proving very difficult to please, especially when the ‘noise' outside Castle Hill Guesthouse's sedate village location leaves her worried she won't sleep.

The afternoon brings an activity of steep proportions as Alistair and Emma have lined up a ride on the Victorian cliff railway from Lynton to Lynmouth. Unfortunately two of their guests are afraid of heights, leaving the hosts with a lot of work to do.

Dinner in Lynmouth delivers a shock for Alistair when John and Neil reveal their B&B, which is next to be visited, is in Blackpool - the seaside town which Alistair's confesses is his ‘worst nightmare'. His comments leave the Blackpool boys intent on revenge and come morning, the practical-joke-loving pair play a prank by creating a self-made leak in the bathroom.

Morning also brings more complaints from Mrs Tee. She didn't sleep because of traffic noise and she is so critical of the cooked breakfast the other guests are reduced to hysterics. John and Neil comment that if it was anyone else they would get a smack in the face.

At feedback form time, Mrs Tee is the only one to say she wouldn't return leaving Emma and Alistair disappointed and Mrs Tee's card well and truly marked.

Wednesday: The competition heads north to Blackpool and the three-star Vidella, run by fun-loving best friends and business partners John and Neil. They will need to be at their best as there are dissenters amongst the guests. Alistair is a self-confessed Blackpool-hater and Mrs Tee is equally horrified when she gets her first view of the town.

Knowing Alistair has slated Blackpool the night before, the Vidella boys have rigged his room with practical jokes, including a plastic rat, a mini fire cracker and a nasty visitor in the shower. There's no need to rig Mrs Tee's room though as she's perfectly capable of finding fault on her own, thank you very much.

The Vidella brand of fun continues at activity time as Neil appears in drag and leads the group to Funny Girls drag cabaret bar. The group get made up and dressed up ready for a bit of Saturday Night Fever. One embarrassing routine later Mark confesses he has never had such a surreal time and even Alistair gets into the groove. And with Mark's wife Fee unable to accompany him, Mrs Tee makes her move with a slow dance to ‘get closer' to him.

Back at the Vidella the boys cook dinner for the group at their on-site restaurant along with a special blow-up guest to keep Mark company in the absence of his wife. Somehow Mrs Tee steals the limelight yet again with her tale of how her late husband gave one of her guests an explosive welcome...by shooting them. It's a revelation too far for Alistair though who admits he isn't sure what planet Mrs Tee is on.

Come morning Mrs Tee has had another bad night's sleep and again criticises breakfast. Plus there's yet another prank from the hosts, this time with a plastic egg. Come check-out all bar one of the guests have been won over by Vidella. Now who could that be?

Thursday: For the final visit, the group checks in to boutique Bournemouth B&B Urban Beach, run by local entrepreneur Mark Crib. With top prices of £170, the chic boudoirs come with all mod cons and super deluxe bathrooms.

The high spec rooms give Jon and Neil a ‘tingly feeling', and Neil reckons he is seeing ‘how the other half lives.' Alistair and Emma also marvel at the mod cons, but once again it's Mrs Tee who left unimpressed. She has ‘technical difficulties' with everything from the modern sink to the blinds and summons Mark to her room to clear up a few issues.

The afternoon's activity provides a high speed diversion as Mark takes them on a speedboat ride along the Jurassic coast. They all take their hats off to him and even Mrs Tee is full of praise. But it doesn't last long as come bed time she is complaining that the über-expensive bed is rattling and cheap.

Come morning Mark is fully expecting a tough time from his most demanding guest but there's a surprise in store for all as - after some initial uncertainty - Mrs Tee declares her breakfast ‘excellent'. It's such a shock Mark falls to his knees in thanks to the ‘breakfast God'.

Nonetheless, at payment time Mrs Tee still doesn't think the breakfast makes up for the room. In fact she thinks Mark will go bankrupt. Within two years! Alistair and Emma think the only thing missing is a butler and John and Neil are wrestling with their wallets over whether the room is worth the price.

Friday: With all the visits over, the bed and breakfast owners come face to face one last time to find out what they have been paid and to thrash out their differences over the feedback forms.

And there's soon trouble at the table as Mrs Tee finds out that it's Alistair and Emma who scored her one lowly point for cleanliness. Alistair delivers a Mrs Tee-style truth by telling her the rooms were ‘shocking' and that in the real world he and Emma and would have ‘walked out in disgust'.  And when she opens her payment envelopes it's a case of just desserts for Mrs Tee.

The confrontation continues when the roles are reversed as Alistair and Emma quiz Mrs Tee over her low score on the ‘how well did you sleep?' question. Blackpool boys John and Neil are gob-smacked by her explanation that she was disturbed by traffic as they had remarked how quiet the setting was.

Things go from bad to worse when the Castle Hill Guesthouse couple open their payment envelope from Mrs Tee to discover a huge underpayment. After a heated exchange it's too much for Emma who breaks down and walks out, with Alistair berating Mrs Tee before following his wife.

After cooling off outside Emma and Alistair return to the table to an apology from Mrs Tee. Now it's the turn of the other owners to open their payment envelopes, and the final announcement of who has won the title of best value B&B of the week. There's yet more shock and upset before we find out who's under and overpayments will tilt the competition when it comes to taking home the coveted Four in a Bed plaque. 

 

Week 3, from Monday 13th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: This week's first set of hosts are exuberant Jon Shorrock and his wife Julia, who run the four-star B&B Derwent House in West Sussex. The guests take a quiet gander at their rooms where Andy and Julian have concerns over their carpeted bathroom - worrying it could hide alien hair.

Once they have settled in, Jon and Julia split the group up by gender for a glimpse of the local area. While the boys fire machine guns at the local shooting range, the girls head off for an afternoon of relaxation at the local spa. Andy and Julian confess they'd have rather gone to the spa, but then proceed to beat the other men hands down at the range.  Annette, on the other hand, wishes she'd had a go at the firing range, and soon gets bored of relaxing in the Jacuzzi and heads off to work up a sweat in the gym instead.

 

Before dinner Peter makes an abortive attempt to have a shower, but fails to get any hot water - a point he makes to Jon over dinner. Having slept on the problem, Jon convinces himself that Peter is a game player, stating ‘there is a nemesis in the house'.

At breakfast, whilst enjoying Jon's extra sized sausages, the next B&B host Sharron admits that at their place nobody's ever asked for any type of egg other than fried. The group speculate over what they can expect at their next visit, with Andy concluding that it sounds like a ‘trucker's café'.

Looking over their feedback forms, the hosts are a little taken aback by Pete's complaints over the shower, so Julia vows to toughen up. 

 

Tuesday: Today's hosts are soul mates, Peter and Sharron Sorsky, who share the warmth of their Liverpool home with this week's guests. 

On arrival at Kirkby Park B&B, via the industrial estate, Annette is immediately on her guard after noting the CCTV camera on the outside of the house. Things don't get much better during the room inspection, as guests find dust, curly hair, unspecified dirt, stains and a hole in the wall.

Peter and Sharron have got a surprise package in store for their guests to see a part of Liverpool they would never expect - it's wildlife. A tour of the local gem, Knowsley Safari Park, provides a chance for the guests to monkey about. All that fun means things get a little sweaty in the back of the Land Rover, so it's back to the B&B for a shower...which is easier said than done, as the Kirkby shower rota proves fallible.

Still, at least Peter and Sharron have lined up one of their favourite restaurants for their guests' pleasure, an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. However, the chow mein and chips don't distract Sharron from talking breakfast orders. 

 

Wednesday: Today it's Andy and Julian Banner-Price's turn to host the competition at their swanky Plas Dinas Country House in Snowdonia, where they've allocated their guests their priciest rooms costing between £190 and £250 per night.

Peter and Sharron arrive in North Wales still reeling from receiving their own feedback forms, and immediately begin finding fault with seemingly every aspect of their room, particularly the antique furniture. Meanwhile, Jon and Julia are so bowled over they consider it almost an insult to look for problems.

A visit to the local slate museum provides a chance for the B&B owners to wash bedding the old fashioned way, and far from being a busman's holiday, it proves an unexpected hit. However, Jon can't help a jibe, and comments that Peter and Sharron could use the practice when it comes to washing sheets at their B&B.

Over dinner Peter raises the subject of the ‘distressed' furniture in his room with Andy and Julian, asking if they've ever considered stripping it back to the wood. ‘Not a clue,' Julian later confides.

At breakfast, Jon's so-far-perfect stay is suddenly thrown out of kilter by a breakfast predicament and asks, "where on earth should I put my sauce sachet?" A full blown discussion takes place incorporating the host and all his guests. Peter's suggestion of squeezy bottles as a possible solution is met with derision.

When it comes to the feedback forms Andy and Julian identify the chief complainers as the Sorsky's.

 

Thursday: The final B&B of the week is Annette McAnespie's Hazelwood Farm in Crake, Yorkshire. Annette is a one woman whirlwind, as she cleans and cooks everything herself in her four-star silver B&B and also provides extra touches such as homemade biscuits in each room.

Most initial impressions are favourable. Even six foot tall Jon has no problem with the small bed, as he sleeps ‘in the foetal position'. Peter and Sharron, however, are still in fault-finding moods. When their window proves a little hard to manage their hostess demonstrates it just needs a little elbow grease... effort that they don't seem keen to expend.

After settling in, hyperactive Annette has lined up her idea of fun for her guests - a cycling tour.  However, not everyone feels up to it, so Peter, Jon and Julia head off to a local craft centre to make mosaics. Over the paper and glue, Peter and Jon begin to bond for the first time all week, although Jon could just be enjoying the audience. Meanwhile, the cyclists have a lovely time when they find their picnic spot in a lay-by. 

Back at the B&B, Peter's ventilation frustrations continue. He struggles to get a good night's sleep, citing wind noise through the window gaps as the main culprit. Sadly, Annette says she doesn't have any control over the whims of Mother Nature.

In the hoteliers' final breakfast send off, one-woman team Annette makes hosting look easy, as she cooks and serves all the breakfasts herself with fresh local produce. Julia's only criticism is that she'd have preferred a sausage with ‘more girth'. Peter and Sharron are less keen and mark the breakfast down.

When it comes to the feedback forms Annette isn't bothered that one set of guests don't want to stay again, as she thinks she knows who they are.

 

Friday: The group return to final host Annette's Hazelwood farm for one last meeting to discover how much they've been paid and to have the chance to defend their comments and their B&Bs, before the winner is revealed.

First up are Jon and Julia Shorrock of Climping's Derwent House. Jon is immediately on rival Peter's case over his complaints about their power shower, attempting to blame the man himself for the problem. Will there be an underpayment behind his harsh words?

Next to face the music, it's Peter and Sharron Sorsky of Kirkby Park B&B. They received criticism over their breakfast and the cleanliness of their rooms, and now have chance to defend themselves, or whoever cleaned the rooms...

Andy and Julian are next to defend their upmarket Plas Dinas Country House, which came under criticism for ‘shabby finishing' from one set of guests. Despite this complaint, Andy and Julian are clear that a payment under £100 for their £190 room would be ‘insulting'.

Finally it's Annette's Hazelwood Farm in the firing line. Her windows were described as a ‘fire hazard' by one set of guests, but it's her payments which provide the most intrigue. When she discovers the truth behind the payment and the criticisms, she can't contain her emotion and the tears flow.

After quite a few Kleenex, Annette gets down to announcing the winners and the losers. It's been a week of waterworks, tall tales and breakfast scrambles, but who is going to end up with the final prize? And with the competition over, will anyone want to see each other again?

 

Week 4, from Monday 20th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Hosts Melvyn and Sindy kick-start the week's competition with their Morgan sports car themed B&B, The Pitstop in Hertfordshire.  Despite some good first impressions, after closer inspection both Wayne and Deborah and Gill and Peter think the satin sheets are a bit of a stretch.  And the absence of tea and coffee in the rooms and the presence of the odd cobweb also cause a raised eyebrow or two.  But for Dave "Butterfly" Botha, the luxury leaves him speechless. 

 

 Melvyn's choice of activity is a no brainer - a trip to a sculpture garden - and they travel in style in a convoy of their host's beloved Morgan's. This goes down a treat with most, although straight-talking Yorkshire man Wayne notes that it isn't something Melvyn would do with his regular guests, so decides he won't be scoring any extra points. And with Wayne generally being quite mischievous throughout the trip, fellow guest Gill comments that it'll be an interesting week with so many strong characters all vying for attention.

Dinner provides a whole new platform for Melvyn to monologue about his darling Morgan sports cars, but not everyone feels the same way about them. And attempts to politely change the subject fall on deaf ears as Melvyn explains the delights of the V-twin three wheeler.

As they settle down for the night, there is a lot of hilarity over the slippery satin sheets and Gill thinks that as Melvyn's attention is all on the car business, and not the B&B, that they have the edge in the competition. And with breakfast being a bit of a DIY affair, with Melvyn and Sindy absent, the guests are less than comfortable and Wayne goes as far as to say that if he was staying here normally he would leave without having breakfast.

When it's time to fill in the feedback forms, it's clear that Dave was totally awe struck by the hosting and cleanliness, Wayne and Deborah penalise the hosts for their DIY breakfast, and Gill and Peter comment on the lack of tea and coffee in the room. For Melvyn it's harsh reading, and he determines to play the game from now on.

 

Tuesday: It's the turn of corporate couple Gill and Peter Tydie to host the rival hoteliers at their four-star B&B, The Victory at Mersea in Essex. Straight away it's noted that this is a ship that takes some running, with twenty six staff helping to organise a bar and a restaurant as well as the accommodation. 

After a rummage around their rooms, cobwebs, missing bedside lamp bulbs, and curly hairs in the shower are all discovered, leaving four out of the five guests to feel that the accommodation isn't quite reaching its potential.

Given that there's ample sea surrounding the Isle of Mersea, Peter and Gill choose to take their guests to a local fishery for some crustacean education. But as per the last B&B visit, there is one errant pupil in the class - Braddon Hall owner, Wayne - whose behaviour once again proves irritating to some.

Over dinner in their own restaurant, Gill and Peter let the group into the marketing secrets behind keeping The Victory afloat. Not all their guests are on board with these theories as they reckon their hosts need to get more hands on with their product.

Come bedtime Wayne and Deborah learn the full extent of Gill and Peter's other businesses as the bar music creeps through the floor. Meanwhile Melvyn goes on a midnight fault finding foray and uncovers a major flaw - a hole in the bed sheet.

And in the morning, while Gill and Peter's breakfast cooking team are on fine form, the hosts themselves let the side down, with spilt coffee and a general lack of attention paid to their guests. All in all, it's a fairly unsuccessful send off and Gill and Peters' feedback forms aren't as glowing as they'd hoped. Suddenly The Victory is left looking a lot less sure.

 

Wednesday: It's Dave ‘Butterfly' Botha's turn to host his fellow B&B owners at his two-star establishment, Butterfly Paragliding B&B on the Isle of Wight. But tension builds in the group from the outset as Wayne and Deborah discover that they will be spending the night in one of Dave's tepees in the garden, with an outdoor toilet.

In fact, even the indoor guests are all left unimpressed by the basic rooms complete with cobwebs and dust. 

With his accommodation taking a nose dive with the guests, Dave has one ace up his sleeve - paragliding lessons. And despite yesterday's hosts Gill and Peter still reeling from their poor reviews, by the end of the activity Dave brings the group back together through the art of flight. But, in true Four in a Bed style, as soon as one guest gets airborne this competitive bunch soon begin a B&B paragliding battle.

In keeping with his unconventional hosting style Dave opts for a BBQ dinner - despite the freezing weather - and over the burgers, Dave's guests grill him about his marketing strategy and business plan, which Dave has neither of.

After a restless night's sleep in their tepee Wayne and Deborah arrive at breakfast in a foul mood and are then made to sit separated from the other guests due to Dave's seating plan. And whilst most enjoy the views and their food, things go from bad to worse for Wayne and Deborah when they claim they have watery eggs and rubbery sausages.

As the guests fill out the feedback forms it's clear that Dave's hosting and breakfast were a hit but the rooms were a big miss, but how will the ever-positive host take the criticism?

 

Thursday: It's the fourth day of the competition and the turn of Deborah Morrison and joker-in-the-pack Wayne Bingham to host their rivals at their B&B, Braddon Hall in Torquay.

First to arrive are former business high-fliers Gill and Peter, who immediately search for Wayne and Deborah's ‘unique selling point', whilst Melvyn and Sindy are more interested in whether the chandelier's sturdy enough to do some swinging.

Upon inspecting their allocated rooms, while Dave is just happy that he has a balcony, Melvyn and Sindy find their four poster bed a little squeaky, and Gill and Pete are concerned over the mismatching type-faces in the in-room brochure, which is apparently a cardinal B&B sin.

Wayne and Deborah attempt to hit the bulls-eye by taking the group for a game of archery, but the conversation in the mini bus en route soon gets competitive and Wayne fears that Gill might shoot him in the back for giving her B&B poor marks.  The archery itself is equally competitive and after the final arrow is shot, allegations of unfair play fly.

The final supper is far from fun as true feelings surface. And when Gill and Pete berate Braddon Hall for its lack of coherent branding and no star-rating, Wayne bites back saying that Gill and Pete's website is far from perfect.

Undeterred, come morning, Wayne runs breakfast with military precision, telling people when they can and can't order and how to do it.  And despite chef for the day, Deborah taking the brunt of Wayne's bossy behaviour, the breakfast tastes fantastic and is a hit with the group.

As the guests fill out the feedback forms, it's clear that Wayne and Deborah's B&B was a hit, but Wayne's hosting style was not. Despite this Deborah feels confident that they could win the competition.

 

Friday: It's the final day of this week's competition, and all the B&B owners gather for one last time to find out how much they've been paid and reveal the winner.

First hosts Melvyn and Sindy immediately question their guests over criticism on their feedback forms about the so called "Morgan Domination" conversation. Once the truth is revealed its payment time and its one underpayment in particular that causes initial tension - and it's all down to Melvyn's DIY breakfast.

Next to face the music are Gill and Peter from The Victory who are already bristling after their negative feedback form comments. And things go from bad to worse as they're hit with two underpayments with claims that The Victory lacked any ‘wow-factor'. With the hosts furious, and even mild-mannered Dave questioning the harshness of this colossal underpayment, accusations of tactics and game-playing abound.

Then it's the turn of Butterfly Dave and until now nothing has flapped this flying man.  But when his envelopes reveal a series of large underpayments - some more surprising than others - by the end, Butterfly Dave's wings have been well and truly clipped.

Last to find out how much they've been paid is Wayne and Deborah.  After a clash over criticism of Wayne's military style breakfast service, the hosts move on to their payments, where two underpayments and one guest paying asking price, leaves the competition result in the balance.

As the results are counted the winners are announced, but after alleged tactical game play by some, will there be a worthy winner in this week's battle of the B&Bs?

 

Week 1, from Monday 30 May, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Roberstbrooke Guesthouse in Swanage is the first B&B to be judged in this week's competition, run by hostess Claire Hilton who has some family pedigree in the hotel and catering industry. No, not her surname - her Mum used to run a B&B. So Claire feels she has got more than a sporting chance in the competition.

Claire did not reckon on her first guests though - fellow hoteliers Lynn Self and Ziggy Broome - who, as soon as they arrive, argue amongst themselves about the cleanliness of their bedroom. Ziggy leaves no stone unturned in his search for dust - even dismantling the bed before deciding he would rather sleep in the wardrobe...much to Lynn's disgust.

 

Claire's next guests have stayed in a fancy pad or two in their time - with their singing daughter Charlotte Church. Not that Claire knows that yet, as James and Maria choose to keep their famous daughter under wraps for now.

After mixed reactions to Claire's tour of some ‘often missed' local attractions, the group all get stuck in to Claire's favourite pastime, fancy dress, and don some festive costumes for dinner. Here, talk soon turns to the serious business of star ratings and it isn't long before the first divisions appear in the group.

The questionable atmosphere continues at breakfast, where James and Maria Church irritate the others by talking on their mobiles and Claire's mountainous servings of food are too much for some. Will the sour atmosphere ruin Claire's chances of winning?

Tuesday: Today is the turn of quirky couple Lynn Self and Ziggy Broome to impress with their two-star paradise, Eden Lodge, where even the orange juice is complimentary. But with two guests - Charlotte Church's parents James & Maria Church - already saying that they wouldn't stay anywhere below a four star, it could be an interesting day.

From the offset the guests are wildly unimpressed by their surroundings, with peeling wallpaper, a dirty toilet brush, erroneous plumbing items, noisy boilers and mismatching dressing gowns to name but a few. But Lynn and Ziggy have a trick or two up their sleeves, including a day of fun-filled Falmouth antics like Cornish shanty-singers, cream-teas and a bucking bronco.

The Church's still haven't shared their famous family connection yet so when dinner conversation turns to brushes with fame, not only do James and Maria come clean - to the amazement of some, and apathy of others - guest Nicky also reveals she used to be Mr Blobby's fan-mail writer.

After an interesting night's sleep, breakfast provides Lynn with the perfect platform to show off her self-proclaimed Savoy-style service training. Unfortunately a risqué order of "two poached eggs and a sausage" is enough to reduce her to fits of giggles and service grinds to a halt. With things falling apart and their property heavily criticised by the others, will Lynn and Ziggy's quirky charm be enough to keep them in the competition?

Wednesday: Dexby Townhouse in Cardiff is third to be judged, and as the group head to Charlotte Church's parent's B&B, curiosity grows about what to expect from owners James and Maria. However the guests do not have to wait long after arriving before getting a chance to admire the plethora of famous faces in photos on the mantelpiece and the bountiful Charlotte memorabilia.

With a wealth of local culture on their doorstep, the Church's set out to do what their family is known for - entertain. But a day of white water rafting soon turns sour as, beneath the unnecessarily tight wetsuits, the competition both in and out of the water begins to bubble.

Dinner with the Churches means a chance for the hosts to wheel out their hugely talented family - cue Maria's young nephew Elliot Cooper and his expertise in sleight of hand. And after another chat about their famous daughter, Maria and James then get their excuses in for tomorrow's breakfast before it's even served.

So it's with low expectations that the guests rise at Dexby Townhouse while a nervous Maria struggles to even get the kettle boiling! Fortunately James is on hand to do the cooking, but falls at the last hurdle when he leaves some guests waiting for their breakfast.

At check-out time the guests are not backwards in coming forwards with their written criticism of Dexby Townhouse and as Maria takes umbrage with some of the comments, the Churches decide that not everyone would be welcome back. Can the group's relationships recover from such a trying trip?

Thursday: It is the last stay of the competition and everyone is expecting a touch of the high-life from newlyweds Pip Easby and Nicky Lesser-Easby's Muddifords Court Country House in Devon.

As the guests settle in, some cannot quite get over the price (approx £70) and others the three different types of cotton buds provided. But the Churches find things are a little on the small side - especially the historical 4-poster bed which James likens to ‘lying in a coffin'.  

As the competition heats up the hosts take the group to get rid of some hot air at a local glass-blowing factory. Unfortunately Pip and Nicky's idea of a good time isn't shared by all and before the activity is over James and Maria have disappeared altogether to make some phone calls - much to the annoyance of the others.

Dinner reveals the true factions in the group as Pip is accused of being posh, James and Maria reserved, and Ziggy everyone's best mate. Little do they know he and Lynn have been doing some heavy behind the scenes work to beat the other B&B's - a fact the mischievous pair are glad has gone unnoticed.

After some literal fireworks - which go off with a whimper rather than a bang - they are off to bed. And for James it's a night of cold feet as he realises he is about a foot longer than the bed!

And despite an underwhelming breakfast the following morning where Pip's bacon gets the thumbs down, the positive feedback at check out time leaves the hosts feeling pretty confident. But with the group still blissfully unaware of Lynn and Ziggy's increasingly underhand tactics, will anyone catch them out?

Friday: There are tears, outrage and arguments as the group meet up one last time to find out exactly how much they have been paid by their fellow hoteliers and air their grievances face-to-face.

Up first is Claire Hilton who runs Robertsbrook Guest house in Swanage. As with everyone around the table Claire suspects a disappointing payment from James and Maria Church. But an underpayment from a surprising source soon changes the group dynamics and the competition is suddenly turned on its head.

Next to open their payment envelopes are Ziggy Broome and Lyn Self, the owners of two-star Eden lodge in Falmouth. The couple went heavy on the hosting when their guests came to stay but their property let them down, so wonder whether the ‘shiny shower brigade' have penalised them for it.

Visit three saw Charlotte Church's parents James and Maria welcome the competition to their B&B Dexby Townhouse in Cardiff. Pip Easby and Nicky Lesser-Easby were the Church's main concern but after they open their payment envelopes a truce is called and new enemies are formed.

So far the surprising payments and bizarre feedback have left the group gobsmacked, and with final hosts Pip and Nicky last to open their envelope it's anyone's guess who will take the title of best value for money. With emotions high and friendships in tatters, will there be a worthy winner in this week's battle of the B&Bs?

 

Week 2, from Monday 6th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Mrs Tee of Gorse Meadow, a four star B&B in the New Forest, is the first host this week.  Her eccentric personality charms the guests on arrival but not everyone's rooms are up to scratch. John and Neil's bathroom window needs fixing and Mrs Tee's solution is ‘just don't open it'! Meanwhile, Alistair and Emma find they are sharing their room with ladybirds, cobwebs and dust, not to mention hairs in the bed.

 

Mrs Tee runs a business picking mushrooms and supplying them to the restaurant and hotel trade and so her activity of choice is to educate her guests in a mushroom master class when she takes them into nearby woods for some fungi fun. Blackpool jokers Jon and Neil are highly entertained by the abnormal activity but Mark and wife Fee find Mrs Tee a bit bossy and Alistair has hit information overload.

The menu for Mrs Tee's home-cooked dinner consists of, unsurprisingly, more mushrooms. The guests continue to marvel at her eccentricity, especially when they learn that her husband is buried in the garden. Jon and Neil decide Mrs Tee is a superwoman for successfully running the business whilst taking care of her guests. Alistair and Emma however, believe she has taken on too much and her B&B is suffering as a result (They sleep fully clothed after deeming the room too dirty).

At check out time most of the guests agree that while the Mrs Tee factor has won them over, the rooms just aren't up to standard. Alistair and Emma are the toughest critics, awarding a score of one for cleanliness, leaving Mrs Tee somewhat shocked.

Tuesday: It's Alistair and Emma Mundell's turn to host at their four-star bed and breakfast, Castle Hill Guesthouse in sleepy Lynton, North Devon. Having only opened three months ago, the B&B newbies are desperate to impress with their recently renovated rooms.

The accommodation proves a winner with Mark and Fee and John and Neil, but Mrs Tee is proving very difficult to please, especially when the ‘noise' outside Castle Hill Guesthouse's sedate village location leaves her worried she won't sleep.

The afternoon brings an activity of steep proportions as Alistair and Emma have lined up a ride on the Victorian cliff railway from Lynton to Lynmouth. Unfortunately two of their guests are afraid of heights, leaving the hosts with a lot of work to do.

Dinner in Lynmouth delivers a shock for Alistair when John and Neil reveal their B&B, which is next to be visited, is in Blackpool - the seaside town which Alistair's confesses is his ‘worst nightmare'. His comments leave the Blackpool boys intent on revenge and come morning, the practical-joke-loving pair play a prank by creating a self-made leak in the bathroom.

Morning also brings more complaints from Mrs Tee. She didn't sleep because of traffic noise and she is so critical of the cooked breakfast the other guests are reduced to hysterics. John and Neil comment that if it was anyone else they would get a smack in the face.

At feedback form time, Mrs Tee is the only one to say she wouldn't return leaving Emma and Alistair disappointed and Mrs Tee's card well and truly marked.

Wednesday: The competition heads north to Blackpool and the three-star Vidella, run by fun-loving best friends and business partners John and Neil. They will need to be at their best as there are dissenters amongst the guests. Alistair is a self-confessed Blackpool-hater and Mrs Tee is equally horrified when she gets her first view of the town.

Knowing Alistair has slated Blackpool the night before, the Vidella boys have rigged his room with practical jokes, including a plastic rat, a mini fire cracker and a nasty visitor in the shower. There's no need to rig Mrs Tee's room though as she's perfectly capable of finding fault on her own, thank you very much.

The Vidella brand of fun continues at activity time as Neil appears in drag and leads the group to Funny Girls drag cabaret bar. The group get made up and dressed up ready for a bit of Saturday Night Fever. One embarrassing routine later Mark confesses he has never had such a surreal time and even Alistair gets into the groove. And with Mark's wife Fee unable to accompany him, Mrs Tee makes her move with a slow dance to ‘get closer' to him.

Back at the Vidella the boys cook dinner for the group at their on-site restaurant along with a special blow-up guest to keep Mark company in the absence of his wife. Somehow Mrs Tee steals the limelight yet again with her tale of how her late husband gave one of her guests an explosive welcome...by shooting them. It's a revelation too far for Alistair though who admits he isn't sure what planet Mrs Tee is on.

Come morning Mrs Tee has had another bad night's sleep and again criticises breakfast. Plus there's yet another prank from the hosts, this time with a plastic egg. Come check-out all bar one of the guests have been won over by Vidella. Now who could that be?

Thursday: For the final visit, the group checks in to boutique Bournemouth B&B Urban Beach, run by local entrepreneur Mark Crib. With top prices of £170, the chic boudoirs come with all mod cons and super deluxe bathrooms.

The high spec rooms give Jon and Neil a ‘tingly feeling', and Neil reckons he is seeing ‘how the other half lives.' Alistair and Emma also marvel at the mod cons, but once again it's Mrs Tee who left unimpressed. She has ‘technical difficulties' with everything from the modern sink to the blinds and summons Mark to her room to clear up a few issues.

The afternoon's activity provides a high speed diversion as Mark takes them on a speedboat ride along the Jurassic coast. They all take their hats off to him and even Mrs Tee is full of praise. But it doesn't last long as come bed time she is complaining that the über-expensive bed is rattling and cheap.

Come morning Mark is fully expecting a tough time from his most demanding guest but there's a surprise in store for all as - after some initial uncertainty - Mrs Tee declares her breakfast ‘excellent'. It's such a shock Mark falls to his knees in thanks to the ‘breakfast God'.

Nonetheless, at payment time Mrs Tee still doesn't think the breakfast makes up for the room. In fact she thinks Mark will go bankrupt. Within two years! Alistair and Emma think the only thing missing is a butler and John and Neil are wrestling with their wallets over whether the room is worth the price.

Friday: With all the visits over, the bed and breakfast owners come face to face one last time to find out what they have been paid and to thrash out their differences over the feedback forms.

And there's soon trouble at the table as Mrs Tee finds out that it's Alistair and Emma who scored her one lowly point for cleanliness. Alistair delivers a Mrs Tee-style truth by telling her the rooms were ‘shocking' and that in the real world he and Emma and would have ‘walked out in disgust'.  And when she opens her payment envelopes it's a case of just desserts for Mrs Tee.

The confrontation continues when the roles are reversed as Alistair and Emma quiz Mrs Tee over her low score on the ‘how well did you sleep?' question. Blackpool boys John and Neil are gob-smacked by her explanation that she was disturbed by traffic as they had remarked how quiet the setting was.

Things go from bad to worse when the Castle Hill Guesthouse couple open their payment envelope from Mrs Tee to discover a huge underpayment. After a heated exchange it's too much for Emma who breaks down and walks out, with Alistair berating Mrs Tee before following his wife.

After cooling off outside Emma and Alistair return to the table to an apology from Mrs Tee. Now it's the turn of the other owners to open their payment envelopes, and the final announcement of who has won the title of best value B&B of the week. There's yet more shock and upset before we find out who's under and overpayments will tilt the competition when it comes to taking home the coveted Four in a Bed plaque. 

 

Week 3, from Monday 13th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: This week's first set of hosts are exuberant Jon Shorrock and his wife Julia, who run the four-star B&B Derwent House in West Sussex. The guests take a quiet gander at their rooms where Andy and Julian have concerns over their carpeted bathroom - worrying it could hide alien hair.

Once they have settled in, Jon and Julia split the group up by gender for a glimpse of the local area. While the boys fire machine guns at the local shooting range, the girls head off for an afternoon of relaxation at the local spa. Andy and Julian confess they'd have rather gone to the spa, but then proceed to beat the other men hands down at the range.  Annette, on the other hand, wishes she'd had a go at the firing range, and soon gets bored of relaxing in the Jacuzzi and heads off to work up a sweat in the gym instead.

 

Before dinner Peter makes an abortive attempt to have a shower, but fails to get any hot water - a point he makes to Jon over dinner. Having slept on the problem, Jon convinces himself that Peter is a game player, stating ‘there is a nemesis in the house'.

At breakfast, whilst enjoying Jon's extra sized sausages, the next B&B host Sharron admits that at their place nobody's ever asked for any type of egg other than fried. The group speculate over what they can expect at their next visit, with Andy concluding that it sounds like a ‘trucker's café'.

Looking over their feedback forms, the hosts are a little taken aback by Pete's complaints over the shower, so Julia vows to toughen up. 

 

Tuesday: Today's hosts are soul mates, Peter and Sharron Sorsky, who share the warmth of their Liverpool home with this week's guests. 

On arrival at Kirkby Park B&B, via the industrial estate, Annette is immediately on her guard after noting the CCTV camera on the outside of the house. Things don't get much better during the room inspection, as guests find dust, curly hair, unspecified dirt, stains and a hole in the wall.

Peter and Sharron have got a surprise package in store for their guests to see a part of Liverpool they would never expect - it's wildlife. A tour of the local gem, Knowsley Safari Park, provides a chance for the guests to monkey about. All that fun means things get a little sweaty in the back of the Land Rover, so it's back to the B&B for a shower...which is easier said than done, as the Kirkby shower rota proves fallible.

Still, at least Peter and Sharron have lined up one of their favourite restaurants for their guests' pleasure, an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. However, the chow mein and chips don't distract Sharron from talking breakfast orders. 

 

Wednesday: Today it's Andy and Julian Banner-Price's turn to host the competition at their swanky Plas Dinas Country House in Snowdonia, where they've allocated their guests their priciest rooms costing between £190 and £250 per night.

Peter and Sharron arrive in North Wales still reeling from receiving their own feedback forms, and immediately begin finding fault with seemingly every aspect of their room, particularly the antique furniture. Meanwhile, Jon and Julia are so bowled over they consider it almost an insult to look for problems.

A visit to the local slate museum provides a chance for the B&B owners to wash bedding the old fashioned way, and far from being a busman's holiday, it proves an unexpected hit. However, Jon can't help a jibe, and comments that Peter and Sharron could use the practice when it comes to washing sheets at their B&B.

Over dinner Peter raises the subject of the ‘distressed' furniture in his room with Andy and Julian, asking if they've ever considered stripping it back to the wood. ‘Not a clue,' Julian later confides.

At breakfast, Jon's so-far-perfect stay is suddenly thrown out of kilter by a breakfast predicament and asks, "where on earth should I put my sauce sachet?" A full blown discussion takes place incorporating the host and all his guests. Peter's suggestion of squeezy bottles as a possible solution is met with derision.

When it comes to the feedback forms Andy and Julian identify the chief complainers as the Sorsky's.

 

Thursday: The final B&B of the week is Annette McAnespie's Hazelwood Farm in Crake, Yorkshire. Annette is a one woman whirlwind, as she cleans and cooks everything herself in her four-star silver B&B and also provides extra touches such as homemade biscuits in each room.

Most initial impressions are favourable. Even six foot tall Jon has no problem with the small bed, as he sleeps ‘in the foetal position'. Peter and Sharron, however, are still in fault-finding moods. When their window proves a little hard to manage their hostess demonstrates it just needs a little elbow grease... effort that they don't seem keen to expend.

After settling in, hyperactive Annette has lined up her idea of fun for her guests - a cycling tour.  However, not everyone feels up to it, so Peter, Jon and Julia head off to a local craft centre to make mosaics. Over the paper and glue, Peter and Jon begin to bond for the first time all week, although Jon could just be enjoying the audience. Meanwhile, the cyclists have a lovely time when they find their picnic spot in a lay-by. 

Back at the B&B, Peter's ventilation frustrations continue. He struggles to get a good night's sleep, citing wind noise through the window gaps as the main culprit. Sadly, Annette says she doesn't have any control over the whims of Mother Nature.

In the hoteliers' final breakfast send off, one-woman team Annette makes hosting look easy, as she cooks and serves all the breakfasts herself with fresh local produce. Julia's only criticism is that she'd have preferred a sausage with ‘more girth'. Peter and Sharron are less keen and mark the breakfast down.

When it comes to the feedback forms Annette isn't bothered that one set of guests don't want to stay again, as she thinks she knows who they are.

 

Friday: The group return to final host Annette's Hazelwood farm for one last meeting to discover how much they've been paid and to have the chance to defend their comments and their B&Bs, before the winner is revealed.

First up are Jon and Julia Shorrock of Climping's Derwent House. Jon is immediately on rival Peter's case over his complaints about their power shower, attempting to blame the man himself for the problem. Will there be an underpayment behind his harsh words?

Next to face the music, it's Peter and Sharron Sorsky of Kirkby Park B&B. They received criticism over their breakfast and the cleanliness of their rooms, and now have chance to defend themselves, or whoever cleaned the rooms...

Andy and Julian are next to defend their upmarket Plas Dinas Country House, which came under criticism for ‘shabby finishing' from one set of guests. Despite this complaint, Andy and Julian are clear that a payment under £100 for their £190 room would be ‘insulting'.

Finally it's Annette's Hazelwood Farm in the firing line. Her windows were described as a ‘fire hazard' by one set of guests, but it's her payments which provide the most intrigue. When she discovers the truth behind the payment and the criticisms, she can't contain her emotion and the tears flow.

After quite a few Kleenex, Annette gets down to announcing the winners and the losers. It's been a week of waterworks, tall tales and breakfast scrambles, but who is going to end up with the final prize? And with the competition over, will anyone want to see each other again?

 

Week 4, from Monday 20th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Hosts Melvyn and Sindy kick-start the week's competition with their Morgan sports car themed B&B, The Pitstop in Hertfordshire.  Despite some good first impressions, after closer inspection both Wayne and Deborah and Gill and Peter think the satin sheets are a bit of a stretch.  And the absence of tea and coffee in the rooms and the presence of the odd cobweb also cause a raised eyebrow or two.  But for Dave "Butterfly" Botha, the luxury leaves him speechless. 

 

 Melvyn's choice of activity is a no brainer - a trip to a sculpture garden - and they travel in style in a convoy of their host's beloved Morgan's. This goes down a treat with most, although straight-talking Yorkshire man Wayne notes that it isn't something Melvyn would do with his regular guests, so decides he won't be scoring any extra points. And with Wayne generally being quite mischievous throughout the trip, fellow guest Gill comments that it'll be an interesting week with so many strong characters all vying for attention.

Dinner provides a whole new platform for Melvyn to monologue about his darling Morgan sports cars, but not everyone feels the same way about them. And attempts to politely change the subject fall on deaf ears as Melvyn explains the delights of the V-twin three wheeler.

As they settle down for the night, there is a lot of hilarity over the slippery satin sheets and Gill thinks that as Melvyn's attention is all on the car business, and not the B&B, that they have the edge in the competition. And with breakfast being a bit of a DIY affair, with Melvyn and Sindy absent, the guests are less than comfortable and Wayne goes as far as to say that if he was staying here normally he would leave without having breakfast.

When it's time to fill in the feedback forms, it's clear that Dave was totally awe struck by the hosting and cleanliness, Wayne and Deborah penalise the hosts for their DIY breakfast, and Gill and Peter comment on the lack of tea and coffee in the room. For Melvyn it's harsh reading, and he determines to play the game from now on.

 

Tuesday: It's the turn of corporate couple Gill and Peter Tydie to host the rival hoteliers at their four-star B&B, The Victory at Mersea in Essex. Straight away it's noted that this is a ship that takes some running, with twenty six staff helping to organise a bar and a restaurant as well as the accommodation. 

After a rummage around their rooms, cobwebs, missing bedside lamp bulbs, and curly hairs in the shower are all discovered, leaving four out of the five guests to feel that the accommodation isn't quite reaching its potential.

Given that there's ample sea surrounding the Isle of Mersea, Peter and Gill choose to take their guests to a local fishery for some crustacean education. But as per the last B&B visit, there is one errant pupil in the class - Braddon Hall owner, Wayne - whose behaviour once again proves irritating to some.

Over dinner in their own restaurant, Gill and Peter let the group into the marketing secrets behind keeping The Victory afloat. Not all their guests are on board with these theories as they reckon their hosts need to get more hands on with their product.

Come bedtime Wayne and Deborah learn the full extent of Gill and Peter's other businesses as the bar music creeps through the floor. Meanwhile Melvyn goes on a midnight fault finding foray and uncovers a major flaw - a hole in the bed sheet.

And in the morning, while Gill and Peter's breakfast cooking team are on fine form, the hosts themselves let the side down, with spilt coffee and a general lack of attention paid to their guests. All in all, it's a fairly unsuccessful send off and Gill and Peters' feedback forms aren't as glowing as they'd hoped. Suddenly The Victory is left looking a lot less sure.

 

Wednesday: It's Dave ‘Butterfly' Botha's turn to host his fellow B&B owners at his two-star establishment, Butterfly Paragliding B&B on the Isle of Wight. But tension builds in the group from the outset as Wayne and Deborah discover that they will be spending the night in one of Dave's tepees in the garden, with an outdoor toilet.

In fact, even the indoor guests are all left unimpressed by the basic rooms complete with cobwebs and dust. 

With his accommodation taking a nose dive with the guests, Dave has one ace up his sleeve - paragliding lessons. And despite yesterday's hosts Gill and Peter still reeling from their poor reviews, by the end of the activity Dave brings the group back together through the art of flight. But, in true Four in a Bed style, as soon as one guest gets airborne this competitive bunch soon begin a B&B paragliding battle.

In keeping with his unconventional hosting style Dave opts for a BBQ dinner - despite the freezing weather - and over the burgers, Dave's guests grill him about his marketing strategy and business plan, which Dave has neither of.

After a restless night's sleep in their tepee Wayne and Deborah arrive at breakfast in a foul mood and are then made to sit separated from the other guests due to Dave's seating plan. And whilst most enjoy the views and their food, things go from bad to worse for Wayne and Deborah when they claim they have watery eggs and rubbery sausages.

As the guests fill out the feedback forms it's clear that Dave's hosting and breakfast were a hit but the rooms were a big miss, but how will the ever-positive host take the criticism?

 

Thursday: It's the fourth day of the competition and the turn of Deborah Morrison and joker-in-the-pack Wayne Bingham to host their rivals at their B&B, Braddon Hall in Torquay.

First to arrive are former business high-fliers Gill and Peter, who immediately search for Wayne and Deborah's ‘unique selling point', whilst Melvyn and Sindy are more interested in whether the chandelier's sturdy enough to do some swinging.

Upon inspecting their allocated rooms, while Dave is just happy that he has a balcony, Melvyn and Sindy find their four poster bed a little squeaky, and Gill and Pete are concerned over the mismatching type-faces in the in-room brochure, which is apparently a cardinal B&B sin.

Wayne and Deborah attempt to hit the bulls-eye by taking the group for a game of archery, but the conversation in the mini bus en route soon gets competitive and Wayne fears that Gill might shoot him in the back for giving her B&B poor marks.  The archery itself is equally competitive and after the final arrow is shot, allegations of unfair play fly.

The final supper is far from fun as true feelings surface. And when Gill and Pete berate Braddon Hall for its lack of coherent branding and no star-rating, Wayne bites back saying that Gill and Pete's website is far from perfect.

Undeterred, come morning, Wayne runs breakfast with military precision, telling people when they can and can't order and how to do it.  And despite chef for the day, Deborah taking the brunt of Wayne's bossy behaviour, the breakfast tastes fantastic and is a hit with the group.

As the guests fill out the feedback forms, it's clear that Wayne and Deborah's B&B was a hit, but Wayne's hosting style was not. Despite this Deborah feels confident that they could win the competition.

 

Friday: It's the final day of this week's competition, and all the B&B owners gather for one last time to find out how much they've been paid and reveal the winner.

First hosts Melvyn and Sindy immediately question their guests over criticism on their feedback forms about the so called "Morgan Domination" conversation. Once the truth is revealed its payment time and its one underpayment in particular that causes initial tension - and it's all down to Melvyn's DIY breakfast.

Next to face the music are Gill and Peter from The Victory who are already bristling after their negative feedback form comments. And things go from bad to worse as they're hit with two underpayments with claims that The Victory lacked any ‘wow-factor'. With the hosts furious, and even mild-mannered Dave questioning the harshness of this colossal underpayment, accusations of tactics and game-playing abound.

Then it's the turn of Butterfly Dave and until now nothing has flapped this flying man.  But when his envelopes reveal a series of large underpayments - some more surprising than others - by the end, Butterfly Dave's wings have been well and truly clipped.

Last to find out how much they've been paid is Wayne and Deborah.  After a clash over criticism of Wayne's military style breakfast service, the hosts move on to their payments, where two underpayments and one guest paying asking price, leaves the competition result in the balance.

As the results are counted the winners are announced, but after alleged tactical game play by some, will there be a worthy winner in this week's battle of the B&Bs?

 

Week 1, from Monday 30 May, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Roberstbrooke Guesthouse in Swanage is the first B&B to be judged in this week's competition, run by hostess Claire Hilton who has some family pedigree in the hotel and catering industry. No, not her surname - her Mum used to run a B&B. So Claire feels she has got more than a sporting chance in the competition.

Claire did not reckon on her first guests though - fellow hoteliers Lynn Self and Ziggy Broome - who, as soon as they arrive, argue amongst themselves about the cleanliness of their bedroom. Ziggy leaves no stone unturned in his search for dust - even dismantling the bed before deciding he would rather sleep in the wardrobe...much to Lynn's disgust.

 

Claire's next guests have stayed in a fancy pad or two in their time - with their singing daughter Charlotte Church. Not that Claire knows that yet, as James and Maria choose to keep their famous daughter under wraps for now.

After mixed reactions to Claire's tour of some ‘often missed' local attractions, the group all get stuck in to Claire's favourite pastime, fancy dress, and don some festive costumes for dinner. Here, talk soon turns to the serious business of star ratings and it isn't long before the first divisions appear in the group.

The questionable atmosphere continues at breakfast, where James and Maria Church irritate the others by talking on their mobiles and Claire's mountainous servings of food are too much for some. Will the sour atmosphere ruin Claire's chances of winning?

Tuesday: Today is the turn of quirky couple Lynn Self and Ziggy Broome to impress with their two-star paradise, Eden Lodge, where even the orange juice is complimentary. But with two guests - Charlotte Church's parents James & Maria Church - already saying that they wouldn't stay anywhere below a four star, it could be an interesting day.

From the offset the guests are wildly unimpressed by their surroundings, with peeling wallpaper, a dirty toilet brush, erroneous plumbing items, noisy boilers and mismatching dressing gowns to name but a few. But Lynn and Ziggy have a trick or two up their sleeves, including a day of fun-filled Falmouth antics like Cornish shanty-singers, cream-teas and a bucking bronco.

The Church's still haven't shared their famous family connection yet so when dinner conversation turns to brushes with fame, not only do James and Maria come clean - to the amazement of some, and apathy of others - guest Nicky also reveals she used to be Mr Blobby's fan-mail writer.

After an interesting night's sleep, breakfast provides Lynn with the perfect platform to show off her self-proclaimed Savoy-style service training. Unfortunately a risqué order of "two poached eggs and a sausage" is enough to reduce her to fits of giggles and service grinds to a halt. With things falling apart and their property heavily criticised by the others, will Lynn and Ziggy's quirky charm be enough to keep them in the competition?

Wednesday: Dexby Townhouse in Cardiff is third to be judged, and as the group head to Charlotte Church's parent's B&B, curiosity grows about what to expect from owners James and Maria. However the guests do not have to wait long after arriving before getting a chance to admire the plethora of famous faces in photos on the mantelpiece and the bountiful Charlotte memorabilia.

With a wealth of local culture on their doorstep, the Church's set out to do what their family is known for - entertain. But a day of white water rafting soon turns sour as, beneath the unnecessarily tight wetsuits, the competition both in and out of the water begins to bubble.

Dinner with the Churches means a chance for the hosts to wheel out their hugely talented family - cue Maria's young nephew Elliot Cooper and his expertise in sleight of hand. And after another chat about their famous daughter, Maria and James then get their excuses in for tomorrow's breakfast before it's even served.

So it's with low expectations that the guests rise at Dexby Townhouse while a nervous Maria struggles to even get the kettle boiling! Fortunately James is on hand to do the cooking, but falls at the last hurdle when he leaves some guests waiting for their breakfast.

At check-out time the guests are not backwards in coming forwards with their written criticism of Dexby Townhouse and as Maria takes umbrage with some of the comments, the Churches decide that not everyone would be welcome back. Can the group's relationships recover from such a trying trip?

Thursday: It is the last stay of the competition and everyone is expecting a touch of the high-life from newlyweds Pip Easby and Nicky Lesser-Easby's Muddifords Court Country House in Devon.

As the guests settle in, some cannot quite get over the price (approx £70) and others the three different types of cotton buds provided. But the Churches find things are a little on the small side - especially the historical 4-poster bed which James likens to ‘lying in a coffin'.  

As the competition heats up the hosts take the group to get rid of some hot air at a local glass-blowing factory. Unfortunately Pip and Nicky's idea of a good time isn't shared by all and before the activity is over James and Maria have disappeared altogether to make some phone calls - much to the annoyance of the others.

Dinner reveals the true factions in the group as Pip is accused of being posh, James and Maria reserved, and Ziggy everyone's best mate. Little do they know he and Lynn have been doing some heavy behind the scenes work to beat the other B&B's - a fact the mischievous pair are glad has gone unnoticed.

After some literal fireworks - which go off with a whimper rather than a bang - they are off to bed. And for James it's a night of cold feet as he realises he is about a foot longer than the bed!

And despite an underwhelming breakfast the following morning where Pip's bacon gets the thumbs down, the positive feedback at check out time leaves the hosts feeling pretty confident. But with the group still blissfully unaware of Lynn and Ziggy's increasingly underhand tactics, will anyone catch them out?

Friday: There are tears, outrage and arguments as the group meet up one last time to find out exactly how much they have been paid by their fellow hoteliers and air their grievances face-to-face.

Up first is Claire Hilton who runs Robertsbrook Guest house in Swanage. As with everyone around the table Claire suspects a disappointing payment from James and Maria Church. But an underpayment from a surprising source soon changes the group dynamics and the competition is suddenly turned on its head.

Next to open their payment envelopes are Ziggy Broome and Lyn Self, the owners of two-star Eden lodge in Falmouth. The couple went heavy on the hosting when their guests came to stay but their property let them down, so wonder whether the ‘shiny shower brigade' have penalised them for it.

Visit three saw Charlotte Church's parents James and Maria welcome the competition to their B&B Dexby Townhouse in Cardiff. Pip Easby and Nicky Lesser-Easby were the Church's main concern but after they open their payment envelopes a truce is called and new enemies are formed.

So far the surprising payments and bizarre feedback have left the group gobsmacked, and with final hosts Pip and Nicky last to open their envelope it's anyone's guess who will take the title of best value for money. With emotions high and friendships in tatters, will there be a worthy winner in this week's battle of the B&Bs?

 

Week 2, from Monday 6th June, 5pm, Channel 4

Monday: Mrs Tee of Gorse Meadow, a four star B&B in the New Forest, is the first host this week.  Her eccentric personality charms the guests on arrival but not everyone's rooms are up to scratch. John and Neil's bathroom window needs fixing and Mrs Tee's solution is ‘just don't open it'! Meanwhile, Alistair and Emma find they are sharing their room with ladybirds, cobwebs and dust, not to mention hairs in the bed.

 

Mrs Tee runs a business picking mushrooms and supplying them to the restaurant and hotel trade and so her activity of choice is to educate her guests in a mushroom master class when she takes them into nearby woods for some fungi fun. Blackpool jokers Jon and Neil are highly entertained by the abnormal activity but Mark and wife Fee find Mrs Tee a bit bossy and Alistair has hit information overload.

The menu for Mrs Tee's home-cooked dinner consists of, unsurprisingly, more mushrooms. The guests continue to marvel at her eccentricity, especially when they learn that her husband is buried in the garden. Jon and Neil decide Mrs Tee is a superwoman for successfully running the business whilst taking care of her guests. Alistair and Emma however, believe she has taken on too much and her B&B is suffering as a result (They sleep fully clothed after deeming the room too dirty).

At check out time most of the guests agree that while the Mrs Tee factor has won them over, the rooms just aren't up to standard. Alistair and Emma are the toughest critics, awarding a score of one for cleanliness, leaving Mrs Tee somewhat shocked.

Tuesday: It's Alistair and Emma Mundell's turn to host at their four-star bed and breakfast, Castle Hill Guesthouse in sleepy Lynton, North Devon. Having only opened three months ago, the B&B newbies are desperate to impress with their recently renovated rooms.

The accommodation proves a winner with Mark and Fee and John and Neil, but Mrs Tee is proving very difficult to please, especially when the ‘noise' outside Castle Hill Guesthouse's sedate village location leaves her worried she won't sleep.

The afternoon brings an activity of steep proportions as Alistair and Emma have lined up a ride on the Victorian cliff railway from Lynton to Lynmouth. Unfortunately two of their guests are afraid of heights, leaving the hosts with a lot of work to do.

Dinner in Lynmouth delivers a shock for Alistair when John and Neil reveal their B&B, which is next to be visited, is in Blackpool - the seaside town which Alistair's confesses is his ‘worst nightmare'. His comments leave the Blackpool boys intent on revenge and come morning, the practical-joke-loving pair play a prank by creating a self-made leak in the bathroom.

Morning also brings more complaints from Mrs Tee. She didn't sleep because of traffic noise and she is so critical of the cooked breakfast the other guests are reduced to hysterics. John and Neil comment that if it was anyone else they would get a smack in the face.

At feedback form time, Mrs Tee is the only one to say she wouldn't return leaving Emma and Alistair disappointed and Mrs Tee's card well and truly marked.

Wednesday: The competition heads north to Blackpool and the three-star Vidella, run by fun-loving best friends and business partners John and Neil. They will need to be at their best as there are dissenters amongst the guests. Alistair is a self-confessed Blackpool-hater and Mrs Tee is equally horrified when she gets her first view of the town.

Knowing Alistair has slated Blackpool the night before, the Vidella boys have rigged his room with practical jokes, including a plastic rat, a mini fire cracker and a nasty visitor in the shower. There's no need to rig Mrs Tee's room though as she's perfectly capable of finding fault on her own, thank you very much.

The Vidella brand of fun continues at activity time as Neil appears in drag and leads the group to Funny Girls drag cabaret bar. The group get made up and dressed up ready for a bit of Saturday Night Fever. One embarrassing routine later Mark confesses he has never had such a surreal time and even Alistair gets into the groove. And with Mark's wife Fee unable to accompany him, Mrs Tee makes her move with a slow dance to ‘get closer' to him.

Back at the Vidella the boys cook dinner for the group at their on-site restaurant along with a special blow-up guest to keep Mark company in the absence of his wife. Somehow Mrs Tee steals the limelight yet again with her tale of how her late husband gave one of her guests an explosive welcome...by shooting them. It's a revelation too far for Alistair though who admits he isn't sure what planet Mrs Tee is on.

Come morning Mrs Tee has had another bad night's sleep and again criticises breakfast. Plus there's yet another prank from the hosts, this time with a plastic egg. Come check-out all bar one of the guests have been won over by Vidella. Now who could that be?

Thursday: For the final visit, the group checks in to boutique Bournemouth B&B Urban Beach, run by local entrepreneur Mark Crib. With top prices of £170, the chic boudoirs come with all mod cons and super deluxe bathrooms.

The high spec rooms give Jon and Neil a ‘tingly feeling', and Neil reckons he is seeing ‘how the other half lives.' Alistair and Emma also marvel at the mod cons, but once again it's Mrs Tee who left unimpressed. She has ‘technical difficulties' with everything from the modern sink to the blinds and summons Mark to her room to clear up a few issues.

The afternoon's activity provides a high speed diversion as Mark takes them on a speedboat ride along the Jurassic coast. They all take their hats off to him and even Mrs Tee is full of praise. But it doesn't last long as come bed time she is complaining that the über-expensive bed is rattling and cheap.

Come morning Mark is fully expecting a tough time from his most demanding guest but there's a surprise in store for all as - after some initial uncertainty - Mrs Tee declares her breakfast ‘excellent'. It's such a shock Mark falls to his knees in thanks to the ‘breakfast God'.

Nonetheless, at payment time Mrs Tee still doesn't think the breakfast makes up for the room. In fact she thinks Mark will go bankrupt. Within two years! Alistair and Emma think the only thing missing is a butler and John and Neil are wrestling with their wallets over whether the room is worth the price.

Friday: With all the visits over, the bed and breakfast owners come face to face one last time to find out what they have been paid and to thrash out their differences over the feedback forms.

And there's soon trouble at the table as Mrs Tee finds out that it's Alistair and Emma who scored her one lowly point for cleanliness. Alistair delivers a Mrs Tee-style truth by telling her the rooms were ‘shocking' and that in the real world he and Emma and would have ‘walked out in disgust'.  And when she opens her payment envelopes it's a case of just desserts for Mrs Tee.

The confrontation continues when the roles are reversed as Alistair and Emma quiz Mrs Tee over her low score on the ‘how well did you sleep?' question. Blackpool boys John and Neil are gob-smacked by her explanation that she was disturbed by traffic as they had remarked how quiet the setting was.

Things go from bad to worse when the Castle Hill Guesthouse couple open their payment envelope from Mrs Tee to discover a huge underpayment. After a heated exchange it's too much for Emma who breaks down and walks out, with Alistair berating Mrs Tee before following his wife.

After cooling off outside Emma and Alistair return to the table to an apology from Mrs Tee. Now it's the turn of the other owners to open their payment envelopes, and the final announcement of who has won the title of best value B&B of the week. There's yet more shock and upset before we find out who's under and overpayments will tilt the competition when it comes to taking home the coveted Four in a Bed plaque.