Kirstie Allsopp made an admission ahead of the new series of Location, Location, Location
Kirstie Allsopp made a surprising revelation on ITV’s This Morning.
The 54-year-old host is due to return to television tonight (Wednesday, May 6) for a fresh series of Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location, alongside Phil Spencer.
Kirstie and Phil are marking 26 years presenting the programme together, so audiences may be astonished to discover that they weren’t initially intended to be matched as a hosting partnership.
While appearing on This Morning, Kirstie disclosed to presenters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley that she was required to audition alongside other prospective female candidates before securing the presenting role back in 2000.
“I look at the two of you now and you can’t imagine one without the other… I didn’t realise, Kirstie, that Phil made you fight for your place alongside him. You had a screen test with other women,” Ben said, reports the Mirror.
Kirstie revealed: “There was an Italian girl with legs up to here [makes tall gesture]. Legs like Cat’s. Phil really, really wanted her, but the problem was the accent was so strong.”
Phil replied: “That’s not quite true!” before Kirstie continued: “And there was a really sweet girl who was an estate agent, but I think that she was probably intimidated by the whole thing.
“So, he sort of ended up with me by default. We did a non-transmissible pilot. Thank god that will never come to air.”
She added: “We both thought, ‘Oh, that was fun, but we’ve got real jobs.’ And then they commissioned the show, and they asked us to present it.”
The pair went on to confirm that the first three series of Location, Location, Location were filmed while they both held down their regular jobs.
“It was a busy time,” Phil remarked, with Kirstie quipping: “We had no belief in this telly rubbish!”
The latest series of Location, Location, Location returns to Channel 4 at 8pm tonight, with Kirstie and Phil once again steering prospective buyers through an ever-shifting property market.
The series kicks off in Surrey, a popular commuter belt for London workers and a county steeped in quintessential English character. Emily and Jack have postponed their wedding until they secure a home, having so far been disappointed by properties that fail to live up to their brochure images.
Elsewhere, Jane, who has spent her career working across the globe, is eager to settle down in Farnham. Despite Phil residing nearby, it quickly becomes apparent that his local knowledge is no guarantee of a straightforward house hunt.
Location, Location, Location is available to stream on Channel 4
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