Amanda & Alan join the ranks of these ‘one euro’ home buyers

Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job (BBC1, 8.30pm)
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If you find yourself staring wistfully at images of sun-kissed Italy and dreaming of one day owning a home there, it’s closer to a reality than you may think.

This year, stories of so-called ‘one-euro’ homebuyers in the European country hit the headlines – people who managed to bag the ultimate property bargain.

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But is there more to this too-good-to-be-true deal than meets the eye? The answer is: maybe.

This series follows Amanda Holden and Alan Carr as they join the ranks of these ‘one euro’ home buyers, snapping up their own slice of heaven for a rock-bottom price in a little town nestled in the sun-kissed hills of rural Sicily.

Armed with a shared passion for travel and interior design, they will spend the summer months immersing themselves in the local way of life, as they transform their depilated house into a luxury holiday home.

Alan and Amanda have renovated their own properties in the past, but neither of them has tackled a project of this scale before. While they’ll try their hand at everything – from plumbing to painting and plastering – they’ll be drafting in tradespeople from their doorstep to show them the ropes and help keep every aspect of the project on track.

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As the pair roll up their sleeves to take on the challenge in their own inimitable style, they’ll also throw themselves into the local lifestyle, making friends with their Sicilian neighbours and exploring what this beautiful region of Italy has to offer.

Alan says: “After presenting two series of Interior Design Masters I feel now it’s time for me to pop my hard hat on, slip on my steel toe-capped boots and really get my hands dirty.

“Working in beautiful Sicily with one of my dearest friends is like I’ve won the jackpot. Expect a summer of drilling, demolition and hopefully la dolce vita!”

Amanda adds: “Alan and I came up with the idea for this show together and approached the BBC as we knew it was the perfect home.

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“We are both very passionate about interior design and we’ll be very hands on, injecting some much-needed life into an area of Sicily that’s in need of some Holden and Carr magic.”

She goes on: “Although we’re on the same page most of the time, I’m more practical and organised than Alan. However he’s up for some shameless bargaining so that will help us keep on budget! One thing’s for sure, we’re not shy of a power tool.”

Claire Walls, executive producer for Voltage TV, says: “Many of us dream of taking on a wreck and turning it into a palace, and what better way to do it than to tap into these exciting one-euro properties?

“It’s a genuine passion project for Alan and Amanda but it will be hard work for them to pull it off by the end of the summer in Sicily.”

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Of course there’s a twist in the tale: neither TV star gets to hang on to the home. When all the work is done, the property will be put up for sale and all the profits will be donated to charity. You can bet it makes more than €1!

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