TV royalty Kevin McCloud has passed on his most crucial recommendation for people looking to build their dream home in 2025.
The presenter of the iconic Channel 4 show Grand Designs, which recently celebrated its 25th birthday, knows only too well the challenges surrounding a self-build project.
After two decades of fronting the nation’s favourite homebuilding programme, the designer and presenter has revealed the one bit of fascinating advice he’d give to any couple embarking on their own Grand Designs adventure.
“Be absolutely sure that you’re not going to get divorced,” he told the Fuelling Around podcast.
“In fact, do it as a single person. We were filming this wonderful, wonderful project with this couple who have just done a barn thing and they were talking about the difficulties of working together and the stresses in the relationship.
“Nobody at the altar says: ‘To love and to cherish and build a house together’ because nobody in their right mind would. I honestly think it’s not something you sign up for in a relationship. I think it stresses people beyond imagination and you discover the big areas of disagreement, stress, tension and dislike. Why do that?”
The 65-year-old father of two split from his wife of 23 years, Suzanne, in 2019. He remarried in 2022, tying the knot with businesswoman Jenny Jones.
He didn’t discuss his own marital experiences on the award-winning motoring show but covered a wide range of topics including his Grand Designs journey and love of beautiful cars.
“I try not to do the marriage counselling,” he laughed during the episode of the ninth series fronted by British Touring Car Championship legend turned TV personality Jason Plato and former Radio One star ‘Comedy Dave’ Vitty.
“I do the building thing but it doesn’t really matter what advice I give people because they don’t listen anyway. You’re absolutely right Dave, I ask the questions that the viewers have in their head. If there’s a responsibility it’s that; to ask the questions that you think the viewers are thinking.”