NARRATOR: In Britain, the top 10% own over half the country's wealth.
I have nice cars. I own a couple of racehorses.
MAN: It feels nice to have money.
But while the rich are getting richer...
It's a very profitable business
that turns over well over £10 million a year.
...the poor are getting poorer.
It's tough. Hit hard by relentless price rises.
A lot of posh people think poor people
just sit on their bums all day on benefits.
Once we've spent on food,
don't really have anything left over.
I had bailiffs come in.
Might be on its way out now.
Now two families are swapping homes...
That is very different. Yes.
How many windows does a house need? How many doors?
...budgets...
Right, this is where it gets serious.
THEY LAUGH
Oh, God. ...and lives...
It's hard bloody work.
It was way more challenging than I thought it would be.
Champagne! I'm in heaven.
...to find out if money really does buy happiness.
LAUGHS I'd love to have a walk-in wardrobe.
Oh, my goodness!
Never been in a limo in their lives.
Or do people matter most?
This is the nicest family time
that us three have had together in years.
And when they finally meet... Hello.
...lives are changed forever.
We'd like to gift you a van.
We want to back your vision to a value of £100,000. Oh, my God.
It's gonna change everything for the better.
The historic town of Thetford in Norfolk
is home to the luxury-loving Chetals.
So, we are the Chetal family.
I am Daddy Gez. Mummy Rosy, and daughter Sanchi.
The Chetals are the living owners of an award-winning boutique hotel.
It's a true saying we believe in our hotel -
come as guests and leave as friends.
So, we bought this hotel for £300,000,
and we've just had it valued at around about 1.6, 1.7.
The hotel is my dad's baby. He absolutely loves this place.
And it's nice to say it's not just a hotel for us.
It's probably a bit bigger than most people's houses,
but it's still our home.
And this £1.7 million home is not short on space.
It's got 11 bedrooms. It's got a most fantastic kitchen.
We've got a cellar full of beautiful wines and Champagnes.
Rosy looks after the kitchen and all the due diligence.
However, the price of running a busy hotel
is that there's never any downtime.
We're doing a lot of long hours, me and Gez.
PHONE RINGS
So when Gez told me about this swap,
he said maybe we'll have some quality time together
so we can have a break from our business.
Hi, Joanna. It's the Thomas Paine Hotel calling.
I started working at the age of 13.
My dad got a permit through the council.
You've got to work for what you want.
During the week, 19-year-old Sanchi studies law at university,
returning to the hotel to work weekends.
It's lovely because I still get to see my parents,
but I don't think some people understand
that it's not fully quality time.
University wasn't an option for the young Gez.
Being brought up in the '70s in Coventry
was slightly difficult because, you know,
I've got a bit of a suntan on me, and racism was quite rife then.
It was tough going in those days.
15 and a half, I went to a careers officer, and she said,
"What are you gonna do?" They gave me a list.
And I just stopped at hospitality.
And the reason why I stopped is because they gave you accommodation,
and, wow, I could leave home.
So I went to work in a hotel doing washing-up and cooking breakfast.
On to hall portering, on to restaurant waiter,
and in the end, I ended up in London.
Quite a success really, considering I left with zero.
Gez was 30 when he first met Rosy.
It was an arranged marriage, and my parents said to me,
"That's it, we've had enough of your sort of antics,
"so it's about time you settled down."
And picked me up by my ear and took me to India
to meet Rosy in New Delhi.
My family told me that there's a person living in England
doing a general manager job in a hotel.
So when they told me, I said, "OK, I'll meet him."
But would it work out?
She came over from India.
She cried. Why did she cry? Cos it was cold.
It was a very big decision for me.
So I took a few days to decide what I'm going to do with my life.
Then after a few days, I said yes.
Always ambitious, in 2010, they spent £250,000
and branched out on their own.
But disaster struck.
We actually made an investment, I thought,
into a business that could take us places.
It didn't work. We lost self-confidence.
We lost everything, really.
I think I was about six, and I was like,
"Oh, no, I don't know what we're gonna do."
But Gez and Rosy simply refused to give up.
We come across this hotel
that's not making any money,
and at that time, this is the only place we can afford.
And we've made it into a big success, a huge success.
It led to a lifestyle the young Gez growing up in Coventry
could never have dreamed of.
We were definitely given another chance to carry on in life.
These days, they give back to the community
by helping the long-term unemployed get a second chance.
What we do is we get them jobs with accommodation,
and some people that we've helped are still in the same job
two or three years later.
Nobody's perfect,
and everybody deserves to change their lives if they want to.
The Norfolk town of Sheringham is on England's east coast,
27 miles north of Norwich.
It's home to the Bloor family.
My name is John, otherwise known as Joff to my friends.
I am 49 years old.
I'm Ann. I'm 50.
I have lived in Norfolk all my life.
Their house is a rented three-bedroom terrace.
And after basic household bills,
they're left with only £79 a week to spend on everything else -
from food to travel and fun.
I would describe our financial situation as more than tight.
Family means everything to them.
We have wonderful children.
If I could, I'd give the kids more financial help.
Amelia's at university. She struggles.
My classmates, they'll get a bit of money from their parents each week.
Sometimes, it does get a bit like envy, I think.
With only three bedrooms,
when she's home from uni, Amelia has to sofa surf.
Milo's 17 and at college studying music.
She's hoping to make a career out of it.
'I busk nearly every other weekend.'
♪ Running in circles Nowhere to go. ♪
People walk past, and I'll be sitting there at a bench
watching her busk, and they'd say, "Oh, she's got an amazing voice."
And I'm just like, "Yeah."
THEY LAUGH
At 14, Jimmy's the youngest,
and like the rest of the family, he does his bit.
I would say I quite like ironing.
It kind of keeps your mind off things.
Stuff that's causing you stress, really.
He knows how to play, like, video games,
he knows how to clean, but apart from that...
That's crazy. THEY LAUGH
Joff and Ann both work full-time.
I am a bus driver in the city of Norwich.
I work long hours.
I work between a 10 and a 12-hour day.
Well, you can either use a knife or you can cheat.
You can grate it.
I'm a cook in a mental care home.
I love cooking, absolutely thrive in a kitchen.
And it's easier to bind it.
Joff used to work as a chef too.
I hated school. School wasn't for me.
College is where I blossomed.
Come out with catering qualifications
and progressed from there.
The couple even worked in the same restaurant.
We always got called the dream team because we work so well together.
But cheffing means working evening shifts,
and when the children came along, they had to give it up.
Joff got a job as a truck driver,
and they moved to the north of England
thinking it was a fresh start.
Instead, it was the beginning of their money problems.
It was quite a rough area, and it didn't work out very well.
The house that we moved to, we had poo thrown through the letterbox.
We had...
Apples thrown at the windows. ...apples thrown at the windows.
Footballs, fists at the window. You name it, we had it.
The high school, they got bullied a bit
because they thought that they were posh.
Yeah, it was not nice for them.
So after five years, we moved back,
which again, maybe wasn't a great move
because that was expensive.
I get paid, and my wages are gone within three days.
Just paying the rent and a few other bills.
It's not just the rent that's high.
It's... These days, it's gas and electric.
This... is probably on its last legs.
It gets quite, like, heartbreaking at some points,
cos it's like they can't get through it.
It's a bit sad that we can't do anything about it.
Now the kids are older,
Ann and Joff are thinking about having another crack
at the hospitality business.
Dinner. Jimmy, dinner!
So, my dream is to run a cafe, a music and arts cafe.
So, like, buskers, young people can come in and just do their thing.
The only thing that's holding us back
is we just don't have the money to do it.
When things went wrong for the Chetals,
life gave them a second chance.
I'm keen to do the swap because I just want to help somebody.
But their second chance came at a price.
Rosy just wants a break from their long hours at the hotel.
You know, you have to do this job, you have to do that job.
So the mind is still working. There is no peace.
So maybe we can go for a walk in the morning or after dinner.
Just go and sit in the park.
And what do the Bloors want from the coming week?
We seem to be stuck in this self-perpetuating motion
of work here, work there.
I would love to be working together with Joff.
We work really well.
The reason the cafe...
music cafe isn't reality is financial.
We have the capability of doing it, but just financially not there.
Day one, and it's time for our families to swap homes.
I think the bulb might be on its way out.
I've never packed.
For the last sort of 22 years, Rosy always does the packing.
Bye, house. Bye, house.
Milo and Jimmy will join the rest of the family after school.
However, the Bloors' 19-year-old Nissan has finally died.
They're in a hire car laid on by the producers.
I couldn't handle it.
Here we go. Another chapter in our lives.
I wonder where we're going. Where do you think we're going?
It's only 60 miles between the two houses,
but both families will be entering a different world.
SAT NAV: 'You've arrived at your destination.'
Oh. We're here.
It's a small house, but, er... Very nice-looking.
Looks... Looks quite well done. Looks OK.
JOFF: Thetford. I used to work in Thetford.
A hotel? LAUGHING: OK.
It's massive. THEY LAUGH
Right. Check it out.
It's definitely different. Yeah!
Next... some of the Chetals can't stop spending.
Sanchi's fault. My fault?
You wanted the asparagus.
When all the money's gone, Gez discovers hidden talents.
Oyez! Oyez!
SANCHI LAUGHS
MUSIC PLAYS
The Bloors enjoy a VIP night out at a Razorlight gig.
Tonight was absolutely amazing.
But back at the hotel, life's not so rosy.
I've put my kids through so much. They are not comfortable.
They're not at home. They can't be in their pyjamas.
Will both families last the week?
My daughter, she's locked herself out of her room.
You've been in it...
NARRATOR: The Bloor family from Sheringham have it tough.
Their car's refusing to start, and there's not even a spare penny.
I would describe our financial situation
as more than tight.
But if they had money, they know exactly what they'd do.
So, my dream is to run a cafe, a music and arts cafe.
Cheers.
Success in the hotel business
has been a hard road for the wealthy Chetals.
We came across this hotel that's not making any money.
And we've made it into a big success, a huge success.
But running a busy hotel has its downside.
We're doing a lot of long hours, me and Gez.
PHONE RINGS
For a week, the families are swapping homes and lives.
Wow. Where do you start? It's so big.
ANN LAUGHS
Stunning. Absolutely stunning. It's nice.
Oh. "Boutique Hotel of the Year."
Obviously doing well. Over a couple of years, then.
The first job for both families... Here we are.
...is to explore their new home
and find out as much as they can about their hosts.
Oh, look. Somebody plays... Music, yeah.
...plays an instrument. Yeah.
Office area as well.
God. How many computers have they got? I struggle with one.
Would they live in the hotel? Where do they live?
Oh. "Welcome to our hotel. Please find your room keys below."
Get your own room. Yeah. Yay!
Get your own key. You know, a bed.
This must be Mum and Dad's room.
I think someone might be a bus driver.
Well, someone likes playing games.
Somebody's into music. Yeah.
I think there's actually two younger children,
and they've got an older daughter who I don't think lives with them
because... There's only two bedrooms.
Oh, two. Three.
Three. That's ours. BEEP
Shoes. Shoes.
Lots of shoes. Loads of shoes. More shoes.
They're just like the nice things in life. Yeah.
The handbags and watches, jewellery.
So, live in the hotel while they work there... maybe.
A really nice room.
Mum and dad, one daughter. Yeah.
As the cook in the family.
Rosy's keen to investigate the kitchen.
"Ann Bloor, Employee of the Month.
"Dalmeny House."
Care home maybe. Yeah. Maybe it's a care...
Oh, look. We've got menus here.
This person's a cook, chef.
"Tuna pasta bake. Stuffed potatoes, meatloaf, veg."
She loves cooking.
Each family's left a welcome note for their guests.
"Hi, guys. Do enjoy our hospitality
"and our wonderful place that we are so proud of."
"We don't have a TV licence,
"so you'll have to make your own entertainment." Oh.
Oh, gosh, there's no TV. I think it's a good sign.
We can spend together...
some time together, and we do a lot of talking.
"Ching-ching with a bottle of one of our favourites,
"with our compliments.
"Kindest regards, Gez, Rosy and Sanchi."
From the Bloors.
"Ann, Joff, Amelia, Milo and Jimmy."
So three kids. One, two, three, four. Five, love.
Oh.
Oh! It's a lot of money.
THEY LAUGH
Now it's the moment both families have been waiting for.
How much spending money do they have?
So, we've got 20... 40...
13, 14, 15, 16... £1,800... For a week?
For a week. I don't even get paid that a month.
£79.52.
You know, if that's what we've got for the week,
then that's what it's gonna be.
That's absolutely... just insane.
Keys are in the car. See you later, guys!
THEY LAUGH
Compared to the Chetals,
the Bloors have over 22 times the spending money.
The list. Oh, the list.
So, what will they be doing?
"At your service." At your service?
Waiting on the tables, maybe.
So, we're going to a local market. Local market.
And it's asparagus season.
I'm sure they've got some asparagus. OK. Within the budget.
"Chef shift."
We get to do some cooking? Yay!
"Busking." Busking. Oh, God.
GEZ LAUGHS I can't sing.
I'm not comfortable singing English songs.
So who's gonna do the busking? I don't know.
"The big event."
Oh, OK. OK.
Down in the hotel bar, the Champagne is flowing.
Welcome to the hotel. Oh, thank you.
Craig, the hotel manager for the week, is their host.
Your home for the next few days.
We'll be serving you dinner
and hopefully giving you a nice experience tonight.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Cheers. Thank you, Craig.
They're living the life now.
But after settling in, they'll have to step into
the Chetals' shoes and run the hotel.
We can just do arrabbiata for tonight. OK.
In Sheringham, the Chetals have raided the cupboards
and found the basics for an evening meal.
Chilli powder, maybe? Paprika, they don't have.
Sanchi's back from university.
In the hotel, she has to search three floors to find mum and dad.
Hello? Hello.
How are you? I'm good. How are you?
Good journey? Yeah.
SIZZLING Can you open the window?
Living in a small house
is already bringing the Chetals closer together.
Where? There's two bins there.
ANN: Thank you.
In the hotel dining room, Milo's back from college.
She wasn't gonna miss out on a posh dinner.
Jimmy will arrive tomorrow.
Oh, lovely. Thank you very much.
Very nice. That smells lovely.
This is strange, isn't it? Mm-hm.
There's one thing missing. I know.
What? Chianti. Cianti.
Oh. We're on the same wavelength.
THEY LAUGH
It's been a long day for everyone, but it's not over just yet.
Each day, they'll record a diary in the one room privacy is guaranteed.
We've got a private chef and a manager who will get us drinks.
Very strange. Very nice, but very strange.
Giving up the control of the hotel
is more or less the same as when I gave up smoking -
same kind of anxiety.
And after only one night, the Bloor family is discovering
the downside of living in a hotel.
Very nice boutique hotel. But it's not a home.
Last night, my daughter phoned me.
She's locked herself out of her room.
Right, what do you want?
In a room that seats 60, the family gathers for breakfast.
It's a chance to discuss things.
Me having to phone you to give me a good-night kiss.
LAUGHING: Yeah.
I mean, I missed getting into my pyjamas, sitting all together.
Yeah. Yeah.
I know that sounds really silly, but...
...I just missed that.
They're not the only ones missing home.
I got the first shower this morning. I had warm water.
My mum did. My dad did not.
He just said, "Oh, my God, Rosy, there's no hot shower."
So I said to him, "It will do you good for your body."
Foodie Gez is used to being able to buy whatever takes his fancy,
and on day two, he's eager to stock the fridge.
But with only 79 quid to spend,
Rosy's hatched a plan to keep him in check.
So... £10. Yeah.
Don't spend more than a tenner on the food.
Yeah? Sanchi, let's go.
See you later. Yeah? Bye. Bye.
Gez, he loves good food, especially seafood.
He will struggle.
And Sanchi don't know how to live on a budget,
so she will struggle as well.
They'll definitely be no lobster this week,
but Gez is determined to get some local asparagus.
I think it's out of the budget. Yeah, but I can't give it up.
I can't walk past it and not buy it.
Three for a tenner, though, you know. Three for...?
Our budget's a tenner, unfortunately.
It's a tenner for the week.
I'll let you mix and match it with the strawberries. Oh, well...
OK. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Help yourself to strawberries. Thank you very much.
Take care. Thanks. Bye. Bye.
All the lovely produce on display was just too tempting.
Sanchi's fault. My fault? You wanted the asparagus.
Well...
So, what do you want to do?
I think we'd better go to a supermarket now.
Yeah. Yeah? Yeah.
No, wait a minute. Have they got any...?
'Indian food is quite cheap.'
The first meal I'm going to make is a chickpea curry with rice.
Vital ingredient.
I can control myself, but they can't.
I even got a drop of wine and a beer as well.
So I think we did quite well,
but time will tell in the next few days.
Out of the £77 budget, they've already spent 60,
but they won't run out of asparagus.
At the hotel, the Bloors have their first visitor.
Hello. Hello.
Pleased to meet you both.
They're dying to find out what sort of family lives in a hotel.
Sylvia's known the Chetals
ever since they moved in 12 years ago.
I was deputy mayor at the time,
and our friendship has grown over all those years.
Since their arrival, Ann and John have been puzzled
that they seem to be the only guests in the hotel.
To have this open 24-7 is very expensive... Yeah.
...so they decided to just open at weekends and do functions, etc.
And that's worked.
So, how long has Gez and Rosy been married?
Sanchi is 21 this year, so they've been married 22 years.
And the business is 50-50.
And I've known them since Sanchi was about eight years old.
She's at the University of East Anglia.
She's studying law.
So she's living on campus now, then?
Yes, but she comes home every weekend.
It's handy from Norwich, you see, to get here on the train.
And she comes and does bar work and everything.
She's worked since she was knee-high to a grasshopper.
They're working, obviously, all weekend, and it's full-on.
But where do they come together as a family and chill out?
They do go out a lot for meals. Right.
They have their holidays, which Sanchi goes with them,
and they go up to London for the day.
They go to shows.
He said that they did spend time together with holidays and days out,
but is that family time?
To me, that's not family time.
And then they disperse in their rooms.
And I'm finding it really, really hard
with my children in different parts of the hotel.
When they first walked around,
they noticed that Gez had received awards for charity work.
He's very involved in the prison service.
And I met a young man that had been in prison.
Gez took him under his wing when he came out,
and he's now got a business going.
Wow. OK, wow.
He believes in giving them a second chance. Mm.
'Still trying to piece together the lives that Gez and Rosy lead.'
I'm sure there's more to find out
about living this kind of lifestyle in this hotel.
Gez has yet to immerse himself in the budget life.
He's meeting John's oldest friend, Alastair, a fellow bus driver.
Maybe finding out about the Bloors' struggles
will help him see the serious side of the swap.
I've known John since I was at school.
He's been one of these people who've sort of tried a bit of everything.
He trained as a chef originally.
Oh, really? Yeah.
Then he met Ann, and they then ran a pub together.
He then moved up north and became a lorry driver. Yeah.
So, what's he like as a bus driver? Is it part-time?
It's full-time work.
What we do is four days out of seven.
So he does have to work a lot of weekends. Right.
So, his wife, Ann, what does she do?
She works full-time in the kitchen at a mental health care home.
You know, it's obviously a very challenging job.
They work both full-time. They're struggling.
Just, you know, do you know why?
I think it's just the climate in general at the minute.
You know, with the cost of living,
it is becoming a struggle for a lot of people now. Right.
It makes me appreciate the things I've got.
Sometimes, you just take it for granted that we've got what we have.
We just go shopping and don't even look at the prices sometimes.
So, the children are grown up now, I presume. Yeah.
There's Amelia now at university. She's doing really well for herself.
Milo's the one who's sort of always been
a little bit more the centre of attention.
Loves busking, loves music.
The whole family's into music. Right.
They really are focused on the kids and push them as much as they can.
I met Alastair today,
and he told us a lot about Joff, actually,
being a very people person, very jolly fella.
Nice to meet you. See you again.
Very hard-working people
and would do anything for their children.
Next, Gez sets the Bloor family a challenge.
Yeah, I'm... I'm there. I'm ready. We've still got it.
BELL RINGS
We're still probably classed as the dream team.
But the Chetals discover the Bloors are living a nightmare.
Think they've gone bankrupt for £36,876. Mm.
NARRATOR: Gez Chetal owns a £1.7 million hotel
and is struggling to adapt to life on a budget.
I even got a drop of wine and a beer as well.
And despite having a massive disposable income...
£1,800. For a week.
...hotel life isn't suiting the close Bloor family.
I'm finding it really, really hard
with my children in different parts of the hotel.
In Sheringham, the Chetals are enjoying
a rare, quiet moment away from the demands of their hotel.
But Gez has found something worrying.
Rosy, you'd better come and have a look.
Yeah? What did you find?
So, this is a proposal that was approved
in the Norwich Court in bankruptcy.
So I think they've gone bankrupt for £36,876. Mm.
Having this hanging over you, it's a big stress.
It's taken a couple of days,
but Gez is starting to appreciate the harsh reality of life
for the hard-working Bloors.
As far as I'm concerned, never judge a book by its cover.
Maybe we can shed a light on how the bankruptcy has happened.
Mm.
I like that.
With Mum and Dad not having to work this week,
the Bloor brat pack is planning a rare family day,
Chetal-style, something they could never normally afford.
JIMMY: We can't go anywhere. We can't have fun.
You hear all these stories of people who've gone out,
and you just know you can't experience it.
The world is our oyster.
THE PARENTS LAUGH
They're headed 50 miles down the road
to Sea Life in Great Yarmouth.
So, five adults would be £110.
Wow, 110. That's quite a lot.
For the Bloors, this is what life's all about -
sharing new experiences as a family.
Ah. JOFF LAUGHS
MILO: Oh, penguins. I love penguins.
That's not bad. It's a nice little house.
They've got a pool, outside area.
Cul-de-sac. Quite deep water here as well.
A diving board.
Yeah.
ANN LAUGHS
Kind of walks like you in the morning. Oh, thanks!
THEY LAUGH
The shark tunnel's definitely the highlight for Jimmy.
That looks terrifying.
Imagine swimming next to one of them.
Gift shop.
We had an absolutely amazing time.
We spent quality time chatting, laughing.
THEY LAUGH
The kids got something from the... the shop.
Try and guess how much it is. No. It's £55.
Yeah, that's more than half of our food budget a week. Yeah.
LAUGHING: Yeah.
Thank you very much. Thanks. BEEP
Yeah, that was a really good day out.
That's our sort of day.
It cost them nearly £200.
But with 1,800 spending money this week, there's plenty left.
Gez and Rosy were shocked by the Bloors' bankruptcy.
To discover what on earth happened,
they're meeting Ann's best friend, Catherine,
and she's laid on some treats.
Some cakes and a cup of tea. Oh, wow. We love cakes.
Catherine's known the Bloors for over 20 years,
so she's a mine of information.
Ann and Joff, when they met,
they were both working in hospitality.
The waitressing, the cooking, the cheffing. Mm.
Cos Joff's also got a background in cheffing as well.
They seem to be struggling financially,
have got themselves in a bit of a pickle. Yeah.
We don't understand how and why.
The majority of it is through house moves.
They moved, I think, four times maybe,
and each time, they accrued more debt.
They moved to a different part of the country
cos the houses were cheaper.
It was just unfortunate, really.
The area that they were in became sort of a high crime rate
and anti-social behaviour.
It did end up with the children getting bullied
as soon as they started school.
'It is a really hard situation.'
You know, as a family,
they have to go through these kind of things,
and that's terrible.
It wasn't just the moving.
They home-schooled the kids since COVID,
so it's paying for tutors, it was paying for exams.
Things like that, as well, have compounded their debt.
But they were prepared to do that in order to get the children through.
So do you think that move, then, has put them off risk-taking,
and would they risk anything again?
I don't think it has put them off.
They've so many skills between them
that they can bring to... hopefully one day fulfilling their dream.
Which is... Which is what?
Which is having a theatre cafe.
It's been a sort of a pipe dream of theirs for a lot of years,
to have their own establishment
where they can work together and as a family unit.
So that would provide opportunities for the kids as well.
Thank you. Right, thanks.
I feel for the Bloors big time because I work with a lot of people
who have not been as fortunate as I have.
Bye-bye. Bye.
They've not been given a second chance
to regain their confidence and their finances,
and they ended up in trouble.
Now Gez knows the Bloors are chefs, he's going to test them out.
Tomorrow's Sunday, and lunch at the hotel is always busy.
He sent a text to his manager, Craig, to get them working.
Day three, and early in the morning,
Craig asks Joff and Ann down for a chat
so he can reveal the plan for Sunday lunch.
So, you've had a couple of days having fun, enjoying the hotel,
having a nice time, nice food, nice drink.
Yep. Thank you.
So, it's kind of coming to an end now.
You guys, you're gonna be running the lunch service
and getting involved. I was a chef before I was a driver.
Right. Well, those skills are gonna come in very useful today.
I'm a cook in a mental health setting.
Do you have any ideas of setting up your own business
and maybe working together in the future?
We have always had the pipe dream
of setting up our own music, arts cafe-restaurant. Yeah.
Something the kids would be involved as well.
OK. What's stopped you from doing those? Money.
Money. Yeah.
We haven't got the available funds for it.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
OK. Time's ticking on,
and those roast potatoes are not gonna cook themselves.
OK. Why don't you wear your apron?
Over in Sheringham, it's a leisurely start to the day.
A welcome change for Rosy.
Sunday morning, I wake up at eight o'clock,
so I have to think about how to cook beef,
pork and lamb and the roasties and roast potatoes,
cheesy cauliflower and gravy.
The swap's already giving them the quality time she was after. Yes.
It was really nice. I'm totally relaxed.
Gez was in the kitchen with me, and we were cooking together.
That's a novelty.
So, what's on the menu?
I'm cooking breakfast which my mother taught me.
You know, an omelette and mushy peas.
That's what we're gonna have today, with Worcester sauce.
We did it together, and it was great,
and one of our favourite breakfast dishes in the morning.
I'm so relaxed. GEZ LAUGHS
My mind is tension-free. Oh, well. Yeah.
So are we gonna are sell the hotel, then? No.
OK. That's our baby.
OK.
MAN: You've got two gravy.
There's a beef gravy, the lamb gravy,
because you've got roast beef...
In Thetford, it's ironic that it's taken living the rich life
to get Joff and Ann together again in a kitchen.
It's a good chance for them
to test if they're up to giving hospitality another go.
The Sunday lunch menu and the normal menu.
I'm looking forward to it. I love cooking, so, yeah, I'm there.
I'm ready.
The Bloors' children will be waiting on tables.
Being put to work was quite interesting,
to see exactly what the other family actually do
to keep the hotel up and running.
CUTLERY CLANGS
With over 30 guests to cater for today,
they're up against it.
Really nice, working again with John.
We've still got it.
We know what the other one's doing without having to communicate.
Actually, I think it's more about respect for each other.
I think Ann's having more fun than me there.
We're ready for the challenge. Ready for the challenge.
For a change, it's a very relaxed Sunday for the Chetals.
Gez has been investigating Milo's social media links.
Rosy?
MILO: # In an empty room
♪ I talk to you... ♪
Got a good voice.
♪ How do you escape?
♪ I'd like to know... ♪
I'd like Milo's voice is incredible.
I didn't really know what genre it was,
but it sounded absolutely fantastic.
♪ Running in circles... ♪
There's a great talent, so don't underestimate yourself.
Go for it, girl.
♪ Learning to love Who I've become. ♪
Hi. Is that Sam?
'It is.' Trying to do a...
Listening to Milo's song is giving Gez an idea.
He's calling a contact in the music business
to arrange tickets for a gig -
something the whole family will remember forever.
I don't know whether you can sort out a few VIP tickets for me
as a favour.
At the hotel, the lunch guests have started to arrive.
We have three calamari, two prawn cocktails, Ann?
Yeah.
We've still got it. Still probably classed as the dream team.
BELL RINGS
Three calamaris and two prawn cocktails.
The car park's filling up, and the pressure's mounting.
BELL RINGS
I suppose the big plus side about being here,
it's shown to us that our dream could be very much feasible
with our family dynamics.
It's three tap waters, a merlot. Yeah.
We do work well together, and our kids can work together.
ANN LAUGHS
I feel like it will probably spark something in them again,
and they'll probably try their best to get back into the catering world.
This is the life, innit? It's very nice.
In Sheringham, it's a nice change
not to have guests waiting for supper.
Rosy's organised a games night.
Is there something wrong with that body?
THEY LAUGH
We used to play these games when Sanchi was little,
and since we got busy and we got different businesses,
we couldn't get this time together.
Phones are not ringing, and there's no cost involved.
Stick stars. I don't know what you're on about.
Star Wars? Yeah.
That was terrible.
From now onwards, I want to make sure
that I will do these type of things again, again and again.
Coming up... living the rich life
proves a roller-coaster ride for the Bloors.
Razorlight. Yay! Wahey!
Tonight was absolutely amazing.
To me, we can't really stay in the hotel.
I've put my kids through so much. They are not comfortable.
When the money runs out, Gez has to get inventive.
What's the monster's favourite game? THEY LAUGH
He gets a reward that's priceless.
This is the Gez I fell in love with.
BELL RINGS
NARRATOR: Given the chance to chef again,
the Bloors have got their mojo back.
We have always had the pipe dream
of setting up our own music, arts cafe-restaurant.
ANN LAUGHS
But the Chetals have uncovered serious financial problems
that could threaten the Bloors' future in hospitality.
This is a proposal that was approved in the Norwich Court in bankruptcy.
Have a seat.
At the hotel, a mystery envelope has arrived.
The anticipation!
"Dear Bloor family, we understand that you love music
"but never manage to go out together.
"We are sending you to see the fabulous Razorlight band tonight,
"where you will not only watch the concert together,
"but you will have a private meet with the band."
ANN LAUGHS Go to see Razorlight, guys.
We're all gonna have, like, a really good time tonight.
Looking forward to it? Yeah, right up my street.
Right up your street.
Quiet time away from the hotel
is helping rekindle Gez and Rosy's relationship.
This is your dream, isn't it? This is your ultimate. Yeah?
It just clears our heads out.
It helps you, or me as well, to make clear and right decisions.
We make time for a lot of people,
but it'd be good to make time for ourselves, I suppose.
When we got married, Gez was really romantic.
But over the times, he was busy in business,
so these kind of things fade away from his mind.
But I think he will be a little bit more romantic in future.
Back at the hotel, the Bloors are off for their big night out.
Razorlight. Yay! Wahey!
Before the gig starts, Gez has pulled strings
and arranged for them to meet the lead singer, Johnny Borrell.
Oi, oi. Welcome to the tour bus.
Wow. Nice to meet you.
How are you doing? I'm Johnny.
Being in a tour bus, that was actually an incredible experience.
THEY LAUGH
It's a chance for musician Milo to get some advice.
You know, with music, anything has to come from you. Yeah.
You know, the way you experience the world
and where you're at in the world right now
is the thing that's gonna inform your art and what you're doing.
THEY LAUGH
Living the Bloors' life,
there are no expensive concerts or evening treats.
The Chetals have no choice but to spend every night in.
What are we making today, then? I'm doing chana masala.
But we tend to do things rushing around everywhere,
so to do today without any of the phones, the emails,
it's been quite relaxing, really.
Normally, they'd spend well over a couple of hundred pounds
just eating out each week.
This meal, if I count this, this costs us about £3.50.
And we've actually got probably enough to last us...
...two more meals, haven't we? Yeah.
Definitely. Sure. I don't have to cook.
Yeah.
'We could adopt some of this into our own lives like the Bloors do.'
To spend a little bit more time together would be much appreciated.
♪ Look at the lines When we've got to go... ♪
The Bloors are definitely not having a quiet night.
They're having a massive one.
♪ Shut up, shut up your heart
♪ Shut up, shut up your mouth. ♪
Tonight was absolutely amazing.
♪ Your heart Shut up, shut up... ♪
I have had so much... so much fun.
The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Even Jimmy was jumping up and down. He was loving it.
Yeah. Really super evening.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
And despite their great night out, Ann hardly slept.
What's most important to the Bloor family
is having a home that feels right for them.
The children are really uncomfortable.
They can't be in their pyjamas. It's a hotel. Mm.
They can't go and get a drink. They can't go and get a sandwich.
That's not a home, is it?
She's made a big decision.
And it's nothing about the hotel. No.
If it was just me and you, absolutely.
I'd absolutely love it.
But actually, to me...
we can't really stay in the hotel.
Well, we've... we've got X amount of money,
so why don't we use some of that money and, I don't know,
look on an Airbnb or something? Yeah.
Back at the hotel, it's Groundhog Day.
They've booked themselves a luxury Airbnb.
At £1,200 for the stay,
it's a massive hole in the remaining 1,600 spending money.
But finally, the family's together again.
Oh, wow.
That's a bit more like, innit? Lovely.
A sofa! Sofa.
LAUGHING: A sofa.
Ah. That's me... me done.
The Chetals have blown their budget. Time for a brainstorm.
So, what should we do?
Milo earns money busking.
Hotel host Gez is a natural performer,
so he's in the hot seat today.
I think you should tell some dad jokes.
Really? Yeah.
I think we should go into town. Maybe to the pier.
I am not telling dad jokes on Cromer Pier.
What if I see somebody I know?
LAUGHS Even better!
Oyez, oyez!
What's the monster's favourite game?
Swallow the leader.
LAUGHS
To do what Milo does, going out and busking,
it takes some courage for what she does.
Oyez, oyez!
Why does...?
ROSY AND SANCHI LAUGH
Why didn't the teddy bear want a dessert?
Cos it was stuffed. LAUGHTER
When he was telling jokes on the pier and enjoying himself,
this is the Gez I fell in love with.
'It's so happy. I'm so pleased to see him like that.'
Because there is no tension, no stress,
and he's enjoying himself.
Thank you. Thank you.
He said to me, you know, "If we earn any money today,
"I'll definitely buy you an ice cream."
Thank you very much. Thank you.
I had a blast today.
And you were so funny. You were quite natural at it. Yeah.
Ann and John have rediscovered the joy of cooking together.
And with plenty of cash still in their pocket,
they're making a special dinner.
How much do you think that lobster cost per tail?
£10. Ooh. You're good.
How many did you buy? Ten.
THEY LAUGH
But £100 on lobster and an expensive Airbnb to pay for
means their £1,800 spending money is disappearing fast.
They're down to their last 300.
We've never experienced
what lots of customers have had from us in the past.
Just having a large kitchen is a treat in itself.
We can all move. We can have a dance.
Which is really good because one of us isn't getting kicked out.
We can all be in the same kitchen together.
Go on.
Mmm. Was it good?
Nice. Yeah. That's lovely.
Nice. Nice.
Next, when the Bloors try out their music cafe,
it's Milo's time to shine.
'Absolutely blew us away.'
And as the week draws to a close, Gez gets ever more romantic.
It's like a little mini Christmas.
Oh, my God.
How did I do, then?
Oh, 100%. Yeah?
NARRATOR: The struggling Bloors
have rekindled their love of working together.
Really nice, working again with John.
We've still got it.
The dream team is back. ANN LAUGHS
Having a break from their busy hotel
has given Rosy and Gez time for each other.
When we got married, Gez was really romantic,
but I think he will be a little bit more romantic in future.
Day six, and the Bloors have realised
they're in the perfect place
to put their music cafe business idea to the test.
For just one night, they're staging a takeover of the hotel.
Where's the singers...? Where's Milo gonna stand?
I think in the corner over there.
So we've got food and then singers. Food...
'We even did a business plan a few years back.'
But to actually have the chance to do it,
you know, as a trial, amazing.
Milo's living on her nerves and wearing her fingers out practising.
Amelia's hit the streets, putting up last-minute publicity.
Heya. Would it be OK if I could just put this poster on your window?
Yeah, course it is. Thank you.
We're gonna show them what we can do and what Milo can do.
So, the Chetals are going shopping with a twist.
The Bloors love buying each other thrifty presents from charity shops.
Rosy, you guy Sanchi a gift. Sanchi, you buy me a gift.
And I'll buy a gift for Rosy. OK? OK. Sounds good.
All right. See you.
With times being tough, the UK has more charity shops than ever.
But can they show appreciation for each other
with only Gez's busking money left?
Sort of looking out for, like, T-shirts and stuff
and little blouses that she likes.
'As a family, we like gift-giving.'
We like surprising each other with nice things.
She loves jewellery and little cute things like this.
Oh. What are you doing in there? Women's shirt?
Look, it's a Gant shirt. What size is it?
It doesn't matter what size it is. Is it gonna fit her? It's gonna fit.
To be able to get Rosy a branded item off the shelf,
I was really, really over the moon about it.
It's like a little mini Christmas, exchanging gifts.
Back at the house, Gez is on tenterhooks.
Will Rosy like his present?
Oh, my God.
Shirt.
This is the kind of thing I really enjoy.
Very nice. How did I do, then?
Oh, 100%. Yeah? Wow.
Well done.
I got that for you cos you like Only Fools And Horses.
Oh, it's a necklace. Oh. Yes.
What do you think? I like it. It's really cute.
I've got earrings to match.
Thank you for the gift. Thank you.
At the hotel,
the clock is counting down for the trial of the music cafe.
Steady as a rock.
If they can make a success of today, it might give them enough confidence
to have a crack at the hospitality business again.
It was my first time ever seeing my parents work together.
It is honestly how other people say it is.
They just work like a well-oiled machine.
Yeah, we're doing all right. We're gonna be on time.
We are. ANN LAUGHS
Ann was on point.
I'm not a chef these days, but Ann is,
and she was great.
She took charge of the kitchen.
Pressure's on.
About 30 minutes before we need to start plating stuff up.
Amelia's posters around town have done their job,
and with the event due to start, there's a steady flow of guests.
Really busy out there.
I wasn't quite... thinking there's gonna be so many people.
Thank you, everybody, for coming this evening.
Pleasure to welcome you into Gez's hotel,
but for this evening, it's our little music cafe.
Enjoy the food. Enjoy the music.
If you need anything topping up, just come and find us.
We'll do our best to make sure everyone's happy.
'We did really well as a family. We all mucked in together.'
There was lots of smiles on the faces.
♪ Cheer me up when I'm feeling down
♪ Cos I... ♪
Milo's ambition is to be a professional musician,
and a music cafe would give her the chance to thrive.
♪ I'll be your soul. ♪
Thank you.
I think hats off to everybody. Yeah. Well done, guys. Yeah.
ANN AND JOFF LAUGH
Well, a little confession to make, guys.
Oh, no. What did you do? Yeah.
Well, I went to the shop,
and I bought the one thing we all know that that person wants.
The music was great, and that might help you produce even more.
The family agreed to use up any spending money left over
on a present for Milo.
Oh, it's a laptop. A laptop. Oh, wow.
Having her own laptop will make a massive difference.
And having the Chetals' spending money this week
has made it possible.
There's no excuse now not to do your own songs.
So we want more songs, more original songs.
Aw. No!
You smell like sausage rolls.
THEY LAUGH
Next, the Bloors are thrown a lifeline
to open their music cafe for real.
Now you're making me cry.
No, don't do that. Just bake a cake, please.
THEY LAUGH
And the loved-up Chetals admit they've learnt a valuable lesson.
Let's take a step back at times.
Enjoy life together a little bit more.
Good.
NARRATOR: The Bloors have successfully trialled their concept
for a music cafe.
Everybody loved the food, the atmosphere was brilliant.
'Everybody enjoyed it.'
There was lots of smiles on the faces.
♪ I'll be your soul. ♪
The busy Chetals have had the quality together-time
they've been missing.
Star Wars? Yeah.
Oh, my God.
From now onwards, I want to make sure
that I will do these type of things again, again and again.
It's day seven. Time for everyone to head home.
I'm feeling excited to meet the swap family
and see how they got on.
And then going home. ANN LAUGHS
I'm looking forward to my sofa.
Gez has spent a week rediscovering simple pleasures.
This bottle of Champagne, I put in here one week ago.
It's still there. I didn't need it. Well done.
They'll be back to their normal lives soon.
But first, the families are meeting at a hotel between their homes
to discuss the week.
Hello. Hello.
How are we? I'm good. How are you?
Ann? Yeah, I'm Ann, yes. Hi.
Hello there. So, how was the week?
Yeah, we've had our ups, and we've had our downs.
Actually really have enjoyed it.
Oh, good. What about yourselves?
Good. We had a lovely time... Yeah? ..in your house.
Yeah. Very cosy.
We loved the hotel. Unfortunately, the children didn't.
They felt very separated from us.
Just a big house, really, with 11 rooms. Yeah.
So, you stepped into our lives for a week.
What did you like the most?
I've got nothing to do. What am I gonna do?
But in a way, we've spent more time together,
and we've done things that we've never done before.
Quality time. Yeah.
So, I really enjoy having a quality time
when we're staying in your house. Yeah.
I'm really grateful for that. Yeah. Yeah?
The Bloors are grateful too.
Trying out their music cafe idea has given them the confidence
to maybe take it further.
The music cafe function night that we did,
that's given us some ideas of our own to go away with.
A more community hub kind of cafe. Yeah.
I mean, it was just a really nice feel, wasn't it?
It was a nice feel. It was a nice feel.
And we wouldn't have the opportunity to see if it would work
if we hadn't had your hotel.
So thank you for that. So we borrowed it for the night.
THEY LAUGH
So, yesterday, basically, you lived your dream? We did.
Yes. Thank you. We did. Thank you.
The Chetals believe that everyone deserves a second chance.
And Gez has a plan.
OK, so, obviously,
we've been looking at how you could progress in the future
and what support you need.
We didn't just do it ourselves.
We couldn't do it without the people supporting us. Yeah.
And if you wanted to do that pop-up cafe,
you can do it at our hotel.
You can use all our facilities free of charge.
Oh, thank you very much. Thank you. Yeah.
And I can help you with grants to set up the business,
because I've managed to do it for others.
I've got various different connections
with the local authorities,
and that's quite hard to get into sometimes.
But, you know, you're our friends now.
Yeah. Met each other.
We'll stay for life now, because we believe in second chances.
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
OK. So, we also know that you all like things as a family,
and we've agreed that we're going to send you for a weekend,
all of you, in London.
That's superb. Thank you. Thank you.
We haven't been away for ages.
Right. So, Milo... Hello.
...we've listened to your music, and I thought it was great.
I've got an event coming up soon, and you can play,
and we will pay you for it.
And once you get paid, that means you're a professional person.
Look at that smile. Thank you.
Is that a good smile, is it?
That's a good smile. Thank you.
Thank you so much. You're welcome.
Now you're making me cry.
No, don't do that. Just bake a cake, please.
THEY LAUGH
OK. I'll bring dessert. All right. Yeah.
OK. Thank you.
Nice to meet you. Yeah. Gez. Lovely meeting you.
Good to meet you. Thank you.
ANN: It was actually quite emotional for me
because... what they've just said to us
and what they're willing to do for us,
we've never had anyone do that for us.
Especially Gez and Rosy, with the contacts that they've got,
I think there's certainly a lot of potential there with... with...
Everything. ...everything.
I can't wait to see the music cafe.
Apparently, it was such a success last night.
I feel I missed out, so I'm really looking forward to it in my hotel,
and I'll get me and all my mates there as well,
to actually go and wine and dine in there. Yeah.
And it gives me a break, as well, from the kitchen.
LAUGHS
Home, sweet home.
It's time for everyone to return home.
Oh, wow. Look at this. Look what they've left for us.
Oh. And the letter as well. Mm.
"From cooking in your kitchen to meeting your friends,
"we enjoyed it all.
"Please find some sweet treats made in your beloved kitchen.
"Enjoy. The Bloors."
Oh, wow, what a nice thing to do.
"We have done some cooking with Indian cuisine
"and have left some dishes for you to taste."
ANN GASPS
Mmm! Curry.
Excellent.
So, apart from some delicious food,
what else are the families taking away from the week?
We've learnt that we need to take it a bit easier maybe,
enjoy life together a little bit more,
because sometimes,
we don't even have a cup of tea together in the mornings.
But now we will do that.
And you can cook breakfast for me as well.
OK. Good.
THEY LAUGH
And what about the Bloors?
I think the swap has shown me
that you don't need money to have a happy life.
I agree. I think, to me...
ANN SIGHS
...family... that's far, far more important than money. Mm.
But however, we could do this music cafe and get more money.
THEY LAUGH Just saying.
True. THEY LAUGH
♪ Learning to love Who I've become. ♪
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Next time...
I can't believe that I like caviar, but I do.
Instead of dancing on ice, you're skating on plinths.
I'm crying for Joe. Yeah. Cos he lost everything.
And two grand...
For a week. ...for a week.
It's stressful, and it's a rush. It's a lot harder than my life.