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Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr - Episode Guide

Season 1

Episode 1

Episode: 1x01 | Airdate: Aug 14, 2019

Episode 1

In the first episode, the ten contestants are split into two teams and must redesign two show homes, working together to deliver a cohesive end product that impresses the judges and is accessible to prospective buyers.

Episode 2

Episode: 1x02 | Airdate: Aug 21, 2019

Episode 2

The nine remaining interior designers take part in a commercial design challenge to transform hotel rooms. Presented by Fearne Cotton, with judge Michelle Ogundehin and guest judge Jade Jagger.

Episode 3

Episode: 1x03 | Airdate: Aug 28, 2019

Episode 3

The eight remaining interior designers take part in a challenge to transform shop interiors. Presented by Fearne Cotton, with judge Michelle Ogundehin and guest judge Mary Portas.

Episode 4

Episode: 1x04 | Airdate: Sep 4, 2019

Episode 4

The contestants are challenged to design a small studio in a student halls of residence in Leicester, which must allow room for sleeping, studying and socialising. With just two days to complete their makeovers, the competitors need to make the best use of their time to ensure they get their studios finished.

Episode 5

Episode: 1x05 | Airdate: Sep 11, 2019

Episode 5

The five remaining contestants take part in a commercial design challenge to transform holiday lodges in the Lincolnshire woods. Split into a team of two and a team of three, the competitors embark on the biggest project of the series so far, designing a bedroom each, along with a shared kitchen-diner and an outdoor area.

Episode 6

Episode: 1x06 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2019

Episode 6

This week four designers remain as they fight it out for a place in the semi-finals. The designers are put into teams of two, and discover that restaurants will be the next big commercial project they'll be undertaking.

For the first time Michelle tells them they will have the chance to meet their clients and see the spaces before taking on the design. But she also warns them that although they will be working together, this week she also needs to see some individual design flair from each of them.

Episode 7

Episode: 1x07 | Airdate: Sep 25, 2019

Episode 7

The three remaining interior designers take part in a commercial design challenge to transform three hair salons in Whitstable for a place in the finals.

Episode 8

Episode: 1x08 | Airdate: Oct 2, 2019

Episode 8

At last it is the final and with only two designers left, there is everything to play for as two contestants go head to head to battle it out to win the prize of their lives.

Season 2

Episode 1

Episode: 2x01 | Airdate: Feb 2, 2021

Episode 1

Alan Carr hosts a new series of the interior design challenge, in which 10 aspiring designers compete to redesign Oxfordshire show home. Michelle Ogundehin assesses their efforts, and is joined in the first episode by guest judge Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.

Episode 2

Episode: 2x02 | Airdate: Feb 9, 2021

Episode 2

After a tough first week transforming Show Homes, with nine designers left, they return to Michelle's design studio to find out about their next challenge. Here they are put into three teams of three.

Michelle tells them that she's sending them across London to Hammersmith, where each team will be allocated an open-plan office space to transform.

Episode 3

Episode: 2x03 | Airdate: Feb 16, 2021

Episode 3

With eight designers remaining, the contestants discover that this week's task is all about transforming a tired wedding venue.

They are put into teams of four. One team must observe a maximalist brief, the other team have to create spaces based on a concept of understated glamour. Each designer is given a hotel bedroom to design that must incorporate the team brief. Michelle informs them that the two weakest designers this week will be sent home, which sends ripples of anxiety through the contestants.

With only two days to complete their makeovers, they need to decide how to make the best use of their time to ensure they get their spaces finished for the client.

Episode 4

Episode: 2x04 | Airdate: Feb 23, 2021

Episode 4

It's week four for the six remaining designers. After three tough challenges and saying goodbye to two designers last week, the competition is hotting up.

Arriving at Michelle's studio, the designers are put into pairs and challenged to work together to transform one of three very different shops. But before they hit the high street, they must first meet their shop-owner clients and take it in turns to pitch their design ideas. The twist for the designers is that only one shop brief for each pairing will be chosen, so whoever loses out on the pitch will have to act as an assistant to their fellow teammate.

Episode 5

Episode: 2x05 | Airdate: Mar 2, 2021

Episode 5

This week, the designers arrive at the studio to find it's time to showcase their individual abilities. They'll be working solo for the first time as they are tasked with transforming individual beach huts.

With five designers remaining, the competition is heating up, and Michelle challenges each one with a themed brief. They must marry design flair with practicality if they want to stand a chance of making it through to the next round and avoid being sent home.

Episode 6

Episode: 2x06 | Airdate: Mar 9, 2021

Episode 6

The four remaining designers are challenged to transform two hair salons in Richmond, London. Presented by Alan Carr, with judge Michelle Ogundehin deciding who will go through to the next stage.

Episode 7

Episode: 2x07 | Airdate: Mar 16, 2021

Episode 7

The four remaining designers are challenged to transform two restaurants in Hebden Bridge.

Episode 8

Episode: 2x08 | Airdate: Mar 23, 2021

Episode 8

The two finalists are challenged to transform luxury holiday villas in Cornwall. Presented by Alan Carr, Judge Michelle Ogundehin must decide who will be the ultimate winner.

Season 3

Episode 1

Episode: 3x01 | Airdate: Mar 9, 2022

Episode 1

Ten aspiring interior designers on the cusp of turning professional take part in the biggest design challenge of their lives. Competing to win their first official commercial contract, with the Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall, the designers face a different commercial brief each week, with their spaces scrutinized by head judge Michelle Ogundehin. 

This week, Michelle is joined by fashion designer turned interior designer Matthew Williamson. The challenge they set is to transform five upmarket rental apartments in Manchester. Working in pairs, the designers must decorate a living room or master bedroom and a shared home office. They have just two days, £1,500 and two tradesmen to help them get the job done. 

Episode 2

Episode: 3x02 | Airdate: Mar 16, 2022

Episode 2

After a tough first week transforming upmarket apartments in Manchester, the remaining nine designers return to Michelle's design studio on the south coast to find out about their next challenge. Welcomed by host Alan Carr, they are happy to discover that this week they are going to be able to work on their own for the first time.

Michelle tells them that she's sending them to the Surrey Hills, to the fabulous Wotton House. With Grade II listed gardens, this grand hotel, which was once home to the aristocratic Evelyn family, has nine bedrooms that are tired and in dire need of an update. The designers have a bedroom each, and Michelle asks them to create a space that reflects their signature style but with a 'British eccentric' twist.

Helping Michelle survey the spaces is guest judge Guy Oliver. Having designed the interiors for some of the most well-known hotels in London, including Claridges and the Connaught, Guy knows everything there is to know about classy hotels and discerning customers.

Episode 3

Episode: 3x03 | Airdate: Mar 23, 2022

Episode 3

Eight designers remain to battle it out to win the life-changing design contract at one of the UK's top hotels.

Arriving at Michelle's Brighton studio, the contestants discover that this weeks' task is an unusual brief. Gordano School in Bristol has four tired common rooms that need some love and attention. Working in teams of two, the designers must spruce up the common rooms and an adjoining office. The two weakest designers will be sent home, upping the stakes in this third challenge.

Before they depart for Bristol, the designers pitch their ideas to their youngest and most particular clients to date, as the school's students arrive at the studio to hear their plans. The teams must come up with plans that reflecting each house's unique animal mascot and colour, creating an impact but remaining practical enough to survive daily use by the students.

Helping Michelle decide who has met the brief is guest judge Sophie Robinson. Renowned for her love of colour and all things bold, judging these bright common rooms is right up her alley. Michelle and Sophie are blown away by some of the designs but underwhelmed by others, and when the teams return to Michelle's design studio to hear the verdict from Alan, two designers find that that their time has come to an end, leaving just six designers to fight another day.

Episode 4

Episode: 3x04 | Airdate: Mar 30, 2022

Episode 4

With just six designers left, the competition is hotting up. Arriving at Michelle's Brighton studio, the designers discover their next challenge. They are off to the cathedral city of Salisbury to transform three very different shops.

Working in pairs, they must give three retail businesses a new lease of life. But before they hit the high street, they must first meet their clients and take it in turns to pitch their design ideas. The three businesses are a bridal shop, a homeware shop and a lingerie shop – and one contestant isn't happy with the business they've been assigned to! One designer from each pairing will be chosen to lead on the overall design, so whoever loses the pitch will have to act as an assistant to their teammate.

Helping Michelle decide who should stay or go this week is the queen of shops herself, Mary Portas. Known for her straight-talking and no-nonsense approach, she knows what makes shoppers hit the high street rather than shop online. There's success for one team who nailed the brief, but the other two teams must face Michelle and Mary to justify their design decisions. One more designer will be eliminated, leaving five left to fight another day.

Episode 5

Episode: 3x05 | Airdate: Apr 6, 2022

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This week, the designers arrive in Brighton and find out it's time to work solo.

Michelle tells them to get into the spirit of the staycation, as they're off to north Wales to a glamping site. With a chance to showcase their individual abilities, they'll each have a shepherd's hut to transform into a boutique bolthole in the tranquil Welsh countryside.

With only five designers remaining, competition is getting tough. Before they get going, Michelle gives each of them a bespoke brief and tells them their client is a brand new business, so they need to work their magic. They'll be designing their smallest spaces so far, so practicality is key, but they must also be sympathetic to their surroundings. With so little to choose between them, she tells them that she wants to see hands-on skills – as well as maximum creativity.

The designers arrive on the Llyn Peninsula near the Welsh coast and are impressed with what they find at the site. The newly built huts are a blank canvas, with one designer worried that they might ruin what's already a lovely space. With briefs ranging from rustic chic to romantic, each designer takes a different approach to turning these tiny spaces into luxury living accommodation, with the challenge of an ensuite shower room and an outdoor space thrown in for good measure.

As the challenge comes to an end, the storm clouds roll in, as do the judges, Michelle and the legendary Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Two huts strike them as pitched perfectly at the target market, but they are less sure about the other three, questioning whether the designers have taken the right approach for the rural surroundings.

Episode 6

Episode: 3x06 | Airdate: Apr 13, 2022

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Just four designers remain to fight it out for a place in the semi-finals. Arriving at Michelle's studio, they are split into teams of two and given their next challenge - the redesign of two cafes in the seaside town of Margate.

The finished venues need to attract both daytime and evening crowds, so the key to the task is delivering multifunctional spaces, with each team member taking ownership for their own zones. Before heading to Kent, the teams get a steer from their new clients via a Zoom meeting. One team learns that they must channel a cool Caribbean vibe, with their cafe also doubling up as an evening venue that hosts gigs and DJs. The other team has a seafront cafe, whose owners are looking for a design that avoids seaside cliché but has a welcoming vibe that matches their ambition to provide reasonably priced food for the whole community. Two different businesses, but for the designers the same goal - to take a step closer to winning the biggest commercial contract of their lives.

Assisting Michelle this week is guest judge Ross Bailey. CEO of AppearHere, he has an in-depth knowledge of what makes small hospitality businesses sink or swim.

Episode 7

Episode: 3x07 | Airdate: Apr 20, 2022

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It's semi-finals week, and the remaining three contestants are aiming to deliver their best designs to date, in the hope of winning a place in the big final.

Michelle reveals that for their next project they will be working solo. Each has a luxury holiday lodge to upgrade, including an open-plan kitchen, living and dining space, as well as an outside terrace. These beige lakeside lodges in the heart of the Cotswolds may be luxurious, but design-wise they are the epitome of bland, so Michelle asks the designers to make their mark and really impress her with some design flair.

With individual themes to work to, each designer takes quite a different approach. One goes against their natural instincts and opts for a bold primary colour scheme, drawing inspiration from a classic 80s movie. Another competitor ignores colour completely, hoping that their sophisticated monochrome scheme will appeal to their 'friends' getaway' target market. And for the third lodge the designer picks a nautical theme, using Cotswold stone, wooden panels on the walls and luxury linens on the sofas.

On hand to help Michelle this week is guest judge and queen of dark and moody Abigail Aherne. After a strong showing from all the semi-finalists, Michelle must make a difficult choice as she announces who will be leaving. After a competitive seven weeks, one designers' dream is over, but the final two now have a shot at winning their first commercial contract.

Episode 8

Episode: 3x08 | Airdate: Apr 27, 2022

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Having survived seven tough challenges, this week the two finalists go head-to-head for the ultimate prize. Awaiting the winner is a career-defining contract to design an apartment for an upmarket coastal resort on the Cornish coast.

Judge Michelle Ogundehin dispatches the finalists to London's vibrant Soho district, where each designer takes on the redesign of a trendy bar. Both establishments have two distinct areas in need of a makeover: a ground-floor bar that must appeal to the daytime trade and an intimate basement cocktail lounge for late-night drinking and entertaining.

One finalist decides to rip out the tiki-style basement bar and replace it with some good old 1970s glamour. But it quickly becomes a demolition zone as they decide to knock down the bar completely and relocate it to the other side of the room. Unfortunately, the more they rip out, the more problems they unearth.

Down the road, the other finalist is struggling with their British members club theme. Will vintage finds including giant Ibizan parasols and rattan furniture really fit with the cool chic vibe that the owner is after?

To help her choose the series champion, Michelle is joined by fashion designer turned interiors expert Matthew Williamson and the owner of the London Cocktail Club, Sarah Willingham.

Season 4

Episode 1

Episode: 4x01 | Airdate: Mar 7, 2023

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Ten budding interior designers compete in a makeover challenge. Michelle Ogundehin tasks them with transforming five luxury apartments in London's Elephant and Castle. They work in pairs, with one designer in charge of the open-plan kitchen-living room, while the other transforms the bedrooms. Each apartment must be targeted towards a different type of tenant, from young couples to older residents. Finished designs must show cohesion between the teammates' schemes and clever use of sustainable materials. With just two days, £1800 and a team of tradespeople to help, the designers begin turning these blank canvases into fresh new takes on urban living.

Episode 2

Episode: 4x02 | Airdate: Mar 14, 2023

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After a tough first week transforming apartments in London, the remaining nine designers return to the design studio in Brighton to discover their next challenge.

Welcomed back by host Alan Carr and judge Michele Ogundehin, the designers learn that this week they'll be dealing with some very demanding clients – preschool children! Working in teams of three, the designers are tasked with making over three classrooms of a children's nursery in Oxfordshire, one for babies, one for toddlers and another for three- to five-year-olds. Each classroom must feature areas to accommodate different activities: a calm zone, a creative zone and an imaginative play zone, and safety is key! While some designers worry about where to start, others are relishing the opportunity to unleash their inner child.

Helping Michelle judge this challenge is interiors expert and queen of colour Sophie Robinson. When they deliver their verdict, another designer's journey comes to an end, leaving eight designers left to fight another day.

Episode 3

Episode: 4x03 | Airdate: Mar 21, 2023

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After making it through nursery week, the eight remaining designers return to Michelle's design studio in Brighton to be briefed on their next challenge

This time, each designer must make over a hotel room at a five-star golf and spa resort on the banks of the River Clyde in Scotland. Half of the designers will be assigned a maximalist brief to appeal to the hotel's more outdoorsy guests, while the others must create a tranquil design to appeal to people looking to unwind in the spa. All rooms must be luxurious and reflect the uniquely Scottish surroundings. Initial excitement quickly turns to anxiety when Alan that reveals this week is a double elimination, and at the end of the challenge the two weakest designers will be going home.

Episode 4

Episode: 4x04 | Airdate: Mar 28, 2023

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The six remaining designers arrive at Michelle Ogundehin's design studio in Brighton to be briefed on their fourth makeover of the competition.

Welcomed by host Alan Carr, the designers discover they'll be heading to Harrogate in North Yorkshire to transform three independent shops. Working in teams of two, the designers will be making over either a fashion store, a women's shoe outlet or a sheepskin shop. Each unit has an individual brief with different requirements but before they can begin, the teams must pitch their plans to the shop owners, who will decide which idea they prefer and nominate a lead designer for each team.

With a budget of £3,000 per shop, a team of tradespeople and only two days to create their designs, the pressure is on. Scrutinising the designs alongside Michelle this week is retail space expert Ross Bailey. Ross and Michelle discover impactful windows, unique design features and extraordinary makeovers, but have the designers thought about the all-important customer journey?

Episode 5

Episode: 4x05 | Airdate: Apr 4, 2023

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After making over large shops last week, the five remaining designers now work on their smallest spaces to date. They head to Eastbourne in Sussex to transform five 1930s beachside chalets. Working on their own, each designer is assigned a brief tailored to a different chalet tenant. From a family bolthole to a group of friends called The Gin Club, and even a chalet rented by the local A&E department for team building, each space has a different clientele and very different requirements.

The guest judge alongside Michelle is interior design royalty Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, and in typically lyrical fashion, he uncovers elements he both loves and loathes. Michelle hopes to find form and function in perfect harmony, but as ever, some designs fall short of her high standards. The designers head back to Brighton to hear their fate from Alan. One designer will be walking away the winner. For the remaining four, it's a stroll to Michelle's office, where she will decide which one of them will be going home.

Episode 6

Episode: 4x06 | Airdate: Apr 11, 2023

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The four remaining designers face the quarter-final makeover challenge.

Welcomed by host Alan Carr and series judge Michelle Ogundehin, the designers find out that romance is in the air as they take on wedding accommodation on the banks of Rutland Water in the East Midlands. Split into teams of two, the designers will be working in the grounds of a popular wedding venue to make over a pair of dated wooden lodges that desperately need some love of their own. One team must create a lodge that appeals to a bridal party, while the other must suit their groom's nearest and dearest, but each lodge's designs must appeal to a broad range of guests and avoid cliché.

Back at Michelle's office in Brighton, all four quarter-finalists are cross-examined by the judges and given a chance to unpack their ideas and explain their choices, before Michelle decides which three will advance to the semi-final and which designer will be going home.

Episode 7

Episode: 4x07 | Airdate: Apr 18, 2023

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After a tough quarter-final transforming wedding lodges, our three remaining designers return to the design studio in Brighton to discover their penultimate challenge.

With the final in sight, host Alan Carr and series judge Michelle Ogundehin reveal to the designers that this week they'll be working on their own to give three Bristol hair salons a makeover. Each salon has its own strong identity, but they're all in need of a fresh look to help them stand out and be a cut above the rest.

Tom redesigns an edgy industrial salon split across two floors. Jack takes on a high-end salon keen to deliver a luxury experience, and Monika renovates a classic salon with a unique charm. Following a productive zoom call with their clients to learn more about their individual brief, the designers head off to Bristol where they have just two days and a budget of £3,000 each to transform their salons.

With a brief to convert her classic salon into a bold alternative space, Monika decides to embrace her gothic maximalist signature style, starting with a black paint job. After a confident start, reality soon hits home – with 16 lampshades to make from scratch. Monika is soon racing to finish and contemplating significant sacrifices to her vision.

Up the road, Tom has the challenge of modernising the industrial salon, giving a fresh edge to the rugged and characterful interior. Keen to enhance the brick walls and steel workstations by adding soft fabrics and furnishings across both floors, he confesses to Alan that this brief is the trickiest he's faced so far – Tom worries that losing his mojo could lead to missing out on a place in the final.

Despite the owners of his salon asking for a Scandi makeover, Jack decides to take it one step further with his ‘Japandi' theme. After convincing Alan it's an actual word, meaning a mix of Japanese and Scandi, Jack starts transforming the walls with hand-drawn bamboo and floral murals. Keen to impress Michelle, Jack proclaims to go big or go home a potentially risky tactic for the semi-final.

As the builds progress, the salons begin to take shape, but the designers come under increasing pressure from knowing they're only one step away from the final. Nobody wants to fall at the final hurdle. Joining Michelle this week is the one and only Mary Portas, queen of the high street. Michelle and Mary are wowed by boldness, uniqueness and the clever features on display, but have the designers got the balance right?

The designers head back to the design studio in Brighton to hear their fate. Alan announces that Michelle would like to speak to them all, giving them an equal opportunity to explain the thinking behind their decisions. With only two places up for grabs in the final, Michelle faces her hardest decision yet.

Episode 8

Episode: 4x08 | Airdate: Apr 25, 2023

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After making it through seven weeks of challenges, and seeing off eight other competitors, only two designers now remain, ready to go head-to-head to win a life-changing contract to redesign a top London cocktail bar.

The two finalists arrive back at the design studio to hear from host Alan Carr and series judge Michelle Ogundehin what their final challenge will be. Michelle has left the best to last, as she reveals that the final will be held in Brighton, where each designer will be making over two of the city's thriving pubs in the busy tourist hotspot of the city's North Lanes.

One will transform an award-winning gastro pub with a field-to-fork ethos. With a rustic interior that now looks dated and an underappreciated upstairs room that's seen better days, they will have their work cut out. The owners want to refresh the look and feel and restore the pub's identity. Meanwhile down the road, the other contestant is tasked with transforming a traditional community-based pub into a fun day-to-night venue aimed at a younger clientele.

Briefing done, the finalists head into the city to see their pubs for the first time. As they face their biggest spaces of the competition, both are overwhelmed by the scale of the task ahead. Each designer has three days, a gang of tradespeople and a budget of £6,000. Because it's the final, they can select a supporting designer from their former competitors to help.

With many key design elements only coming together in the very last moments, it's a race to the finish line for the finalists as they give everything they've got in pursuit of their dream prize.

Joining Michelle to help decide who should be crowned winner is hospitality expert and restaurateur Nisha Katona, and internationally renowned interior designer Abigail Ahearn.

Season 5

Episode 1

Episode: 5x01 | Airdate: Mar 12, 2024

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A new batch of interior designers show off their signature style by heading to a former Norfolk convent, turning nuns' cells into bijoux B&B bedrooms before one wins Stand Out Space.

Episode 2

Episode: 5x02 | Airdate: Mar 19, 2024

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Nine designers are tested on teamwork as they go wild at Chester Zoo, creating three activity centres for schoolchildren, themed around the wildlife of Brazil, India and Madagascar.

Episode 3

Episode: 5x03 | Airdate: Mar 26, 2024

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The designers are let loose on exclusive hospitality boxes at Ascot Racecourse, with each creating their own personal interpretation of high-end sophistication and luxury.

Episode 4

Episode: 5x04 | Airdate: Apr 2, 2024

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The designers head to Wales as they pair up to work their magic on three Swansea cafes, with the briefs varying from 'Scandi' to 'Industrial' to 'Home from Home'.

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