Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen says the early negative reactions to his Changing Rooms made him realise ‘taste is subjective’ – but insists fans wrote in to say how much they liked them
- Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen recalled first negative reactions on Changing Rooms
- Received huge amount of letters saying ‘they might not have liked it, but we did’
- Added that’s when he suddenly realised that ‘taste is absolutely subjective’
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has said that the early negative reactions to his Changing Rooms made him realise ‘taste is subjective’ – but he insisted fans wrote in to say how much they liked them.
Ahead of Channel 4’s upcoming Changing Rooms reboot which airs tomorrow night, the presenter, 57, appeared on ITV’s This Morning where he discussed many of the memorable moments from disappointed and upset homeowners.
‘In the early days in the first series, it was absolutely extraordinary,’ he said, speaking to presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes. ‘Changing Rooms was the first ever reality show where that was allowed to happen. I absolutely remember the first couple of very negative responses.’
‘The children were very young, we were just starting out and I wasn’t very keen on being on television in first place and feeling a bit grumpy. Of course, this was before social media and we had huge, huge amount of letters of people writing in saying, “well they may not have liked it but we did.” Suddenly you start to realise that taste is absolutely subjective.’
The presenter (pictured), 57, appeared on ITV’s This Morning where he discussed how he coped with some of the more negative responses to his DIY work when Changing Room first launched
Clodagh and daughter Julia, from Wandsworth, South-West London, were both left devastated when an innovative hanging shelving unit came crashing down – along with their prized £6,000 teapot collection
He added: ‘There’s no such thing as a blanket good taste which fits everybody. And actually I thought well in that case I’m going to use what I do on television to encourage people to do it their way.’
‘I’m not saying my way is great – it’s probably a lot better than the way they were going to do it themselves.’
Eamonn Holmes went on to question the presenter on whether he reveals in the fact that he’s ‘different.’
‘What an incredibly good question because yes,’ said Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. ‘I love the fact that people’s expectations, when I walk into the room to be done…they know it’s going to be taken somewhere they never would have taken it to themselves. That might be a nice journey…but then it might not!’
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen went on to admit that he reveals in the fact that he’s ‘different.’ Pictured, on today’s show
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (pictured) also told how he feels the show, which is returning to our screens after twenty years, feels like it’s never been away
The interior designer was then asked about the disasters on the show – perhaps the most memorable moment being when Clodagh and daughter Julia, from Wandsworth, South-West London, were both left devastated when a floating suspended shelf unit came crashing down – along with their prized £6,000 antique teapot collection.
‘Actually, funnily enough I take a moment to try and lay the ghost of the teapots just to see if we can move on,’ Laurence said. ‘Again, this is the joy of the show. It’s all about the experience of what people are doing.’
He continued: ‘For the last 25 years I’ve been doing this all over the world and it’s always so manicured and choreographed and you float down and everything goes right. Changing Rooms is so rock ‘n’ roll, naughty and dirty, that actually if the paint doesn’t dry, or the teapots breaks, that’s at the centre of the show.’
‘What channel 4 decided to do was to do room that were a bit aspirational, a bit glossier than before. Let’s face it the rooms before were like a crossroads set. You’d lean on a bookcase and go like that [arm falls].
‘Now, they are practically indestructible and this is one of the things that coaxed me back to the show. It’s the idea that we could create things that have a bit of longevity to it. Whether you like the idea or not, there’s no excuse for shoddy workmanship.’
‘Oh my God, I am really sorry I put you under this stress’, Linda apologised, to which the owner replied: ‘That’s all our teapots…I’m crying now.’ Pictured, the collection before it was ruined
Ruth went on to ask whether there have been any disappointed homeowners so far.
‘It is the most extraordinary series,’ he said. ‘I have never seen reactions like it. I think with the original series, sometimes people would be a bit tepid when they walked into the room.
‘After 25 years of longing for it to come back, so much attached to it, and also these people are massive Changing Room fans, so they are not holding back on any level and that’s constructively or less constructively.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen also told how he feels the show, which is returning to our screens after twenty years, feels like it’s never been away.
‘When it started and got going it was like being an elderly retired warhorse which hears the cavalry charge. You know, I reared up, my mane was in the breeze and it was like Vrooooom, straight out there.’
‘I did take a lot of coaxing out of he stable though. It was going on for quite a while.’
He went on to say that his doubts stemmed from the fact he believed he was ‘too old.’
‘Last time I was paining ceilings I was 37 – now I’m 57,’ he said. ‘The idea was that I was going to be the supervisor but the minute we started I couldn’t leave anything alone.’
‘I wanted to be a part of it. It always had that phenomenal sense of camaraderie and we were all building something together/ Everyone, particularly his time round because of Covid, we were going from one to another. It was like a rock ‘n’ roll tour – or freak show more like.’
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