Four In A Bed is one of Channel 4’s most popular early evening programmes, with Brits up and down the country tuning into the show every day.
The flagship production sees batches of B&B owners throwing open their doors and taking turns staying with each other, competing to be crowned the winners.
They rate each other on cleanliness, quality of sleep, cooked breakfast and entertainment.
However, there is more than meets the eye and some of the staff involved with the B&Bs that made it on-air have spilled all of their secrets – including what happened when the cameras weren’t rolling.
On the show, the establishments that compete are expected to be presented to the other property owners in the same way they would be to regular guests, as well as charging exactly the same price.
However, one cleaner who used to work at one of the B&B’s that made it on to the Channel 4 hit has admitted that getting the rooms spotless took a lot longer than the broadcaster let on.
Opening up about their experience online, the staff member took to Reddit to explain: ‘Me and two other cleaners spent hours cleaning the rooms when we usually spent a maximum of 30 minutes.’
Opting not to name the owners or the property, they admitted that it ‘felt like cheating’ and they can’t remember whether the B&B they worked at won following their deep clean.
They also divulged how little information the contestants were given when filming Four In A Bed.
The cleaner revealed: ‘They didn’t know where they were going or who owned which B&B until they went.
‘They were told beforehand basic information about the properties ie. a glamping B&B in Wales or a historic house in South England, but no more. ‘
They added that to keep things fair, they were not allowed to talk to other contestants when they weren’t filming – however, some B&B owners would ‘sneak in small chats every now and then’.
Opening up about the filming process, they said: ‘They weren’t told to say anything in front of cameras but were made to repeat conversations several times so they could try different camera angles.
Going into further detail, they disclosed that producers did a ‘walk through’ and ‘asked to change small things before filming’.
Commenters on the social media post quickly chimed in with their own experiences, including those who have stayed in the B&Bs that have found fame on the show.
The guest lifted the lid on befriending the owner and finding out what his time was really like on the programme.
‘He was telling us how the contestants were not allowed to socialise outside of the filming hours,’ the guest explained.
‘He was saying how they all snuck out to the pub and were chased down by a producer who had to sit with them and make sure they didn’t discuss each others’ properties.
‘He also told us that they had no idea where they were going, who they were staying with or that the show was filmed over two weeks.
‘There was a bit of cheating in his series but I can’t really say much about it other than those who cheated were screwed over come payment day.’
The unnamed guest revealed that, shockingly, the payment day segment of the show, which is usually full of backstabbing and drama, took a whopping twelve hours to film.
Finally, they quipped: ‘He was also saying that they had to keep doing multiple takes for things like being shown to the bedroom and meeting at the front of the B&B. That’s why sometimes it looks so forced and unnatural.’
The juicy admission comes just after one contestant on Four In A Bed broke down in tears after serving up a breakfast disaster on this week’s episode of the show.
Julie, from Wales, was left disappointed with the negative feedback that she received in the feedback session.
She wanted to address it with the other people taking part – after they said they wouldn’t stay at her establishment again.
One person in the group described the meal as a ‘builders breakfast’ as she began to get teary.
She said: ‘We have had a lot of builders in and they like their breakfast like that…’
Julie added: ‘What I feel disappointed in, I feel like I am a good cook. I always pride myself on a good breakfast.
‘You lot, you’ve got chefs working!’
Later, her partner Alistair tried to comfort Julie saying: ‘Seeing Julie break down over breakfast was actually heartbreaking.
‘I don’t think she’s a bad cook, I just think the pressure got to her.’