Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen makes confession about those unforgettable Changing Rooms makeovers-Josie Copson-Entertainment – Metro

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has lifted the lid on creating Changing Rooms (Picture: Channel 4)

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is not one to cover the walls with magnolia paint, drop in a few statement cushions, and call it a success.

The designer is instead well-known for pushing home decor to the extreme in Changing Rooms. Minimalism is truly scared of interior designer Laurence, it quacks when he enters a room.

His daring decisions have included making Roman statues out of MDF (medium-density fibreboard), using pasta as part of a wallpiece, covering a bedroom with vibrant shades of pink, red, and orange, and adding a swing into a living room.

In the show, which began in 1996 and saw two sets of friends swap keys to renovate a room in each other’s homes, there was no real limit to his creative choices. When it briefly returned in 2021 with Anna Richardson replacing Carol Smillie, nothing had changed.

Viewers would naturally question some of the decisions, but Laurence understands their negative responses.

‘There’s a lot of makeovers that make me cringe,’ Laurence, 59, told Metro.co.uk.

Laurence’s makeovers were definitely memorable (Picture: Sandra Rowse/REX/Shutterstock)

Changing Rooms was never afraid of colour (Picture: PA)

‘But what was the point of being on the show if I went bland? People copped on that if they got one of my rooms it was going to be quite out there. It was my brand.

‘It’s extraordinary how many historical Changing Rooms I did,’ he stated.

‘What people didn’t get is I didn’t care about the criticism either. I was always happy being who I was, and doing what I do.’

It may have been nearly three decades since he first appeared on our TV screens in a floral suit, but the bold designs have outlasted the series itself. Laurence still receives letters from participants, who’ve kept their room exactly how he left it.

Laurence with Anna Ryder Richardson, ‘Handy’ Andy Kane, Michael Jewitt, Linda Barker and Graham Wynne (Picture: BBC BROADCAST)

The makeovers were sometimes criticised by viewers (Picture: BBC)

‘It’s kind of historical, you know. If we’re not careful, the V&A will start listing them.’ Sadly they may just remain in the history books, as Laurence is doubtful it will return for a third time after it was axed.

Laurence’s wife Jackie Bowen also joined us for the interview and added: ‘What’s so nice about Laurence is that everybody gets the joke, and he’s included in the joke.’

She continued: ‘Lawrence’s legacy is he’s an incredibly clever man with an unbelievable background in design and history but also great at bringing everyone in,’ before Laurence interjected with: ‘And he’s got great hair’.

Jackie allows Laurence creative freedom in their home (Picture: Jonathan Hordle/Rex/Shutterstock)

It’s not just other people’s homes that get the OTT transformations – Laurence has previously painted his own lounge such a dark shade of brown it was hard to see around the space, while his kitchen also got the orange and pink treatment. Once, he even put up a wallpaper covered in giant bugs across their mansion.

‘We’ve always used our house as a kind of showroom for his laboratory of eccentricities,’ said an understanding Jackie.

The designs are so often over-the-top that Jackie was shocked when Laurence did something a little more simple – he painted their sitting room in a pale green and added some wallpaper inspired by Persian tiles.

‘Jackie took one look at it and said: “I didn’t know you did pretty”. Yes, I can do nice things. I know, it’s surprising,’ joked Laurence.

While his home decor may not be to everyone’s taste, he enjoys expressing himself and believes others should too. In fact, it irks Laurence to see people who decorate their homes just to keep up with trends rather than as an extension of themselves.

‘When people feel they’ve got to decorate in a certain way to keep up with the Joneses, or they decorate it in a way to help it sell then I don’t enjoy that. Also, people don’t use enough colour!’ he passionately told us.

Both Laurence and Jackie are ambassadors for MS Society (Picture: MS Society)

They’ve recently been decorating again after ‘downsizing to one wing’ of their Cotswolds home (and yes, the couple appreciate the irony of that statement). They’ve given up space for their housemates – their two children, their partners and four grandchildren. They describe multi-generational living as chaotic, fun, and add that it makes complete sense for them.

‘We both fantasised about having an enormous family growing up, as it’s very much the kind of environment that neither of us really grew up in,’ Jackie shared.

‘We’ve surrounded ourselves with love, positivity and support, which makes it infinitely easier to get through life.’

Laurence and Jackie always dreamed of a big family (Picture: James Shaw/REX/Shutterstock)

Their home life sounds like a reality show waiting to happen, and actually the Llewelyn-Bowens, who describe themselves as a mix between the Waltons and Kardashians, are already in talks for that to occur.

‘We’ve got a series of production companies at the moment that keep pitching up trying to ensnare us,’ Laurence revealed.

‘With the success of things like Clarkson’s Farm, they feel that the Cotswolds are hot. We’re very amenable to it, and I know that a lot of the big broadcasters are extremely interested in what we’re up to.’

Although they are open to cameras coming into their home, Laurence is much less enthusiastic about ever appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.

The couple have taken their dogs on a virtual trip around the world for their MS Society campaign (Picture: MS Society)

Not because of the bad back that he’s suffering from today after playing with grandchildren but for a very sweet reason.

‘They keep asking me and I’ve told them, if I’m going to learn to dance, I want to do it with my wife,’ he stated.

Plus he’s busy hosting a second series of Channel 4’s Outrageous Homes with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, and supporting causes close to his heart.

Both Laurence and Jackie are ambassadors for MS Society, after both of their mums suffered from the disease multiple sclerosis.

The ambassadorship means a lot to the couple (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

Laurence’s mum was diagnosed in her 30s and later went into full-time care until she died in her seventies, and Jackie’s mum was diagnosed with the condition in her early sixties and slowly declined.

‘This is quite a big moment for us to be joint ambassadors. This is a cause that we have incredibly direct experience of, and we love that we could potentially help make a change,’ stated Laurence.

Jackie added: ‘It’s something that does affect an entire family, and often for a very, very long period of time as well. All our marriage, we’ve had to be involved with decisions and care for our mothers.’

The couple try not to worry about possibly getting the condition in the future and instead focus on what they can do.

‘It’s important to not spend your entire life wondering if the sky is going to fall on your head. Our message as ambassadors is that it is absolutely a body blow when there is a diagnosis like this, but there’s also help and practical solutions out there.’

He continued: ‘My mother was extremely disabled, there was no doubt about it, but it’s not something that I ever felt overshadowed my childhood. She worked extremely hard to give me and my siblings a tremendous sense of normality.

‘We didn’t have a car and go on holidays like my friends, but she was very quick to foster this idea of, well, this is the way we do it and to enjoy what you’ve got. That’s something which has really informed everything that Jackie and I do.’

Laurence and Jackie have taken their dogs on a trip around the world with the help of Photoshop to encourage dog walkers to sign up for the MS Society’s My MS Woof. 

The campaign is back for a third year to raise money for life-changing research and support for people living with MS. The challenge asks people to walk, run, roll or stroll 150km across October with their dog.

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