Kevin McCloud opens up on deaths of Grand Designs stars during filming

The presenter reveals one of the participants in an upcoming episode has died during production, before reflecting on a similar past episode.

Kevin McCloud standing in front of a house with a yellow door in Grand Designs

Channel 4

Published: Monday, 27 November 2023 at 10:41 pm

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Grand Designs' Kevin McCloud has discussed how the show sometimes has to change plans when participants sadly pass away during production.

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During an interview with New Zealand publication Stuff, the presenter opened up about what it's like when there is an unexpected death during filming, revealing that it's affected one of the episodes currently in the works.

"We are doing a very difficult project right now," he explained.

"We had no idea and neither did our contributors, but the husband fell gravely ill and has passed away during the filming process, and it makes the narrative very hard to graft. Because you think where do we go [from here]?"

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It's not the first such case for the beloved architectural series, which has been running for more than 20 years.

McCloud also recalled the episode featuring Lucie Fairweather and Nat McBride, which aired in 2011.

"[Lucie] and her young husband in their late 20s were going to build this beautiful little chalet bungalow with amazing architecture – he was a sustainability campaigner; she’s a teacher," he said.

"On day one he announces on camera that he's got stomach cancer. He passed away six months later, and we had one day's filming in the can."

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He added: "And then 18 months later, Lucie rang up and said, 'I'm going to do this by myself', with her two children. She did it with architect Gerry Tate, who held her hand through the process, guided her through it. Sometimes you don't know where [a situation] will go, and it can turn such a positive corner."

The episode was one the series' most moving, with McCloud going on to catch up with Fairweather and revisit her Scandinavian-inspired home in Woodbridge in 2013.

Grand Designs continues on Wednesday 29th November at 9pm on Channel 4.

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Authors

Lidia Molina Whyte wears a mustard-coloured top. She is smiling and looking upwards to her left

Lidia Molina-WhyteFreelance

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