Dick and Angel Strawbridge admit they REGRET purchasing their French chateau in awkward flashback on new show – after pair were embroiled in ‘bullying’ scandal with producers
Dick and Angel Strawbridge are back on TV with a new show after a bitter feud with the producers of their former series Escape To The Chateau.
Last year the couple, who rose to fame when cameras followed them as they renovated their sprawling French home, were embroiled in a bullying scandal that led to Channel 4 cutting ties after an independent investigation into their conduct.
Despite this, their spin-off was already in the works and the new show has now hit the screens and sees the pair exploring France away from the castle in Dick and Angel’s Secret France.
The opening credits show flashbacks of Dick, 63, and Angel, 45, as they took on the enormous challenge of renovating the 45-room property, with the voiceover describing them as a ‘fearless British couple’.
In one awkward clip, looking through a huge folder of paperwork while touring the abandoned castle, Dick told the camera: “Over 200 pages of reasons not to buy the house.”
Dick and Angel Strawbridge are back on TV with a new show after a bitter feud with the producers of their former series Escape To The Chateau
Last year the couple, who rose to fame when cameras followed them as they renovated their sprawling French home, were embroiled in a bullying scandal that led to Channel 4 cutting ties after an independent investigation into their conduct.
Nevertheless, fans were happy to see the couple back on screens and quickly took to X, formerly Twitter.
Write: ‘So good to see Angel and Dick Strawbridge back on screen!’: Time for the brilliant Dick and Angel on C4′: ‘Will be watching Dick as always! Sending love to you all from Great Britain’: ‘Ready and waiting Dick, really enjoyed last week!’.
In May 2023, sources claimed that Two Rivers Media, the company that produces Escape To The Chateau, raised concerns about the presenting duo, per Deadline.
A source said at the time: ‘There has been a deteriorating relationship between Two Rivers and Dick and Angel’s Chateau TV for various reasons and it all came to a head.’
“People trying to manage them remotely from Britain, that doesn’t work, or people coming into their homes and bossing them around, that doesn’t work either,” the source added.
‘Producers make them a perfect, brilliant, funny bunch, they are that way in front of the camera too, but that’s about it.’
Sources close to the couple told MailOnline that their behavior on set was nothing like their ‘gorgeous’ on-screen personas.
A source said: ‘Dick and Angel come across as the loveliest and loveliest couple on screen, literally like butter wouldn’t melt, but off screen they’re not like that.
Despite this, their spin-off was already in the works and the new show has now hit the screens and sees the pair exploring France away from the castle in Dick and Angel’s Secret France.
Looking through a huge folder of paperwork in one awkward clip as he toured the abandoned castle, Dick told the camera: ‘Over 200 pages of reasons not to buy the house’
Nevertheless, fans were happy to see the couple back on screens and quickly took to X, formerly Twitter
‘It’s a full show, the production is in the castle with them for weeks, so they can’t hide their real characters – they can’t turn it on for two hours of recording and then not go back to their real personalities.
“They’re just prickly and fickle people and, as you can imagine, a nightmare to work with.”
The concerns of the show’s producers came to light after Angel, in a nasty rant, questioned her producers about a delay in her schedule, before accusing someone of posting images on Instagram of a man who looked like her husband, Dick.
She said: ‘Who inspires you when you work at the castle? Just tell me that and then you can get the fuck out and I’ll be fucking angry because I think you’re a fucking little bastard.
‘Don’t work in this castle and post dark, weird pictures that I find quite offensive, and don’t grin. You know what, you can just fuck off.’
The clip – which dated back to 2021 and was recorded during one of the first four series of Escape To The Chateau – was obtained by Deadline in May 2023.
The concerns of the show’s producers came to light after a nasty rant saw Angel questioning producers about a delay in her schedule, before accusing someone of posting images on Instagram of a man who looked like her husband, Dick.
After the audio emerged, Angel and Dick took to Instagram to pay tribute to the show’s fans, adding that their future ‘really couldn’t look more exciting’ despite cutting ties with Channel 4.
Earlier in the audio, Angel can be heard saying that her husband Dick talked to people like “s**t,” to which a producer responded, “And I don’t like that either.”
After the audio emerged, Angel and Dick took to Instagram to pay tribute to the show’s fans, adding that their future ‘really couldn’t look more exciting’ despite cutting ties with Channel 4.
They wrote: ‘Thank you for inviting us into your living rooms. You’ve watched our children grow and shared our adventures.
‘It was a decision made by the Strawbridge family early last year to complete Escape to the Chateau, but we loved every moment and despite the many challenges we refused to give up on our dream, and in doing so we have built the castle with love and love filled. laughter, and most importantly, created the most beautiful home for our family.
“There are two sides to every story and with the incredible support we have received, most of you know that.
‘We are proud of who we are, and we believe we should do what we believe is right, which is in fact what has kept Escape to the Chateau unique, and while we have indeed said goodbye to Channel 4, we are extremely grateful them and their teams for their support and creativity over the years.
“The future truly couldn’t be more exciting and we thank you for your continued love and support.”