Inside Dick and Angel Strawbridge’s bitter feud with Escape To The Chateau producer as pair return to Channel 4 with new show

Dick and Angel Strawbridge are set to return to Channel 4 with a new show just over a year after the company cut ties with the couple following an investigation into their conduct at the time.

The couple returns on Sunday with a new show, Secret France Featuring Dick & Angel, a three-part series that takes viewers beyond the gates of the family’s 19th century castle as they embark on an adventure across France.

According to the program’s synopsis, cameras will follow the couple across the country as they “turn their attention to new projects and new adventures, first unlocking the secrets of beautiful France in a brand new travel series.”

But what exactly did Channel 4’s investigation reveal and why did the couple become embroiled in a feud with a producer in the first place?

Ahead of the release of the couple’s new miniseries, here’s a look at their fallout with a member of the Escape To The Chateau team.

Production company Escape To The Chateau is concerned about a couple

The couple (pictured here in May 2023) returns on Sunday with a new show, Secret France With Dick & Angel

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.

‘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.”

Leaked audio of Angel’s nasty rant emerges

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.

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.”

Couple responds by addressing fans on Instagram, saying ‘there are two sides to every story’

Speaking out: They added their future ‘really couldn’t look more exciting’ despite cutting ties with Channel 4

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 parted ways with 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.”

Secret France With Dick & Angel broadcasts on Channel 4 on Sunday June 2 at 8pm