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Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud has confirmed two participants have tragically died during the filming of the Channel 4 property development show.
The programme has run for an impressive 20 series, with Kevin on hosting duties throughout its production since its 1999 inception. During those years the 64-year old has witnessed the construction of scores of incredible properties, but sadly things don't always go to plan.
For Kevin has revealed that occasionally personal issues present themselves in those taking part, including two "very difficult" projects that have led to home owners passing away. Kevin says the show's crew are currently dealing with the death of a participant in a yet to be aired episode.
READ MORE: Grand Designs 'saddest ever home' is £10m clifftop mansion that ruined owner's life
READ MORE: 'Traumatic Grand Designs' two-bed removed from Rightmove as it's branded 'feral'
Speaking to Stuff in New Zealand, Kevin opened up on the challenging times being faced by all those affected at present.
"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]?"
Avoiding going into further detail, Kevin went on to speak fondly of a second particpant, who passed away from stomach cancer during the production of a past episode. Nat McBride lost his life to the disease, leaving his wife Lucie Fairweather to oversee the remainder of their project at the time.
Recalling the heartbreaking period, Kevin said: "She [Lucy] 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. 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. And then 18 months later, Lucy 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."
On completion of the chalet in 2009, Kevin spoke of Lucie again in the East Anglian Times. Lucie's [project] was just fantastic," he enthused. "It was a wonderful story about redemption, and about her taking her late husband's vision and building a house for her small children.
"It was tinged with tragedy and sadness, but also with the tremendous friendship of Gerry Tate, a great friend of her and her husband. He not only designed the home for her, but held her hand through the whole process."
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- Channel 4
- Property
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