Dick and Angel Strawbridge have returned to television with a new show after a bitter dispute with the producers of their previous series Escape To The Chateau.
Last year the couple, who became famous when cameras followed them renovating their sprawling French home, were embroiled in a bullying scandal that led Channel 4 to cut 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 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 faced the daunting challenge of renovating the 45-room property, and the voiceover describes them as an “intrepid British couple.”
Staring at a huge folder of paperwork in an awkward clip as he toured the abandoned castle, Dick told the camera: “Over 200 pages of reasons not to buy the house.”
Dick and Angel Strawbridge have returned to television with a new show after a bitter dispute with the producers of their previous series Escape To The Chateau.
Last year the couple, who became famous when cameras followed them renovating their sprawling French home, were embroiled in a bullying scandal that led Channel 4 to cut ties after an independent investigation into their conduct.
However, fans were delighted to see the couple back on screens and quickly took to X, formerly Twitter.
Writing: ‘So good to see Angel and Dick Strawbridge back on screens!’: Time for the brilliant Dick and Angel on C4′: ‘I’ll be watching Dick as always! Sending love to you all from the UK’: ‘Ready and waiting Dick, I really enjoyed last week!’
In May 2023, sources claimed that Two Rivers Media, the company that produces Escape To The Chateau, expressed concerns about the hosting duo, according to Deadline.
A source said at the time: “There has been a deterioration in the relationship between Two Rivers and Dick and Angel’s Chateau TV for a number of reasons and everything has come to a head.”
“People trying to manage them remotely from the UK, that doesn’t work, or people coming into their house and giving them orders, that doesn’t work either,” the source added.
“The producers make them a perfect couple, bright and fun, that’s how they are on camera, but that’s it.”
Sources close to the couple told MailOnline that their behavior on set was nothing like their “beautiful” on-screen characters.
A source said: “Dick and Angel appear on screen as the most beautiful and charming couple, literally like butter wouldn’t melt, but they’re not like that off screen.
Despite this, their spin-off was already in the works and the new show has now hit screens and sees the pair exploring France away from the castle in Dick and Angel’s Secret France.
Staring at a huge folder of paperwork in an awkward clip as he toured the abandoned castle, Dick told the camera: “Over 200 pages of reasons not to buy the house.”
However, fans were delighted to see the couple back on screens and quickly took to X, formerly Twitter.
“It’s a full show, the production is with them in the castle for weeks, so they can’t hide their real personas; they can’t turn it on for two hours of recording and then not go back to their real personalities.
“They’re just spiky, volatile people and, as you can imagine, working with them is a nightmare.”
The show’s producers’ concerns were laid bare after Angel went on a foul-mouthed rant that saw her question 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 do you draw inspiration from when you work on the castle? Just tell me that and then you can leave and this is me, fucking angry because I think you’re screwed, you little idiot.
‘Don’t work in this castle and then post dark and strange photos which I find quite insulting, and don’t smile. Did you know? You can go fuck yourself.
The clip, which dates 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 show’s producers’ concerns were laid bare after Angel questioned 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 severing ties with Channel 4.
At the beginning of the audio, Angel can be heard saying that her husband Dick talked to people like ‘shit,’ 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 severing ties with Channel 4.
They wrote: ‘Thank you for inviting us into your living rooms. You have watched our children grow up and shared our adventures.
‘It was a decision for the Strawbridge family early last year to conclude Escape to the Chateau, but we have enjoyed every moment and, despite the many challenges, we refused to give up on our dream and in doing so have filled the castle with love and laughter and most importantly, we have created the most wonderful home for our family.
‘There are two sides to every story and from the incredible support we have received, most of you know that.
“We are proud of who we are and feel we must do what we believe is right – that is, in fact, what made Escape to the Chateau unique, and while we have parted ways with Channel 4, we are hugely grateful to A them and their teams for their support and creativity over the years.
“The future really couldn’t look more exciting and we thank you for your continued love and support.”
