E4's Celebs Go Dating descend on south Warwickshire holiday retreat

A south Warwickshire holiday retreat played host to two celebrities for the filming of a TV dating show currently airing.

A Channel Four production crew took over Winchcombe Farm in September as part of the hotly anticipated new series of Celebs Go Dating, featuring a host of stars including Gary Lucy and Pete Wicks.

It marks a third appearance for The Only Way Is Essex favourite Wicks, 33, who says he is ‘determined to find love on the show.’

He appears alongside Lucy, 40, who played Kyle Pascoe on Hollyoaks until earlier this year.

The pair spent two days filming while staying in George’s Getaway lodge.

Their potential love interests stayed in The Chicken Shed and most of the filming took place in Winchcombe’s largest property, Ben’s Burrow.

Jo Carroll, who co-owns the business in Upper Tysoe with husband Steve Taylor, said: “It’s not often to get the talk about the celebs that comes and stay with us.

"We’ve become a popular retreat for quite a few famous faces and politicians, who want a private and secluded rural getaway.

“It created quite a buzz of excitement on the site and was fascinating for us to see what goes on behind the scenes filming these shows.

“It took two days to film just a half hour slot for the show and we had to close the bookings down for the whole site as we had celebrities and 23 crew members running around.”

Jo added: “Gary Lucy and Pete Wicks were really down to earth delightful people and both utterly charming.

"Gary Lucy in particular absolutely loved the place and wanted to know all about it..”

The reality dating series, narrated by comedian Rob Beckett, sees matchmakers Paul Carrick Brunson, Anna Williamson and Tom Read Wilson set the celebrities up with strangers.

Celebs Go Dating airs weeknights at 10pm on E4.

Winchcombe Farm appears in episode 15 (first aired December 16) and episode 16 (first aired December 19) and can be found on Catch Up via https://www.channel4.com/programmes/celebs-go-dating