‘They just want exposure for TV!’ Love it or List it viewers slam Cheshire family as ‘actors’

Love it or List it viewers slammed a Cheshire couple last night as ‘dodgy actors’ after spotting them appearing in an advert during one of the ad breaks. 

Cinematographer Jabzz and his actress wife Sarah appeared on the Channel 4 show yesterday as they confessed they wanted more space and a second bathroom in their four bedroom home.

And though the couple had a £45,000 budget to transform their property, and a £550,000 list it budget, they ultimately decided to stay in their home with some simple storage solutions which cost them £5,000. 

However many viewers were highly critical of Jabzz and Sarah after spotting them appearing in an advert for Lookers during one of the ad breaks.

Love it or List it viewers slammed cinematographer Jabzz and his actress wife Sarah, from Cheshire, last night as ‘dodgy actors’ who ‘just wanted explosure on TV’ (pictured, on Love it or List it) 

One commented: ‘Love the show but tonights was disappointing…dodgy acting family, absence of them genuinely wanting to spend the budget, staged conversations and no space for Brian…he could have that loft space for his guitars.’ 

Another wrote: ‘Knew there was something dodgy about tonight’s family?! Feel mugged right off, they had no intention of spending money on love it.’

A third added: ‘If ever there was unserious couple it’s these two.’ 

The couple explained how they met in church and married in 2012, and now have two children, Josiah and Mimi-Rae.

They both lead very busy lives, as do their children, taking part in a variety of social activities.

Finding a home which was close to good schools was top of their priority list when they bought their property in 2017. 

Jabzz said: ‘When we moved here, we saw the house and we thought – there’s a lot we could do it to make it our home.’

In the last five years, they’ve  removed a wall to create a modern kitchen diner, installed bifold doors and tidied up the garden to create a family friendly space.

Many viewers were highly critical of Jabzz and Sarah after spotting them appearing in an advert for Lookers during one of the ad breaks (pictured, in the advert)

Many viewers were highly critical of Jabzz and Sarah after spotting them appearing in an advert for Lookers during one of the ad breaks (pictured, in the advert) 

But because the living space was completely open plan, it often felt cluttered.

Sarah said: ‘This house isn’t working for us anymore, clothes appear everywhere and we desperately need a second bathroom.’

Jabzz said he loves the house, saying: ‘I think our money is better spent improving what we already have.

‘I do agree there are issues with the house, we need more storage and a second bathroom.’ 

Sarah and Jabzz also had a separate sitting room at the front of the house, which has recently become Josiah’s gaming room and office. 

Many of those watching accused the family of being 'dodgy actors' and questioned if the programme had been staged

Many of those watching accused the family of being ‘dodgy actors’ and questioned if the programme had been staged 

On the third floor, there were three bedrooms, while there was a fourth bedroom in the loft.

The couple said they had a budget of £45,000 to renovate the house to make it work for the family, as well as a list it budget of £550,000 to find a new home better suited for their busy lives.  

Kirstie sat down with the couple, telling them there ‘wasn’t enough space for stuff’, adding: ‘It’s not practical. We want to make the most of this beautiful kitchen you spent a lot of money on, but a lot of this job is carpentry.’ 

Kirstie proposed a small extension to the side of the house with a utility and WC – and if the family decided to stay further, they could add an extra office for Jabzz.

The couple explained how they met in church and married in 2012, before moving into their home in 2017 (pictured)

The couple explained how they met in church and married in 2012, before moving into their home in 2017 (pictured) 

However Jabzz and Sarah both confessed they felt the home had become impractical for them and didn't have enough storage (pictured, the office space)

However Jabzz and Sarah both confessed they felt the home had become impractical for them and didn’t have enough storage (pictured, the office space) 

The open plan extension which they added to the back of the home also often felt cluttered and poorly utilised

The open plan extension which they added to the back of the home also often felt cluttered and poorly utilised 

Meanwhile an attic bedroom was difficult to use due to a steep set of stairs leading up to it (pictured)

Meanwhile an attic bedroom was difficult to use due to a steep set of stairs leading up to it (pictured) 

Meanwhile upstairs, she suggested the family add in simple storage solutions.

She said: ‘This house, with the right storage, could be a revelation.’

Meanwhile Phil showed the couple their first property in the hunt – a charming four-bedroom semi less than 20 minutes from the children’s schools.

On the market for offers for £450,000, it’s 23 per cent bigger than their current home.

The first stunning property which Phil showed the couple was £100,000 less than their £550,000 budget - but it did need modernisation

The first stunning property which Phil showed the couple was £100,000 less than their £550,000 budget – but it did need modernisation 

While Sarah said it looked 'lovely', the rooms were small and dingy, with the couple confessing it needed renovations made

While Sarah said it looked ‘lovely’, the rooms were small and dingy, with the couple confessing it needed renovations made

Meanwhile it also had a country-style kitchen which looked out onto a family garden - but Sarah and Jabzz were unsure

Meanwhile it also had a country-style kitchen which looked out onto a family garden – but Sarah and Jabzz were unsure 

Sarah said it had ‘curb appeal’, saying it looked ‘lovely.’

Meanwhile inside, there was a country style kitchen and conservatory and family room. 

Upstairs there were four good sized bedrooms, with plenty of storage space. 

Sarah said: ‘I love the conservatory and the garden, I can’t help but love the garden.’

Four months after they first met Kirstie and Phil, the couple set about adding further storage solutions to their home, with a tight budget of £10,000.

The second property shown to the couple by Phil was a detached home which had been newly renovated

The second property shown to the couple by Phil was a detached home which had been newly renovated 

The detached four-bedroom home was on the market for £500,000 and offered almost 30 per cent more space than what they had at home

The detached four-bedroom home was on the market for £500,000 and offered almost 30 per cent more space than what they had at home

Jabzz said: ‘When Kirstie first came round, she mentioned the main issue we had was storage. So we’re going with her idea of having more storage in the house.’

Phil’s second offering was slightly further from home, but he said he wanted  to show the couple what they could get for their money by widening their search by a few miles.

The detached four-bedroom home was on the market for £500,000 and offered almost 30 per cent more space than what they had at home.

Sarah said she felt the property was a ‘dream house’, but Jabzz pointed out a number of flaws – including the smaller garden and the location. 

The final property Phil showed the couple was a fived bedroom property which they said seemed ‘very big.’

The final property Phil showed the couple was a five bedroom property which they said seemed 'very big'

The final property Phil showed the couple was a five bedroom property which they said seemed ‘very big’

The house was on the market for £550,000 and almost 50 per cent bigger than their own space - with all the living space they were after

The house was on the market for £550,000 and almost 50 per cent bigger than their own space – with all the living space they were after

The house was on the market for £550,000 and almost 50 per cent bigger than their own space – with all the living space they were after.

However they didn’t like the size of the garden, and how much modernising was needed in the property. 

Seven months after Kirstie and Phil first met the couple, they returned to see the changes to their home. 

The couple had added a wall of storage into the extension to provide them with somewhere to hide away their mess – spending just £1,200 on the custom built units. 

And upstairs, they put in some more built in flat-pack wardrobes. 

At the end of the programme, the couple revealed they did plan to sell their property - but confessed they were in no rush to move, having added extra storage to the space

At the end of the programme, the couple revealed they did plan to sell their property – but confessed they were in no rush to move, having added extra storage to the space 

The couple made some minor tweaks to their home by decorating, spending just £5,000 to add some additional cupboards

The couple made some minor tweaks to their home by decorating, spending just £5,000 to add some additional cupboards 

After scaling back on their original costs, they only spent around £5,000 on carpentry and a bit of decorating.   

And at the end of the programme, the couple said they were planning to ‘list it’ – but weren’t in a rush. 

Sarah said: ‘We love the house as it is now, we have to find the dream house in the right location.’

Jabzz said: ‘Our kids are getting bigger, we definitely need more space.’

Even presenter Kirstie Allsopp acknowledged how unusual it was that the family were appearing in an advert while on the programme

Even presenter Kirstie Allsopp acknowledged how unusual it was that the family were appearing in an advert while on the programme 

However many viewers were baffled, and even questioned the couple’s sincerity, when they spotted the family appearing in an advert for Lookers during one of the breaks from the show.  

Meanwhile Kirstie even acknowledged that the couple would be appearing in the advert break, tweeting: ‘Oops! Our lovely family from this week’s Love it or List It in Cheshire have recently appeared in an ad!

‘And guess what….? It’s gone into our ad break, what are the chances?!’

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