Kevin McCloud returns to Grand Designs for a new season, featuring ambitious new construction projects. But he will also visit another site, left unfinished two years ago.
Kevin McCloud is set to revisit an unfinished construction site in the upcoming season of Grand Designs, after years of crisis.
The presenter, 65, reprises the helm of the Channel 4 show for its 26th series, as he tours some of the UK’s most ambitious and unconventional home builds. But this series is also the chance for Kevin McCloud to catch up with Graeme and Melanie.
In late 2023, the couple starred on Grand Designs in the hopes of building a brand new pink home for their blended family, after losing each of their respective partners.
Mel and Graeme bought a small plot in Hackney, planning to build their daughters’ bedrooms, Isla and Indi, in the basement and their living areas on the upper floor.
However, while things were off to a good start, the pair quickly realised they were in over their heads and ran out of funds, forcing them to leave their new home unfinished.
Things have drastically changed since their first appearance on the show – Mel and Graeme will give an anticipated update on their new house.
“They’ve finished it now,” Kevin says. “It was always going to be terrifying for them but going back to see the finished building is always a wonderful bonus and a huge privilege. It’s the embodiment of a journey.”
Reflecting on the factors that could leave a project in the balance, Kevin adds, “There’s always a chance that they may run out of money. People are always worried about money.”
Mel and Graeme’s pink house wasn’t the only project that ended on a low note. Another property – the lighthouse-inspired Chesil Cliff House – was dubbed Grand Designs’ “saddest” project ever after being featured twice on the show, leaving its former owner Edward Short out of pocket. The project even resulted in the breakdown of his marriage.
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Despite some builds not making it to completion, Grand Designs’ success was a pleasant surprise for Kevin. “Longevity is a rare thing in telly,” he says, “I still have a job. It’s amazing after all this time.”
This latest series – which will be followed by another airing later this year – brings more groundbreaking builds, featuring homeowners willing to risk time, money and sanity to create something remarkable.
Among the most striking projects is a floating home designed by newcomer Sarah, an innovative build that reconnects its occupants with nature.
“It’s like a spaceship, it’s a building that responds to the universe” Kevin says, “The wind blows at the side of it and pushes it around, the tide lifts it out of the mud and back down again twice a day – they’re driven by the sun and the moon.”
But even after decades of witnessing bold ideas take shape, Kevin was initially sceptical. “We kept taking Sarah’s word for it because we didn’t think the houseboat would be enough,” Kevin says. “But there are always buildings which surprise us because they’re built differently.”
Another standout story is that of an 82-year-old widow who embarks on an emotional journey to build a new home in memory of her late architect husband. After decades in a modest 1930s semi-detached house in North London, she enlists the help of young architect James to create a new home.
“She’s clung on to the semi but it’s entirely different,” Kevin teases, “It’s really about exploring what a building can do for her in old age. I love that you see everything through her eyes.”
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