Channel 4 has revealed the future of its popular daytime show A Place in the Sun as the broadcaster cuts programming to save money.
Good news for fans of the real estate show, because not only is it here to stay, but a new season has also been scheduled for its sister show.
In an unexpected move, a new series of the series’ spin-off, A Place in the Sun: What Happened Next, has been greenlit by exes.
In this spin-off, presenters and property experts including Laura Hamilton, Leah Charles-King and Jasmine Harman go back in time and look back at the people they have helped move in previous years.
The hosts travel abroad to meet the people they have personally helped to settle in another country and to hear how they have fared.
Channel 4 has revealed the future of its popular daytime programme A Place in the Sun as the channel cuts programming to save money
It’s good news for fans of the real estate show, because not only is it here to stay, but its sister show has also been ordered for a new season
The spin-off sees presenters and property experts such as Laura Hamilton (pictured above) travel back in time and visit some of the people they helped move.
A Place In The Sun: What Happened Next has only aired one series of 10 episodes so far, which has apparently been popular with viewers.
Jo Street, day commissioner, said: ‘A Place in the Sun is a hugely popular show and we know the public are really concerned about what happens to house hunters when the cameras are gone.
“What a joy to see each other again and hear what happened when that offer was finally accepted.”
The programme is aimed at families and couples who have taken the plunge and bought a house abroad since 2007.
Senior Executive Producer Michelle Heeley added: ‘It was great to revisit these house hunters, who are loving their new home in the sun.
“We are incredibly proud that we have been able to change so many people’s lives. It is a testament to all the hard work our production team and presenters have put in over the last 23 years. I can’t wait for viewers to see what happens next.”
Many of the former house hunters are now enjoying the sunshine and a slower pace of life, while others are busy renovating barns, reclaiming the countryside, leading eco-friendly lifestyles, running B&Bs and working harder than ever.
A Place in the Sun is a firm fan favourite and one of Channel 4’s longest running series.
The program has been broadcast for more than 21 years.
The hosts travel abroad to meet the people they helped settle in another country and hear how they’ve gotten on since then (Leah Charles-King pictured above)
A Place in the Sun: What Happened Next has only aired one series so far consisting of 10 episodes, which apparently proved popular with viewers
The spin-off, which has been commissioned for a new season, comes after Channel 4 axed a string of shows this year and announced plans to lay off hundreds of staff in January
The spin-off’s revival comes after Channel 4 axed a number of programmes this year.
The broadcaster also announced in January that there were plans to lay off hundreds of employees.
Channel 4 is also leaving its London headquarters, the Horseferry Road office where it has been based since 1994, and is instead establishing a new office elsewhere in London.
In June, the closure of five channels was announced: The Box’s music channels: 4Music, The Box, Kiss, Magic and Kerrang!
A Channel 4 spokesperson told The Sun: ‘As we announced earlier this year as part of Channel 4’s Fast Forward digital strategy, we are closing our Box network of channels across all platforms from 1 July, as they are no longer large enough to deliver a meaningful return on investment.
‘Our strategy reflects the generational shift in TV viewing and involves reducing costs, particularly in linear businesses, to invest in digital priorities and remain competitive in a world of global entertainment conglomerates and social media giants.’
The broadcaster has recently had to cancel a number of programmes, including SAS: Who Dares Wins and Steph’s Packed Lunch, as part of a bid to cut costs.
Danny Dyer’s popular series Scared of the Dark was also cancelled after just one season, despite its enormous success.
In the experimental TV show, all kinds of famous faces had to live in complete darkness for a week, while carrying out all kinds of tasks.
The broadcaster has recently been forced to cancel a number of programmes, including SAS: Who Dares Wins and Steph’s Packed Lunch (pictured), as part of efforts to cut costs
Danny Dyer’s popular show Scared of the Dark has also been cancelled after just one season, despite its huge success
Meanwhile, Channel 4’s Hollyoaks will also air fewer episodes per week from September (Malique Thompson Dwyer and Jennifer Metcalfe pictured in 2021 soap)
Despite initial rumours that a second season was in the works and even talks of Nigel Farage joining the programme, Banged Up became the latest Channel 4 show to be axed
Former footballer Paul Gascoigne was crowned winner of the series after living in complete darkness for eight days, beating Love Island’s Chloe Burrows, former boxer Chris Eubank and comedian Chris McCausland in the competition.
Despite the series attracting more than a million viewers, Channel 4 has decided not to revive the series for a second season, according to Deadline.
From September, fewer episodes of Hollyoaks will also be broadcast on Channel 4.
The soap, which is broadcast on the streaming service 4OD, E4 and YouTube, will be reduced from five to three episodes per week.
The broadcaster said the change was made because it was “the optimal pattern to keep home audiences engaged and attract new viewers in a highly saturated content market”, based on data from Channel 4.
The latest programme to fall victim to the cuts is the BAFTA-nominated documentary series Banged Up.
Stars taking part in the first season included EastEnders actor Sid Owen, Gogglebox star Marcus Luther and the Mail’s Peter Hitchens.
The first season of the four-part documentary series, which first aired in October 2023, followed a group of male celebrities as they swapped normal lives for a stint in Shrewsbury’s decommissioned prison.
The participants were locked up for eight days, during which time they were locked in cells, given jobs, and subjected to body searches. They were cared for by real former prison guards and real ex-criminals.
The film had such an impact that it was even nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Reality Series, although it lost out to Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge.
However, the broadcaster has confirmed that the programme will not return, describing the show as a ‘one-off social experiment’.