Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, the flamboyant interior designer best known for Changing Rooms, has spoken about the profound impact of his father's death when he was nine years old. Trefor Llewelyn-Bowen, an orthopaedic surgeon, died of leukaemia at the age of 46. The designer described the loss as 'huge' and said it taught him to be more positive because 'there is nothing between you and oblivion'.
Growing up in a female-dominated household with his mother, grandmother and sister Frances, Llewelyn-Bowen said he had to 'make up his own idea of manhood'. His later family life with wife Jackie and daughters Cecile and Hermione continued that trend, though he now enjoys a 'male bothy' with his grandson Albie and sons-in-law.
Reflecting on his career, Llewelyn-Bowen admitted he initially tried to escape the fame that came with Changing Rooms. After a screen test, the director told him he looked 'absolutely ridiculous' and questioned who would paint a room in black leather and velvet. However, after three years his private clients abandoned him due to unavailability, forcing him to 'give in and allow celebrity to embrace' him.
On his marriage of over three decades, he contrasted his own chatty relationship with the silent couples he sees in restaurants. He also shared the joy of taking his grandson to Venice, describing the architecture as 'frilly' and the gondola ride as 'something out of a fairy story'.
