Craig Phillips, the DIY expert and former Big Brother winner, has revealed that ITV's hit show 60 Minute Makeover was not as authentic as it appeared. Speaking about his time on the programme, which aired from 2004 to 2018, Phillips admitted that the dramatic home transformations were not completed in the advertised 60 minutes.
Phillips explained that the crew would arrive at 7am to carry out complex tasks, such as disconnecting electrics or dealing with plumbing, before cameras started rolling. Worktops were pre-cut to make dismantling look easy, and items were often balanced on walls for quick removal on screen. 'What you see on screen is cleverly edited down to a 60-minute programme,' he said.
The handyman described the working environment as 'very pressurising', with long hours often required after filming to finish jobs properly. 'Sometimes things would be balancing on the wall for a camera shot, which looked great in the edit; then when the cameras stopped rolling, we’d take it off the wall and screw it on properly,' he added.
Phillips, who joined the show in 2007, said the team took pride in their work and would return to fix any unfinished tasks. The show, hosted by Claire Sweeney and Peter Andre, involved redecorating rooms in secret for nominated friends or relatives.
