Carol Smillie, the beloved presenter who became a household name overseeing both triumphant and occasionally disastrous home transformations on the BBC's Changing Rooms, has made a nostalgic return to television. The 64-year-old recently stepped back into the world of DIY and property makeovers as a guest co-presenter on the popular BBC programme Homes Under the Hammer.
A Blast from the Past on Homes Under the Hammer
The brief comeback occurred while the show was being filmed in the scenic region of Stirlingshire. Smillie shared a photograph on social media capturing the moment with Homes Under the Hammer's regular presenter, Martin Roberts. She accompanied the image with a caption that read: 'Funny old week as I stepped back in time to dip my toe back into the world of make-overs as guest co-presenter on #homesunderthehammer with a massive undertaking in Callander.'
Remembering the Changing Rooms Era
Carol Smillie, originally from Glasgow, fronted the iconic Changing Rooms for nearly a decade, from its launch in 1996 until 2003. The programme paired her with renowned interior designers such as the flamboyant Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and the talented Linda Barker. She also worked closely with the show's builder, Andy Kane, who was affectionately known to viewers as 'Handy Andy'.
The format of Changing Rooms involved two pairs of contestants, typically friends or relatives, who swapped homes to redesign a room in each other's property. This often led to dramatic and sometimes catastrophic results, creating memorable television moments. In one particularly infamous episode, a valuable teapot collection worth £6,000 was destroyed when a floating shelf unexpectedly collapsed.
The Legacy and Revival of a Classic Show
Changing Rooms proved to be a massive success for the BBC, regularly drawing peak-time audiences of around 10 million viewers during its original run from 1996 to 2004. After the BBC decided to end the programme, it experienced a brief revival on Channel 4 in 2021. However, this new iteration was discontinued after only two series, failing to recapture the magic of the original.
Today, Carol Smillie has transitioned into a new career as a sought-after humanist celebrant, officiating weddings and other ceremonies. Her recent appearance on Homes Under the Hammer serves as a delightful reminder of her enduring connection to the world of property and design television, evoking fond memories for fans of the classic makeover show.
