A British expat who once appeared on Channel 4's A Place in the Sun is feared to be among the victims of catastrophic wildfires sweeping through southern Spain. Malcolm Timbrell, 70, and his 69-year-old wife, Annette Kilgore, resided in the Almeria province village of Bédar, which was overwhelmed by the blaze on Thursday, 9 July. The inferno has tragically claimed 13 lives across the region.
Couple's Dream Home Turned to Tragedy
The couple, originally from Cornwall, had successfully purchased their Spanish property after featuring on the popular property programme in 2023. Malcolm became separated from his wife and 12 friends and neighbours as the inferno raced towards their property. "We have had an amazing life together and now it's stopped," Malcolm told the BBC, with his interview broadcast during the BBC News at Six on Monday, 13 July.
"If we had done the sensible thing and gone the other way and let our cats die, we both would be alive. But when you've got animals, you don't think like that," Malcolm continued. "We are just waiting now for DNA clarification. And after that, I will probably just fall apart."
A Place in the Sun Episode Remembered
A Place in the Sun presenter Leah Charles-King notably assisted Malcolm and Annette in locating their perfect Spanish home three years ago. At the start of the episode, Annette heartbreakingly discussed wanting to embrace the Spanish lifestyle following her retirement from the mental health and care sector. She said: "We've started kayaking, which is great fun. I haven't fallen in. I now know that I don't panic when I fall in, so that's a good thing."
Despite never having visited the Almeria region before, Annette and Malcolm were convinced it was the ideal location for them and their cherished cats, Charlie and Misty, to relax. "It's not as commercialised, it's smaller areas of villages, so it just seemed the perfect place," Annette said, with Malcolm adding: "It will extend our adventure."
Property Purchase and Final Moments
The couple had set aside £200,000 for their dream home, which they discovered in Bédar. The beautiful stone cottage was listed at £215,746 at the time of filming. At the end of the episode, Malcolm and Annette decided to submit a "cheeky" offer to gauge the seller's response. Their opening bid of £175,000 was turned down by the owner, though they ultimately settled at £200,000.
Following confirmation of the purchase, Leah congratulated the delighted couple, declaring: "I'd like to make a toast to you both and just say, to your new journey. Congratulations." Malcolm responded: "I couldn't be happier at the moment," while Annette added: "We've just bought that Spanish beautiful stone cottage up on the top of a mountain. And that isn't what we came for! It's what we've bought because it's what we fell in love with."
