We went on A New Life In The Sun – our house STILL isn't finished one year on rage devastated couple
On the Channel 4 show, singers Ellie and Gary from Nottingham bought a huge guesthouse.
7
7
The 10-bedroom property in Central Bulgaria cost them just £13,000, and it even came with a swimming pool.
After work dried up, the couple moved lock stock and barrel to Europe with their daughter Millie.
Initially, things on A New Life in the Sun: Where Are They Now?, went well for the couple.
The pair managed to get their huge home up to scratch ready to welcome guests for a bed and breakfast escape.
However, they bought the empty plot of land next door as they planned to build a state-of-the-art bungalow for Ellie's mum Linda.
Although work started on the new home, it soon came to a standstill as the couple engaged in a battle with the local authorities.
They were left frustrated by all the bureaucracy as they didn't get the correct planning permission on the A Place In The Sun spin-off.
Ellie said: "We've been focusing on the planning for mum's house, which it finally came through."
While Gary admitted: "Yep, it didn't go according to plan like we knew it would and it was all paperwork."
They thought the job would only take a few months, but they were wrangling with the system for over a year.
A Place In The Sun's Laura Hamilton on her surprising secret to losing a stone and why she laughs off people thinking she has fake boobs
Linda was then forced to live with the couple for over a year as they built the second dream home.
The duo were left fuming about the progress of the home as they showed the camera their bulging file of documents.
Ellie explained: "That's the building visa that says we could build. But then you've got documents.
"First we had to get documents from the electric company saying they'll supply electric, then we had to get another document saying they'll do the work, and then another one when it's signed off."
Gary was clearly even more frustrated having to live with his mother-in-law as he remarked: "It's crackers".
Glaring down at the pages of documents in front of him, he added: "Look at it! Everything gets stamped [and] signed.
"There must be 50 different things!"
When progress resumed, Linda wasn't ready to move into the house for another few months.
When she eventually moved out of the guesthouse, nothing was straightforward in the bungalow as it had no running water.
In order to fill up the kettle to make tea, Linda would have had to improvise by using the exterior hosepipe.
7
7
7
7
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
Michelle Keegan looks incredible as she shows off abs in sports bra just four months after giving birth
MICHELLE Keega n showed off her toned body as she completed an intense Pilates workout months after welcoming her first born child. Michelle, 38, who welcomed Palma in March, snapped a pic of herself in the mirror in a black sports bra and sitting atop a reformer Pilates machine at a studio near her Essex mansion. 4 4 4 The former Coronation Street star, who shares her adorable daughter with husband Mark Wright, 38, smiled for the camera as she wore her brunette hair in a loose bun above her head. She posted the photo to her Instagram stories and added The La's song, There She Goes to the post. "Love a Sunday morning class," she captioned the post. Michelle returned to work in June following the arrival of daughter Palma in March. She jetted to a film set in Bulgaria for her next project and shared a slew of snaps from the shoot, which included an adorable pic of her daughter. Other pictures included Michelle looking happy and relaxed on set as she showed off her incredible post-baby figure. In her caption, she wrote: "A week of work & belly laughs in Bulgaria." The Fool Me Once star, who recently bagged herself a six-figure sum sharing snaps of her living it up at the Cannes film festival, on holiday in Spain and showing off her incredible post-baby figure in tiny swimsuits from her own fashion range. The Sun revealed how the actress had signed a six-figure advertising deal to become the new face of Sky. We revealed how she would be filming a series of promo clips — which will be shown around the globe — with fellow British actor, Luther star Idris Elba. The deal is Michelle's first major job since she gave birth in March. She landed the deal after becoming a major player for Sky, with her comedy-drama Brassic one of the most popular series to air on the platform. The actress revealed she was expecting her first baby with Towie favourite Mark back in December. The happy couple - who have been married for nine years - shared their happy pregnancy news on Instagram. Then in March, the new parents revealed they had welcomed baby Palma into the world.
South Wales Argus
12 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Newport City Council 'thoughtless' over Parkrun cancellation
The temporary installation overlaps the Parkrun starting line, leading to the cancellation of this week's event and raising uncertainty about future runs until the site is removed in early September. The park was part of a city centre enhancement led by Newport Now, in partnership with the local council. While the area is intended for residents to enjoy outdoor leisure, its placement has prompted frustration over perceived lack of planning and consultation. Runners have voiced disappointment, citing the mental and physical benefits Parkrun brings to hundreds of participants each week. There are also concerns that relocating runners could lead to unnecessary car travel and higher carbon emissions. Organiser Simon Cawthorn described the move as thoughtless and called on Newport Council to reconsider the setup. He urged the importance of protecting community-driven fitness initiatives that contribute to public health and cohesion. He said: "Hundreds of people get health and mental benefits from the Parkrun, this action by the council is thoughless and selfish, they have not used due consideration when setting this up and will bring disappointment to hundreds of people, not to mention the impact on the environment when all these runners have to get in their cars and drive to different locations to do their weekly Parkrun." Despite the setback, both Newport Now and Parkrun representatives remain optimistic. Discussions are underway to find a workable solution before next weekend's event. The site, while temporarily reconfigured, is part of a much larger public space that regularly accommodates festivals and activities. With some route adjustments or revised layout, it is believed the pop-up park and Parkrun can coexist. For Simon Cawthorn, the situation highlights the need for better coordination between event planners and community organisers. Newport City Council says it remains committed to finding a solution. A spokesman said, 'The Riverfront Parkrun is a welcome addition to the city centre activities. We want it to continue and believe it can be accommodated even with the temporary pop-up park in place as there is a lot of space around it.' Meanwhile, the picnic area was a big hit with Jayden, his twin sister Ellie, and their friend Kylen-Jay. Asked if they were bothered about disrupting the Parkrun, Ellie smiled and said, 'No! This is more fun.' Their dad, Lee, enthused, 'We came from the cinema and found this — the kids love it.'
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Woman with 'world's biggest lips' reveals what she looked like before surgery
A woman who claims to have the 'world's biggest lips' has revealed what she looked like before undergoing dramatic surgery and getting copious amounts of lip filler. Andrea Ivanova from Bulgaria regularly hits the headlines due to her enhanced appearance, which has seen her fork out an estimated $27,000 on lip filler alone after starting her transformation in 2018. The 27-year-old has previously admitted she struggles to find love because of her bold look, but it hasn't stopped her from achieving her goal of having the most exagerrated lips and cheeks in the world. Now, Andrea has revealed what she looked like before altering her face via cosmetic enhancements. In her 'before' photos, a youthful Andrea can be seen with regular proportioned lips. But since undergoing her enhancement journey, she has become scarcely recognizable. Her long list of treatments included chin shaping, enlargement and lengthening; jaw shaping and lip augmentation; as well as cheekbone enhancement - all at once. She's previously spoken about how she likes to stand out from the crowd with her unique look. 'I like exaggerated things like huge lips, a face with many fillers, heavy and eccentric make-up. 'I don't like boring ordinary appearances and I am a fan of huge shapes and eccentric beauties. Natural beauty is boring to me so I decided to change my appearance radically.' The social media influencer has spoken openly about having had six procedures done in a single day as an 'experiment' - even though her usual doctor refused to do it. 'My doctor was afraid to inject more hyaluronic acid into my lips, but I was adamant that I wanted more, and I will not stop. 'I wanted to do six procedures at once. Until now, I always did these on different areas of the face on different days.' Andrea had previously only ever had a maximum of three needles in her face at the same time. 'But this time, I wanted to experiment with myself to see how many injections and [amounts of filler] would affect my body,' she said. She even had to seek out a doctor in Germany to do the procedures, which went ahead in February last year, as her usual surgeon simply refused. And even though Andrea was excited about the experience, she confessed it had been extremely painful. 'I have pain all over my face right now and my jaw and chin hurt a lot,' she said at the time. 'It's hard for me to smile because of the pain in my cheekbones and there's a pulling sensation over my face.' But Andrea insisted the feeling was normal after treatment because the 'filler hadn't settled into place'. Although she finds eating difficult, Andrea is adamant her lips 'don't hurt'. She added: 'I only feel a slight discomfort, but that's where I have the most amount of filler and where I've had injections the most amount of times. The more filler there is, the less the area hurts.' Despite the pain, Andrea doesn't have any plans to slow down or reduce her voluptuous look. The former philosophy student planned to go to Germany to visit the same surgeon, as her usual doctor is skeptical about going forward with her transformation.' But now even the German medical practitioner has revealed their concerns. 'I had no fears about having so many injections at once because I trust my doctor and they are a great professional in cosmetic surgery,' Andrea said. 'But they are afraid I'll get necrosis and have to have the tissue surgically removed from my lips if I carry on. 'There are risks involved, such as inflammation, and raised body temperature, especially with so much at once.' 'I have facial swelling and bruising right now, which is normal due to the many needles, but I think in a few days, I'll recover.' She continued: 'You shouldn't judge people for their looks. It's their taste and no one has the right to be offended because of it. 'I think I'm going to carry on doing multiple injections in one day going forward, as it makes me very happy.'
