Blackpool Project Parent

Project Parent puts you in charge of your single parent's life.

PHONE RINGS Ow!

-Hello?

-Is this Project Parent?

-Yes, how can I help?

-It's my dad.

He's got six wardrobes full of clothes

-but nothing he wears seems to match.

-Really?

He doesn't go out much and he is really shy around women.

I can fix that. I'm on my way.

Today's project manager is 11-year-old Ellis.

Watch out, Dad, cos I'm in charge.

He's on a mission

to turn his mismatched father into a Daddy Cool...

It's absolutely amazing.

Find a lovely lady to join him on a special night out...

What football team do you support?

Sheffield United.

Rubbish!

And get up to mischief in the surveillance van.

Move onto the cockroaches.

Oh, they made a noise!

THEY LAUGH

Hello and welcome to Project Parent,

the show that puts you in control of your mum or dad's life.

Today, we're in Blackpool for an unusual case

of a clothes-mad dad with no sense of style.

Now, his son, Ellis, wants to take control of his wardrobe

and sort out his social life.

Meet this week's project manager -

Blackpool supporter Ellis.

My hobbies are playing on my games console,

acting and football.

This is his little sister, Erin

and this is their dad, Andy.

My dad's the best dad in the world.

He looks after us, he cooks for us,

plays with us, he does everything with us.

Ellis and Erin are the most important thing in my life.

They spend their weekends with him.

He loves football and golf,

but he loves his clothes more.

He's got six wardrobes.

He's got so many shirts!

All his clothes are dull,

he never throws any of them away.

I tend to hoard clothes, yes.

This jacket is at least 30 years old.

If I wait, they'll come back into fashion.

And when it comes to putting an outfit together,

Ellis thinks his dad hasn't got a clue.

Nothing he wears matches.

He wears smart with casual.

My dad puts together lots of weird combinations.

It's just wrong.

And his wardrobe isn't the only problem Ellis wants to tackle.

My dad has no confidence,

he's very shy around women.

The ideal woman for my dad

would have Madonna's hair,

Nicole Kidman's eyes,

Cameron Diaz's nose

and Kylie Minogue's mouth.

To help Ellis with the difficult task of managing his dad

is his best friend.

-This is my best friend, Flint.

-Hello.

I'm really looking forward to being in charge of my dad.

Nervous? Maybe just a little.

So, a challenging case this week.

Fortunately, I've brought along Project Parent stylist,

Darren Kennedy.

Darren's a top fashion journalist and his no-nonsense attitude

is just what is needed to straighten out Andy's muddled wardrobe.

Hello, I'm Ellis. Come through.

Thank you.

This is my best friend, Flint.

-Hello.

-And this is my dad, Andy.

-Hello, Andy.

I've heard so much about you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

We've heard you have so many clothes that I can't quite believe my ears.

-Shall we go and have a look?

-Sure, yeah.

-Lead the way, lads.

And now, Andy, this is where you make me a brew and I quiz you.

-Ok. Come with me.

-Good man.

Look at this!

They're all my dad's shoes.

-How many pairs of shoes does he have?

-38.

-38?!

-Wait until you see the clothes.

Andy, the first thing I want to know is,

when was the last time you had a fun night out?

-A fun night out?

-Yeah.

That's got to be a couple of years ago, Angellica,

I would have thought.

Why is that?

Well, just looking after children, work,

getting on with life.

It doesn't leave much time.

-Are these all your dad's clothes?

-No, there's more upstairs.

You're kidding me! So, have you counted them?

He has 30 jumpers...

25 pairs of trousers...

42 shirts...

And 27 T-shirts.

Do you think your clothes have anything to do with it,

or maybe you are not dressing right to attract the right person?

No, I think I dress perfectly all the time.

Maybe my son has other ideas.

Talk to me about this wardrobe. What's the problem?

Well, nothing he wears matches.

Also, I'm thinking, from looking around at the clothes,

that colour is an issue?

-Tell me who your ideal woman would be.

-That would be Angelina Jolie.

-She's beautiful.

-Stunning.

Hey, Andy, you're not so bad yourself.

So, let's go back to the real world.

What are you looking for in a lady?

Somebody that likes sports, likes to go to the movies.

Somebody that is up for a good laugh.

-What's your ideal outfit for Dad?

-Grey trainers with illuminous laces.

Baggy black trousers.

A bright T-shirt with a white T-shirt underneath.

A Mafia hat.

And hair extensions.

How does he react if you make him wear something new?

He pulls this sort of face,

it goes sort of like...

Give me that face again...

You're about to hand control over to Ellis and Flint

and I want you to look me in the eye and tell me honestly, what you feel.

Slightly apprehensive.

SHE GIGGLES

-Are you ready to be project managers?

-BOTH: Yes.

That's what I like to hear. Give me five. Good stuff.

-How did it go?

-He has so many clothes

but he doesn't know how to assemble an outfit. How about you?

He's looking for an Angelina Jolie lookalike who plays golf.

-That'll be easy to find!

-Very easy!

Right, it's time to start work on Project Andy and the first task

is to find someone who he can go on a fun evening out with.

Which is where the Project Parent surveillance van comes in.

It's jam-packed with all the latest hi-tech gadgets, cameras and microphones.

-So it's the perfect place to interrogate candidates as they have to take to the hot seat.

-Moo!

And if Ellis and Flint hear something they don't like...

There's always the buzzer.

I can't wait to ask the questions but I'm going to be tough because it's no walk in the park.

Ellis's dad loves golf and football so we have come up with three sporty ladies.

They are:

Sara. She's a keen golfer and can't wait to get into the swing of things.

Strongwoman Julie. She's a regular at the gym and loves weightlifting.

And Joanne. She boxes to keep fit, but will she be a knockout in the hot seat?

And if the girls don't cut the mustard, we've organised a fourth option. Andy's big brother, Paul.

Let's get to work. It's time to get the interrogation

started with the help of their very own bovine assistant.

-Hello, cow.

-Moo!

Right, boys. This is your moment to grill the ladies.

Shall we get the first person in?

-Yeah.

-Go on, then.

-Can the first lady take a seat, please?

-Hello, I'm Ellis and this is my best friend, Flint.

-Hello.

Hi, Ellis and Flint.

Tell me your best joke.

-Why was the beach wet?

-Don't know.

-Because the sea weed!

-Rubbish!

Do you want another one?

That's OK, thanks!

That bad?

What is the best thing about Blackpool?

I live there!

How are you with creepy-crawlies?

Am I about to find out?

A bit scared!

I like creepy-crawlies.

Dress up like a famous singer and sing a big hit.

# Dee-dee-dee-dee-dee. #

I don't know the words.

# Na-na-na-na. Poker face! #

Absolutely rubbish!

Andy loves Hollywood films.

Pretend you've won an award and give an acceptance speech.

-Mooo!

-Well, this award means everything to me.

Tears will earn extra brownie points.

Not a lot of emotion there.

-That's the end of these questions. Thank you.

-Bye!

She's funny and smiley and got a good sense of humour.

The hot seat was really scary. The boys were quite tough.

They were a little bit mean, they kept saying I was rubbish!

Can the second lady please take a seat?

-Hi, kids.

-Tell me your best joke.

What is brown and sticky?

-I don't know.

-A stick!

That's rubbish.

-It's my favourite joke!

-What football team do you support?

Sheffield United!

Rubbish!

How are you with creepy-crawlies?

OK, I think.

I don't like them when they drop on my head!

Andy loves Hollywood films.

Pretend you've won an award and give an acceptance speech.

Thank you, thank you. I would like to thank everybody, everybody.

And that's it, really. I can't begin to tell you...

-Thank you.

-That was really, really bad.

Who is your favourite actor?

-Brad Pitt.

-Do an impression of him.

Angelina, what have you done for my tea?

I think that was a bit...

-Rubbish? I know.

-Thank you.

-Bye!

-Bye.

I don't think the boys are as tough as they seem.

They were just putting on an act to give me a hard time to get the best out of me.

Can the third woman please get into the hot seat?

Tell me your best joke.

-What can your left hand do that your right hand can't do?

-I have no idea.

My left hand can touch my right elbow.

Try it. Your right hand can't touch your right elbow.

Without you looking really stupid.

-That's true, actually!

-Thank you.

-But it isn't a joke as such.

-Sorry.

-How are you with creepy-crawlies?

I can catch a spider in a cup. I can slide a piece of paper underneath it.

I can throw it OUT!

My dad loves cooking.

If you were a meal, what dish would you be?

Good old bangers and mash.

I love bangers and mash.

-So do I, I like bangers and mash.

-I love bangers and mash, too.

Pretend you've won an award and give an acceptance speech.

I can't believe I've won this. I really can't believe it.

I have got a lot of people out there that I want to thank.

My mum and dad, my daughter, and most of all, you guys

out there,

for making me believe in myself.

Thank you, thank you.

-That's the best emotions we have seen today!

-Woo!

-Thank you.

-We'll give you an Oscar.

Fantastic, Thank you.

-Bye.

-Bye!

-Bye.

I thought I did really well with the acting question.

They said I could win an Oscar, so yeah, I'm pretty chuffed with myself.

It's decision time, boys, but before you tell me who's going to go home,

let's just talk about each of the women. Happy?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant. Let's start off with Sara.

-Well, she fit all the criteria.

-What didn't you like about Sara?

She didn't do a very good impression of Lady Gaga.

Let's move on to Julie.

You buzzed her a lot.

Well, we did what we needed to do, really.

I kind of liked her because she was going for a bit of a laugh and she laughed at herself a lot.

And finally, Joanne came and sat in the hot seat, didn't she?

-I think she sort of fits some of the criteria.

-Thank you.

You did like her bangers and mash.

We all like bangers and mash!

And then we have your Uncle Paul.

-Shall we keep him here?

-For now.

Boys, have you made a decision?

-Yeah.

-Who is going home?

-Julie.

-Julie?

-Julie.

-Shall we say goodbye to Julie?

-Bye, Julie.

So, that's one down and three to go.

For Andy's big night out, we have organised a special treat,

switching on the Blackpool Illuminations,

one of the biggest light shows in the world.

But who will Ellis and Flint pick to join him?

And first they have to find an outfit that actually matches.

Ellis' dad loves his clothes.

He has literally got wardrobes full to the brim.

The thing he doesn't have is the ability to put an outfit together.

So it's down to the boys and me to show him the light.

Here's our plan of action.

We're going to split up and go shopping.

Andy, we want you to go off and find a few bits that you like.

We'll do the same, and we'll meet in the changing room.

-First, as a rule...

-Everything has got to match.

-Sound easy enough?

-Yeah.

-You go that way.

Guys, we're going to go this way.

Let's shop.

The boys are eager to brighten up Andy's wardrobe.

-That's quite nice.

-Lots of colour, I like it.

I like this, I think it would suit him.

Some of the things are a lot out of his comfort zone.

So I think he will be a bit nervous.

Meanwhile, Andy is sticking to what he knows best.

I suppose the boys are the project managers,

so if they pick something for me, I think I'm going to have to wear it.

We want this one.

Right. I certainly think we have enough. Don't you?

-Come on, Darren.

-I'm coming!

They've got the clothes,

now they're going to show Andy how to put a matching outfit together.

Ha, ha, ha!

Right, are you ready?

-Born ready.

-OK, let's count him in.

-On the count of three, boys. Three, two, one...

-Come out, Dad.

Wow! In terms of how you can mix and match, what we have done is

taken a very basic colour,

we've got different shades of brown, the camel, reds.

And they all work together.

It's not rocket science, it's all casual, but it works.

-Wow!

-It's nice, isn't it?

-It's great.

-The purple and the grey goes well together

and the jeans and shoes match.

Wow! It's cool.

The jumper isn't just old men jumper,

it's more mixing in with the modern, which makes it sort of modern itself.

Wow!

-Is that the face?

-That's the face.

Don't like the hat, Andy?

-What do you think?

-I think it's good.

Oh, my goodness. I like it.

It's kind of formal, kind of laid back.

So this is quite a formal jacket. But again, with a shirt underneath,

the buttons open on top, and with the flowery detail,

it brings that casual element. I quite like this look.

At the end of a long afternoon,

the boys have whittled it down to their three favourites.

But which will they pick for Andy's night out?

Today we're at Blackpool Zoo because we've arranged for Andy

and the ladies to be zookeepers for the afternoon.

But they won't be dealing with cute creatures like these lemurs.

They'll be dealing with creatures of a completely different nature,

the creepy crawly kind.

I can't imagine what his face is going to be like when he sees

what I've got in store for him.

Out of three women, Ellis and Flint

narrowed it down to two, golf crazy Sara, and boxing clever Joanne.

Let's hope the ladies aren't squeamish,

because they'll to be getting up close to stick insects,

cockroaches and giant snails.

The boys will be controlling it all from the surveillance van.

Why did you choose this particular activity for your dad?

It shows my dad how to handle animals since he likes nature.

The women don't know it,

but Andy's wearing an earpiece connected to the van mic.

Are you nervous, Dad?

-What are you looking for in the women?

-Good sense of humour.

And we need to see if they're squeamish or not.

-First up is Sara.

-I'm Sara. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, Sara.

This is the giant African land snail.

It can grow to the size of an adult's hand

and can live for up to 10 years.

What I need you to do, erm, is just give them a bit of a bath, really,

-to get rid of any mucous.

-She seems a bit nervous.

-Yeah.

-Just hand underneath to support it.

There you go. See there!

You're a natural.

Ask her some questions.

So you ever held a snail like this before?

No. Never. Uggh!

I don't think she likes the look of it,

-but at least she's giving it a go.

-OK.

-That look clean?

-Yeah.

Move on to the cockroaches.

These are giant Madagascan hissing cockroaches, OK?

So don't think of the word cockroach, OK?

Look at her face!

The Madagascan hissing cockroach mimics a sound of a snake

to scare off predators.

Just put your hand over the top.

Just pick him up and then, obviously, support underneath, OK?

He will try and grip on, but just hold on the top, OK.

Tell her it's going to be OK.

All I need you to do is just transfer them from that tank...

-It'll be OK.

-..into this tank, OK? So I can give it a bit of a clean.

Eugh!

Go for a small one then. Go for that little one.

-It made a noise.

-It's hissing.

I think the clue is in the name, with the hissing.

Oh, you got it. Tell you what, you're really good at this.

-Which was the hissing one?

-That one there.

-I don't like this.

What are you doing? Oh, it's off.

-IT HISSES

-I don't like the hissing!

Don't like it!

She's genuinely scared.

I've got to get it. I've got to conquer this.

I've got to conquer it.

Pretend one's gone up your sleeve, Dad.

Oooh... I think I've got one up me sleeve.

Oh, I've got one up me sleeve!

-Help me!

-Do you want me to help you?

-Yeah. I've got one up me sleeve!

Oh, is she going to help?

-Is she going to help?

-Can you find it?

-No.

-Say it's just a joke.

-Oh, I'm just joking. I'm sorry.

-Oh, don't...!

Well done, Dad. Did a great job.

That one's massive.

Say thank you and goodbye, politely.

-Lovely to meet you.

-And you.

-I'll see you again.

-Thank you. Bye now.

-Thank you.

It was nerve-wracking because I'm not used to handling insects.

But it was different.

It's Joanne's turn to play zoo keeper.

-I'm Andy.

-Joanne. Nice to meet you.

These are Thai stick insects.

They've got suckers and claws on their feet

which means they can climb up anything.

I need you to count how many stick insects I have.

-Three.

-Remember, the boys are looking for a sense of humour.

-Can Joanne take a joke?

-It's at six.

Tell her one's on her back.

Whoa, seven... Stay.

-No, there is not!

-Stay.

Tell her it's crawling up slowly.

It's crawling slowly. Oh!

Stay still. Don't move.

-I'll be all right with...

-It's on your scarf.

I've got it. I've got it. Yeah.

-Say it's just a joke.

-It's just a joke. Sorry, I'm sorry.

..coackroaches. Six.

-Six! Agree?

-Agree.

Move on to the cockroaches.

OK.

This one looks a more slightly subdued one.

-It's a little bit docile there.

-Get her to move on. Come on.

Just need to touch and maybe move one, just get a feel for it.

Just have a little...

Oh, it's just hissed. I'm sorry.

That's all right. Quick, quick. It's all right.

-It's hissing.

-Sorry.

It's hissing.

My turn. Brilliant.

Ooh, you monkey!

-We got a hisser.

-Just breathe in.

-Don't like this.

-Pull your sleeves down.

It's actually thinking, "I'm going back under the log."

Yeah, let's flip it over.

Put your hand in there and pretend one's gone up your sleeve, Dad.

Andy's found an empty cockroach shell.

He's put on up his sleeve.

-Is that them all?

-Wee-ee...

-Oh, help me, I've got one up me sleeve.

-Have you really?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Jiggle about, jiggle about.

-Oh, it's...

-They will go up your arm.

Oh, help me. Please.

I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't do it.

-Run about, run about.

-No, I can't stand it.

I can't stand it. No!

It is, it's there.

There. It's there.

I'm really sorry. I can't. I can't do it.

Oh, there he is.

Thank you.

It's not real.

-Oh! Oh!

-It's just his skin.

Say goodbye to her. Nicely.

Thank you very much indeed. Two kisses.

-Thank you.

-Lovely to meet you.

-OK.

-Top, Dad.

-That was fun.

I was extremely nervous but quite pleased with myself

that I'd actually done it.

It's time to face the music.

-Talk to me.

-Well, Sara was a bit squeamish but she overcame

that by picking up the cockroaches, so I think she did quite well.

Joanne, she was good and chatty,

but she just didn't help with the cockroaches.

Sounds like you like them both for different reasons.

This might be a little bit tricky.

So I suggest, maybe we should leave Paul in for a second. Yeah?

-Yeah.

-This is what I'm going to do.

Have a little mix round.

-Right. Who's it going to be?

-We're going to pick...

-..that one.

-That one.

-You sure?

-We're absolutely positive.

-OK.

Finally, it's the morning of Andy's big reveal,

and we'll see the results of Ellis and Flint's hard work.

The boys have found a superb outfit, and most importantly, it matches!

Brilliant. And we've also lined up a fantastic night out for Andy,

but who have the boys chosen to go out with him?

I don't know, but I know there is just enough time

-to squeeze in a bit of pampering.

-Hmm. Well you better get cracking.

I better.

So, boys, what's the plan of action?

Cos in all fairness to you, Andy, he's very well groomed.

Hmm. Spray tan.

Spray tan. Interesting.

How do you feel about a spray tan?

Um...great!

What I would say is, if we are going to spray tan,

the key thing is to not go too dark.

-Whaddya mean?

-I really recommend, go for the shade lighter than what

is nearly recommended, because that way it will look natural,

give you a healthy glow,

and with the outfit, you should be look very smart.

Pampering sorted,

our project managers turn their attention to the next task.

It's time to put the person you've chosen out of their misery.

You going to make the call? All right.

Sara, Joanne and Uncle Paul

are waiting to see if they've been chosen to join Andy on a night out.

We've chosen you to go out with my dad tonight.

Dress up warm and look your best.

Fingers crossed, boys. Fingers crossed.

While the finishing touches are being applied to Project Andy,

friends and family arrive, eager to see Andy's big transformation.

I'm really excited about Daddy's new look.

Andy had lovely clothes but they didn't seem to go together

so well, so hopefully Ellis will have got it all matched lovely.

I'm looking forward to see what Ellis has come up with.

-Hello, everybody!

-ALL: Hello!

-You ready to see my dad?

-Yes!

Three, two, one... Come in, Dad!

-So what do you think of your dad?

-Looks really good, yeah.

-Really good.

-What do you think of his outfit?

-I think it's good.

-More colourful.

-Definitely more colourful.

-Does he look cool?

-We want cool Dad, don't we?

-Yeah.

Shall we show him what he looks like? Let's do it.

Three, two, one.

ALL CHEER

What dies that face mean?

Happy. That's my happy face.

That wasn't THE face, was it?

-Not THE face.

-OK, good.

-What do you think?

-I think it looks great.

Yeah, I feel really comfortable.

-Yeah, it looks great.

-Anything you want to say to the boys?

They've done a great job.

-Thank you.

-You too, come on.

Cheers, boys.

I think he looks a lot better than he used to.

I think Daddy looks amazing.

In the past, Andy was a mish-mash

of old-fashioned styles and dull colours.

Now the boys have put together a matching outfit

with a splash of colour, and he's looking Daddy cool.

To be dressed like this feels really good.

The days of the face are behind me now.

I feel way more confident, erm...

I don't want to do the face anymore. I'm happy with this happy face.

But will he be happy with who the boys have picked

to go out with him tonight?

Who's it going to be?

-Hello!

-Hiya!

How are you?

-I'm good, thank you.

-Good.

Have a great time, now. Bye!

Yeah, I think my dad was really pleased when Sara

pulled up in the carriage.

His face just lit up when it came.

Evening's going really well. I'm really enjoying it.

Sara's absolutely lovely.

My son's made an excellent choice and I'm having a really good time.

Andy seems like a really nice guy. He's really friendly and chatty.

The boys have arranged a once in a lifetime treat for Andy and Sara.

Tonight, you're going to switch on Blackpool's Illuminations.

-Wow!

-Wow!

-'My dad does like the Illuminations and I think he will'

really enjoy switching the lights on tonight because it's something that not a lot of people get to do.

Three, two, one...

BOTH CHEER

To switch on the Illuminations...

I was born here. It's been absolutely brilliant.

It's a once in a lifetime thing.

The legendary Blackpool Illuminations are six miles of

glorious lights, attracting over three million visitors every year.

I've got to say to Flint and Ellis, what a great job you've done, boys.

Absolutely brilliant.

We are the best project managers.

I can't put into words how I feel about my boy.

For what he's arranged tonight,

I'll never forget it, and I've never been as proud as I am right now.

Project manager Ellis has arranged one final surprise for his dad.

My dad's very special, and it's like giving him a thank-you present

for what he's done for me and my sister.

He's definitely the best dad in the world to me.

Wow, didn't those two boys do wonderfully?

They did, and Andy looked amazing.

-Oh!

-What's that?

A note.

"Dear Project Parent, help.

"My mum dresses like a hippie.

"She's always in long flowing skirts and her idea of a good night in

"is listening to Radio Four while drinking her herbal tea."

-Sounds like a challenge.

-Oh yes.

-Another parent...

-Another project.