Episode 5 Hotel of Mum and Dad

-Living at home is a cushy number.

-Dinner's ready.

Leaving you with money to burn.

If we're going out, we could easily spend 200 quid.

My financial focus is having massive jugs.

No wonder so many young people are living with Mum and Dad.

Mum does all the chores and that in the house.

We have our own gym here.

It's luxury, really.

They're even moving their other half in.

I never actually asked my dad if Isaac could move in.

It's slightly weird having a different man living in the house.

Our sex life suffers a lot. We've got his mum there.

Right next door.

So, what happens when they have to move out and fend for themselves?

Oh, my lord!

When was the last time they put this on?

We're giving young couples the chance to find out.

I don't know what to do with this, babe. How do I put it in the bin?

Will they relish their freedom?

We are having a totes amazeballs night, aren't we, babe?

Our sex life has been fantastic.

Or push each other to breaking point?

Oh, my God, why are you making me look like a dick?

Will they move out for good?

It's got a garden!

Or run home to the Hotel of Mum and Dad?

What have you decided to do?

Meet Christie, 19, and Isaac, 18, from Stroud.

I first realised I fancied Isaac in school,

we had a bit of a flirty thing going on.

When he passed me in the corridors he'd say something funny.

She seemed quite outgoing and cute.

After meeting at a party,

rugger lad Isaac bowled good-time girl Christie over

by showing his sensitive side.

He took me to a tree which he said was special to him, which was weird.

But getting back to nature was deffo an ice-breaker.

We went for a walk in the snow

where we threw snowballs at each other, which was really cute.

So, melted hearts all around,

and the pair have been hot stuff ever since.

Me and Christie have a lot of fun. I like winding her up.

Get off!

He just makes me laugh and he makes me so happy.

She's funny.

Knows what she wants and she's really loving and kind.

Pretty soon, music student Isaac

and budding make-up artist Christie became inseparable.

Isaac first started staying over maybe once or twice a week

and then it gradually got more and more

and now it's every night, we're together.

Which basically means Isaac's moved in with Christie

and Christie's dad John.

I never actually asked my dad if Isaac could move in,

it just kind of happened and my dad just had to deal with it.

When I first moved in with Christie and her dad, it was quite awkward.

And it was just as awkward for single dad John.

Slightly weird having a...

a different man living in the house.

Isaac checking into the Hotel of John has caused a few headaches.

The most challenging things are probably the, um...

hotel laundry service.

I do the washing up... No, I don't.

The issues just are that we need to do more around the house

and we don't do enough.

Tins, tin-openers...

..saucepan.

The saucepan's not mine, that's Isaac's.

So, why doesn't Isaac do it?

Like, when you...when you cook, you want to eat it,

you don't want to wash up straightaway. Then you forget.

It's just how it... it's just what happens.

And the biggest challenge of all? Isaac's appetite.

He eats so much food.

I'm pretty much an addict when it comes to food.

I'm always, like, thinking about it.

And he is eating John out of house and home.

I had some sausages the other week which I shouldn't have,

John went a bit crazy about it.

We have our moments, you know, there can be, er...

rough periods.

But he won't have a go at me, cos he's a nice guy,

he'll just have a go at Christie, then Christie'll have a go at me.

It's just, like, a trail of anger going throughout the house

when, really, if they just communicated, it'd be a lot easier.

Despite the food fights, Christie knows they've got a cushy number.

-He does a lot for us.

-Yeah.

He provides us with somewhere to have, we get food,

we get everything, electricity and we don't have to pay for it,

which is pretty nice.

I mean, I probably should pay for some stuff

but I don't have the money and neither does Isaac,

so... He hasn't asked for anything, so I don't see why we should.

So, it's a one-way cash flow in John's house.

Christie does borrow money from me occasionally,

if she says she'll pay it back, then she normally does,

she doesn't always say she'll pay it back.

As well as dad's dough, Christie works in a phone shop,

making her the breadwinner.

Wish I could spend loads of money on clothes.

We like to go out with our friends, doing things.

I like spending money on my make-up, my clothes,

getting my nails done, getting my hair done.

And she loves it so much

she wants to make a full-time career out of it.

I've just finished and qualified to be a make-up artist

and now I'm going to do an apprenticeship

to become a hairdresser as well.

But there's one thing holding her back.

It's a nice place,

but when you've lived here for 19 years, it gets boring.

There's nothing to do, I want to be somewhere bigger.

And Isaac shares Christie's big ambitions.

My dream career is to be a professional dancer.

MUSIC: "It's Like That" by Run DMC

In the meantime, he's collecting glasses at the local nightclub.

So the pair want to up sticks out of the sticks

and hit the bright lights of the big city.

I think that that's definitely a factor of wanting to move out.

-Yeah.

-Being able to pursue our dreams

and having a better opportunity to do that.

So we have given the couple a chance

to road-test living on their own together for one week,

but Isaac's dragging those dancing feet.

# It's like that and that's the way it is. #

I don't want to move out yet

because, financially, I've nowhere near enough

money to support myself or Christie.

I'd definitely say I'm the one that wants to move out more.

We can have our friends round when we want to,

we can go out when we want to.

Have all our clothes and stuff around.

-Have all our clothes.

-And food.

Everything, it'll be... it'll just be...

I think it will benefit our relationship...

-Yeah, definitely.

-..and get us to the next level in our lives.

-Yeah.

So Isaac and Christie have big dreams of big-city life,

but do they have the big budget to escape the country?

That was our rural romantics.

Now meet dressing-up duo Laura, 22, and Lee, 23, from Worcester.

Lee and I met at the end of first year of university,

we'd just come back from a sports tour that we'd both been on

and he tagged me in some really horrible photos on Facebook

and it went from there, really.

She's so ditsy at times that you just can't help but laugh at her,

so that's what attracted me to her.

You could tell that he worked out, he was in really good shape,

um, he has a really nice smile as well.

They've been living the life of Riley

since Lee snuck in whilst parents Vin and Tracey were on holiday.

MUSIC: "Holiday" by Madonna

My parents went away for three-and-a-half weeks,

so I moved him in to keep me company.

And Lee's been there ever since.

Why would he want to leave this?

We live in my parents' house, which is a five-bedroomed house,

we have our own gym here.

It's luxury, really, compared to what I've lived in in the past.

There's two living rooms so you can go and chill out.

And chill out Lee did, but not just at home,

at work, as well, with a jammy job at his old university.

It's just a general laid-back atmosphere,

but there is a job to do at the same time.

Although Lee's Mr Laid-Back,

Laura's hitting her 20s with a serious plan of attack.

I know where my career's going, I'm a teacher,

so I'm in a place now where the next step is to move out.

But Laura's not interested in renting,

she wants to own her bricks and mortar.

I have a five-year plan.

I'm saving for a mortgage

and I've told Lee that when I've got it, I'm going,

with or without him, really!

I think Laura had her five-year plan

and I think Lee certainly has a five-minute plan,

which involves, "Where's my food, and how much...

"Shall I get another pair of football boots?

But for super-organised Laura,

getting Lee to buy into a five-year plan will be tricky.

He's got used to a certain standard.

This room belongs to me and Lee, this is where we both sleep.

This is Lee's room, I'm not allowed in here very often.

That's right, Lee's got his own lad's lair at his in-laws.

He's got his gaming chair for his PlayStation, his laptop.

This room, I think, is probably more important than me.

I'm very much a person that likes to have my own space,

so at times, if I have had a tough day at work or a stressful time,

I do like to lock myself away.

# Oh, the good life... #

And, of course, this five-star hotel comes all-inclusive.

For me and Lee, my mum cooks a big meal for us every night.

She'll do a food shop every week, so there's always food in for us.

If we're busy or we're going away, she'll always do our washing

if we need to, or anything that we need doing, my mum will do it.

I've been a mum for so long, I just go into automatic pilot.

Lee doesn't know how to use a dishwasher yet, does he?

Oh, he's just learnt, yeah, sorry.

He doesn't... he didn't know where it was.

But when it comes to money, Laura and Lee are chalk and cheese.

In a month, I could spend between £200 and £300 on going out.

I have the more sensible attitude to money, 100%. Don't even try.

-I'm not going to argue with that.

-Yeah.

I have other ambitions like travelling,

so if I was to come across a bit of money,

it would probably go towards that.

So can this couple leave this life of luxury

and make it in the real world?

We've never lived together on our own.

It could prove to be a major test.

The dynamics of the relationship will change, and we might struggle

when it's suddenly condensed into a small apartment.

I think Lee will struggle more than Laura

because he does need his own space.

And can this planning princess win over her easygoing other half

and convince him to get with her programme?

So, we've got a daddy's girl funding an eating machine in Stroud.

He eats so much food.

I'm pretty much an addict when it comes to food.

And a control-freak teacher used to first-class accommodation.

I'm in a place now where the next step is to move out

and I'm going, with or without him, really!

How will the couples cope

when they swap their cushy domestic deal for a dose of the real world?

I'm just saying we need more money...

-We don't have more money.

-..for food.

We're giving both couples the money they need

to try renting a place of their own for a week,

but it's the same budget they would have

if they were going it alone for real.

Back in Stroud, Christie and Isaac are pooling their cash

to fund their escape to the big city.

When it comes to how much we earn, what do you...what's yours?

180 a month, probably, like, £20 off family.

What a week, yeah? So what's that?

-80...

-Yeah.

-And then I earn, like, £560.

Neither of them work full time,

so it's barely enough to cover the bus fare there.

But Christie isn't giving up that easily.

I get £80 a month from my dad,

and then I think we'd be eligible for, like, housing benefits.

A check reveals that they're entitled to £88

housing and council tax benefits a week.

Realistically, we wouldn't have been able to even think about moving out

if we didn't have any help, but from the benefits, I think that's great.

The cash injection means altogether they will have £300 a week.

-I don't think we'd be able to afford London yet, but, like...

-No.

..somewhere like Cardiff's a good place to live.

But eating machine Isaac has only one priority.

I need protein, like, literally. That's, like, a need.

Keeping his body beautiful on a budget is a big concern.

I suppose, budgeting food - instead of buying, like, chicken,

I could go to eggs, which are quite cheaper.

His body might be a temple but they can't live in it

and right now he's not the one paying its upkeep.

It's not, like, that fair that a lot of this money is through me...

Yeah, that's true.

..and a lot of it will be going on you for food...

-Yeah, that's fair enough.

-..which I don't really think is very fair.

Just up the road,

but worlds apart, it's business in the bedroom for Laura and Lee.

Teaching will be 1,458...

and then yours is...?

1,081 a month.

Together, they have £635 a week,

more than twice as much as Isaac and Christie,

and Laura wants to know where it all goes.

Your phone was ridiculous. How much was your phone bill?

38.

-How much is your phone bill?

-45.

45?!

I think Laura's definitely better with money

and I think Lee's got to learn to get better with money.

I'm just not so good with saving,

cos I'm just enjoying having a bit of money,

so when it comes in, it goes out.

How much do you spend a month on clothes?

-100.

-You make me feel so sick.

For our future to work, he'll have to rein in his spending on clothes,

so, at the moment, he's quite frivolous with his money.

She might try to control Lee's purse strings,

but Laura's got her own weaknesses.

£20 a month on nails - that's never changing, ever.

But let's not forget all those pounds spent on partying.

-It's going to be about £200 a month, isn't it?

-Yeah.

We're such bad people.

This is horrible, this is absolutely horrible, I hate this.

£520 and nothing to show for it but my nice nails and some clothes.

I think, for me, personally,

it'll be quite easy to compromise on what I spend my money on.

What can we cut back on?

-Nails?

-No way.

First world problems, eh?

Back in Stroud, and Christie and Isaac have a rent budget

of about 130 quid.

It won't get them far in the city, but this couple don't care,

they're house-hunting in Cardiff anyway.

That looks quite nice.

-Yeah.

-Quite spacious.

-Looks quite homely, doesn't it?

Budget conscious, they see a penny-pinching pad.

Having that outside just ruins it.

The building's nice, the location's not.

And a more high-priced home.

Oh, there's just so much space.

Oh, that is lush.

You can smell, like, that seaweed.

-Sea air.

-I love it.

-Yeah.

Up in Worcester, Laura and Lee have a generous £300

to splash on their weekly rent.

Detached four-bedroom Cotswold period house.

That might be a bit ambitious.

This would be it.

-Yeah, there's not much room to get away...

-No.

..if I can't handle you any more.

But Lee's in luck at property number two.

-It's just, like, a hundred times better, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Space.

-It's got a garden!

With Isaac sold on the food storage alone...

I like these shelves, just fill it with food.

-Yeah.

-All three of them.

-The amount you eat.

..and Lee won over by the chance to recreate his man cave...

There's another bedroom, you can have your lad's pad.

-Lad's pad!

-Yeah.

Both couples go with the higher-price apartment.

Can you see yourself living here? Can you see us?

Yeah, definitely, it's so chilled out here,

it's exactly where... where I want to be.

I'm so excited!

I love it, I want to run round everywhere and have a look.

It's all right for the full-time workers,

who will still have a whopping £311 for a week after rent,

but the scrimping students will have to survive on less than half that.

But with no second thoughts, it's time for Christie to pack.

By the looks of things, I'm taking probably too much for a week.

And while Christie stuffs her suitcase,

Isaac's busy stuffing something else - his face.

Yeah, he says he's all packed.

Wouldn't be surprised if I saw him borrowing my clothes, though.

I am worried Isaac's going to eat me out of house and home.

I'm going to end up with no money left for things like transport

or even gas and water.

But he's going to need all that energy just to get Christie

and her stuff out the front door.

Christie's brought all of her make-up.

Seems like she's brought her whole wardrobe with her as well.

Chariot arrives to whisk the country kids off to the big city,

and his mate Dom in his Land Rover(!)

I don't know if we're going to fit it all in the car

due to me wanting to bring two mattresses.

The reality of what they're letting themselves in for

is finally sinking in.

I'm looking forward to it,

but it's going to be really scary just being on our own.

I reckon we'll be all right.

You'll be... I'll be all right, I've got you.

"I got you, babe."

# I got you, babe

# I got you, babe... #

-Ready?

-I'm ready.

Let's do it.

# They say our love won't pay the rent

# Before it's earned our money's often spent... #

Now, peace and quiet.

Ah, peace and tranquillity restored for John.

But up in Worcester, Laura and Lee are clashing over cushions.

Can we take our cushions?!

I think we should pack clothes first

and stuff that we definitely know we're going to need,

that we can't live without for the week.

I cannot live without cushions.

This bit's always the chaotic part, especially when Laura's involved.

It's very important for me to put my stamp on somewhere.

I know it's only road-test week,

but if I didn't put my stamp on it, it wouldn't feel like a home.

And it doesn't stop at soft furnishings.

What are you wearing Thursday night?

Probably my grey Peter Werth shirt.

Will that go with this?

Oh, planning matching outfits too, Laura?

What about when people come over on Tuesday?

What are you going to wear date night?

You're going into meltdown.

You're making me go into meltdown right now.

Wardrobe coordination is clearly stressful.

I need help.

I've got stuff to get together too.

No, you haven't. It's not as important.

Laura raids the mini bar - I mean her parent's fridge -

to calm her spirits.

-I think we're good, shall we go?

-Yeah.

And there's one last check on essential items.

Lee, do you want your onesie?

Have you got your green tights?

That's not something I thought I'd say.

Don't worry, I'll carry the big heavy box.

The reality that her little girl is leaving home

is finally sinking in for Mum.

-Oh, God, you're not, are you?

-No, I'm not going to.

Good luck.

See you later, Mummy.

-Look after her.

-See you, Trace.

-Love you.

Yeah, living together on a one-to-one,

nowhere-else-to-hide basis, I think

will be very different for the pair of them.

HORN HONKS

I will miss them very much.

It's an empty nest for Tracey.

But across the border in Wales, Christie's loving setting up home.

With no furniture, it's time to improvise.

It's better than a new sofa, I think it was quite a clever idea.

Well, a camping chair brings a touch of the country to city life,

complete with authentic rural smells.

It's like something's died in here.

Can you just, like, check there isn't a dead rat?

Is there anything dead in the freezer or anything?

Is it behind the fridge?

What if someone was murdered in here?

We don't actually know.

With no signs of a body yet, that could be about to change.

It's time to talk money.

Make yourself feel rich for a second.

After bills, the couple have just £90 to live on for the week.

20 quid each for going out.

20 for you, 20 for me.

We'd have 30 for food for the week.

So, with 40 quid for booze and 30 quid for food,

it looks like they'll be enjoying some liquid lunches. Mmm.

You don't understand how much I eat.

You can eat vegetables, vegetables are quite cheap.

I want to get frozen bags of fish.

I don't think you need ten pieces of fish for a week.

I need my protein.

With a food fight brewing, there's only one thing for it.

A shopping list.

If that's going to last a week...

I'll probably use that in, like, a whole day.

This isn't fun at all.

It's not enough food for a week.

We've got £14 for emergency and travel, which is ridiculous.

I think it's more important that we can feed ourselves,

which is an emergency.

Yeah, but you eat so much food. You don't need to eat as much as you do.

Yes, I do, Christie. I'm a lot bigger than you.

You don't need to be as big as you are.

It's just physics, I need to eat more than you.

Can you write down what you think, then?

-Cos I don't know what to suggest.

-I don't know,

I'm just saying we need more money...

-We don't have more money!

-..for food.

-I've given you £10 more.

-For the emergency?

With Isaac threatening to turn Hulk if he doesn't get his protein,

it's off to the shops.

And that fridge now has food in.

We've got lots of eggs, butter, milk, vegetables, ham,

soft cheese, beer.

While Isaac starts making his way through the fridge,

Christie's camping out in the living room.

The reason I'm sitting in the dark right now

is cos our light doesn't work.

It's not quite how I expected to spend my first night,

sitting on a...

home-made sofa in the dark eating cereal.

You know, it's been quite, like, exciting.

A lot of emotions today,

so I think I'm just kind of, like, overwhelmed,

and just need to put my head on a pillow and go to sleep.

It's a rocky start for the country kids,

but will Laura and Lee fare better

as they swap their five-bedroom family home for a cosy pad for two?

It's like a workout, babe.

Watch out, spreadsheet alert.

OK, so we're going to have a housewarming party.

We want to go out for food one night, for a meal or something.

-Yeah.

-And then we're going to go out with friends at some point.

I'll get baking stuff, cos then I can bake cakes.

-How much on nibbles? A tenner?

-Yeah.

It's hard work planning how to spend all your money.

-That's it, then.

-Oh, I don't know.

-OK.

-My blood pressure's starting to rise slightly.

Oh, God, that takes it up to 280.

With money to burn, the couple fill the fridge.

Look how healthy we look.

Don't touch my aubergine.

We budgeted £130

and we spent £129.75.

-We almost high-fived at the till.

-I know!

-And 25p is going in the contingency pot.

-It will, yeah.

In case we ever need 1p sweets, we can get 25.

Steady, Laura.

And what do you do when you've got a full fridge of food?

Do you want fish and chips tonight?

Sounds good to me.

Cheers to our first night.

-Cheers.

-May it be a good week.

So, day one of Laura's move out mission is complete,

and the next day, the couple are enjoying a taste of domestic bliss.

It was really nice this morning, wasn't it?

-It was, it was.

-To wake up here.

-Yeah.

I'm not missing any home comforts yet,

I haven't really had a chance to miss anything yet.

The bed was really comfy as well.

-It was a comfy bed.

-Mm.

Slept like an absolute stick.

First job of the day, and Laura pimps their crib...

Look how nice that looks.

..with pictures of themselves.

That one needs to be on show for loads of people, cos I like that one.

Look, it feels like ours now, we've got stuff everywhere.

With one room conquered, Laura embarks on a stealth mission.

I've sort of taken over this area of the lad's pad,

and I'm not quite sure how it's going to go down yet

because he doesn't know.

If she's just using it to put her make-up and stuff on

then we probably won't have to use the room at the same time,

but if I'm in here playing PlayStation in the evening

or whatever then she's going to have to wait, I'm afraid.

Yeah, stern words, Lee.

Over in Cardiff, cash-strapped Christie is working hard

to finance her big-city dreams.

She's helping out at a beauty salon run by Isaac's auntie Rachel.

But whilst Christie's out bringing home the bacon,

Isaac's at home trying not to eat it.

One of my worries living here for the week was me eating all the food

when Christie's not here, cos when I'm bored

I tend to just cook...

She's out working hard, and I'm eating all the food that she earns.

First on Isaac's agenda

is complaining about the smell in the apartment,

but there's a problem.

'Which property? What's the street name?'

Um...

I'm not sure, I can't remember.

I'll give you a clue Isaac, it's in Wales.

Luckily, the landlord remembers them.

'OK, yeah, leave it with me.

'We'll get them to come and have a look, all right?'

All right, thanks a lot.

It's not long till Isaac's back in the fridge.

# Something's cooking in the kitchen... #

This time a slap-up meal for Christie and Rachel is on the menu.

If the smell in the apartment is too bad,

there's always air freshener...

Will that improve the flavour?

My auntie has done a lot for me in the past,

so it's a nice way of me treating her, cooking her something nice.

After a hard day in the salon, Christie and Rachel are hoping

that the flat's still in one piece.

I can hear a smoke detector.

I can, I hope that's not Isaac.

I bet he's set the place on fire.

-I can smell it, it smells good.

-I can smell it.

-Hiya, I'm home.

-Hello!

Ooh!

Smells lovely. You all right, darling? Ahh.

-How you doing?

-Good.

I thought I'd cook you dinner cos I know you work really hard.

You've done a lot of things for me in the past,

so it's nice to give something back.

You're welcome.

So, Isaac's cooking gets a big thumbs-up from the girls,

with the experience giving him some food for thought.

No, it's...when you're older,

you realise how much family actually does for you.

-You don't really realise, do you, till you're older?

-No.

-You don't really appreciate it until...

-No.

Now you've got your own place and you're doing it for yourself.

-Yeah.

-Your dad always cooks food, your mum's always cooked food,

-it's always just been there, so you wouldn't realise, would you?

-No.

I hope it gives them both some life lessons

and that it makes them even more grateful.

I know they are grateful to Christie's dad,

but even more grateful for, you know,

everything that he does do with them both living there.

Isaac's meal has been a hit,

but with the fridge almost empty, it could be their last supper.

Over in Cheltenham...

We've got a bit of a problem.

..Lee's lad's lair has run into technical difficulties.

The extension lead's not long enough.

-Do you want me to ring my dad?

-Yeah, we can do.

-OK.

But when dad Vince and brother Tom visit with supplies,

there's a clash of the control freaks.

We've got 170 quid left over for a night out and some food.

Easy.

-Easy?

-Easy.

That's week one. Where's your savings?

What happens if your car packs up?

-Let me finish, listen.

-I didn't say a word!

He does my absolute nut in.

Can't get a word in edgeways, for a start.

Well, he just thinks we're absolutely incapable,

we have absolutely no idea.

He's doing his, "I know better than you, this is my patronising look."

It's really punchable.

It annoys me that my dad sees me like I'm still this petulant child

that has absolutely no idea about the real world.

Will you listen?!

Don't say a word, don't say a word, don't say a word.

They have to rely on each other totally now,

cos Tracey's mothered them both over the last few years.

Date night, I'd just stay in, don't spend any money,

understand the economics of it and just be together.

This is really annoying, so irritating.

I don't think they know what's coming yet.

Dad leaves the house before he's thrown out of the house

and with harmony restored, it's time to party.

Fancy dress, of course.

It's really nice inviting people round to, sort of, our place,

and being able to do what we want

without having to double check with Mum that it's OK.

With the guests about to arrive Willy Wonka - sorry, I mean Lee -

looks like he's the host with the most.

I'm quite excited about having people over, you know,

after the whole moving in, getting settled

and now it's a nice opportunity to have friends round.

With a few beers in Lee,

Laura ropes in their mates to convince him to move out.

Babe, everyone's moving in with their girlfriends,

we're getting... We're behind, we are.

What, James...just because James moved in with Lee?

Yeah, Kenan, as well. That's three.

And friend Conal agrees Lee is ready to grow up.

When you have Lee you have Laura,

when you have Laura you have Lee, it's brilliant.

I think they're both ready to make that next step.

I've never seen him this relaxed, he's just loving life everywhere

and he wouldn't do that at my mum and dad's.

-Although I knew, like, we'd have a great time together...

-Mm.

..I think actually having this experience has really made me see,

like, how good we can get on together

-and just have a chilled-out and relaxed atmosphere.

-Yeah.

But it's early days.

Yeah, it's only day one and we've had a few beers, so...

-We could speak too soon.

-Yeah!

It looks like independent life

is bringing Laura and Lee closer together - ahhh.

But back in Cardiff, a lack of cash is causing problems.

I'm just in a bad mood today, we're getting bored

because we can't just go and watch a film or something

cos we don't have enough money to.

Isaac's feeling the same. His solution?

Cook up the contents of the fridge for breakfast.

I need protein, but as we haven't got a lot of money...

It's clearly getting to them both, and, inevitably, tempers flare.

It's how it is, Christie.

It's what it's like when you haven't got a lot of money.

If you want delicacies,

like, you're going to have to come up with your own money.

Just said I don't... I don't want the food that we have.

If we've got no money...

We had a little argument earlier and, like,

I didn't know where to go, I was just, like, shouting.

You're such an idiot.

I hit the wall, like that, with my hand.

It's quite hard just being on my own in the sense of...

if me and Isaac do argue, I like to have my friends there,

I like seeing them and they're not here.

With a grouchy girlfriend,

Isaac reckons it's time for some solitary confinement.

Say, "Isaac's king."

Let me back.

King Isaac, let me in.

Christie's time out on the balcony

has put her in the mood for excitement.

Let's go explore Cardiff, have some fun.

So they splash out and hit the city at last.

# A little bit of Monica in my life

# A little bit of Rita's all I need. #

# A little bit of Monica in my life... #

Closer to me, be like you love me.

# A little bit of Rita's all I need... #

There's even a cruise past their apartment.

That's cool.

But as the skint couple hit the city centre, temptation turns to torture.

What about that bag?

-That is cool.

-That's a lush suit.

Really can't cope with the fact that I can't go shopping right now.

-Yeah.

-It's really stressful.

Just want to go in H&M, just have a little browse, splash the cash.

Back home to the bay, and the couple can't fight temptation

any longer and dip into their bills money for a meal out.

-Fun, fun day today.

-Yeah.

A relaxed day. Expensive day!

They might have splurged and put fun back on the menu,

but will they still be smiling when the money runs out?

Meanwhile it's over-indulgence of a different kind for Laura

the morning after the house party.

I haven't been sick yet, but...

..it will happen soon.

Mm. While Laura fights back the vomit,

domestically challenged Lee takes on last night's leftovers.

# I am a man with a mission... #

There's always a downside,

and obviously Laura's too sick to help out.

I'm starting to worry that I'm the domestic goddess

in this relationship.

And Lee realises that the washing-up fairy doesn't exist.

At Tracey and Vin's house, this is already done

by the time you wake up,

so you don't actually get the opportunity to help out.

I'll crack on, I'd rather get it done

so we can actually chill out and relax a bit in a clean house.

But cleaning up is one thing, compassion is asking too much.

You are a mess.

You love me, though.

Good job, isn't it?

Laura's chuffed that she has a new and improved boyfriend.

He's surprised me by how much he's just...

got on with it, and just done everything that needs to be done

without moaning or being, like, "Oh, for God's sake, I'll go and do this."

He's just done it.

Lee cashes in on his Brownie points

and retreats to his man cave for some alone time.

We're both feeling a bit rough from last night,

so she's not too bothered that I've come up here

and had a bit of time to myself.

I've always been like I never need my time,

I love being around people all the time, but when he shut himself away

in the lad's pad I sort of thought, "Ah, this is nice, it's just me."

Laura's finally able to leave the sanctuary of the sofa.

The hangover...is on its way out and I'm chuffed.

As soon as their heads clear, they are off out.

-You look nice.

-Thanks, babe.

I mean, all that money won't spend itself, will it?

I think we've worked really well as a team.

-You've done way more than I have.

-I think I've carried us a bit,

-to be fair.

-You have.

Charm offensive in top gear,

Laura ramps up the pressure on Lee to move out.

So are you warming to the idea of us living together?

I-I'd say I am warming to it,

I still stick by my guns of saying now's not the time,

but it makes it a little more realistic, or believable.

And with getting her own way in sight,

Laura's house-buying plans take a back seat in favour of renting.

Realistically, saving for a mortgage could...

well, could take two years.

We could rent and have our own place and stuff,

-but still save for that mortgage.

-Yeah.

We could have, like, the best of both worlds.

I wouldn't want to live at my mum and dad's

any longer than we need to, really.

I am very set in my way,

and I think when it comes to something like this,

I will be stubborn about it, cos if I don't feel completely ready

to make the move then I won't do it.

Well, I've seen now that Lee is a lot more open to the idea

of, um, living together and moving out of my mum and dad's house.

By the end of the week I'll have persuaded him

and we'll be looking at properties.

There's a girl used to getting her own way.

Over in Cardiff,

Christie has a welcome distraction from penny-pinching.

Her buddy Jess has come to catch up.

Who does the washing up, then?

Well...it looks like no-one does the washing up!

That's what I was thinking!

So how are you in Cardiff?

I don't know, it is hard.

Like, I hate not being able to just be like, "Oh, come over."

Oh, separation anxiety is kicking in for Christie.

Imagine if the bridge, like, got blown up?

-You'd be stuck.

-I'd be stuck.

No, cos there must be a way to get in without the bridge,

-surely, cos it is - like, Wales is joined to England.

-Yeah.

Who would have thought the girl with big-city dreams

is now craving the country?

Before you came to Cardiff, you wanted London.

Yeah.

London's bigger than here and a lot more expensive.

I know, I couldn't have coped.

And you just said that you like Stroud, and miss Stroud,

and stuff like that, and you're only in Cardiff.

I know! Oh, it's horrible.

Christie's homesick, and being skint isn't helping.

I can't cope off £90 a week.

Like, you do at home but that's cos you don't pay for anything,

-you know what I mean?

-Yeah. Yeah.

Like, you get to spend - that's 90 quid to yourself,

-you get to buy clothes and stuff like that...

-Yeah.

-..whereas here you've got to actually buy food...

-Exactly.

..think of transport, and stuff like that.

While Christie's hankering after home in Cheltenham,

Laura's keen to tell her mum how well the week's going.

Lee has just been amazing, like, around the house,

it's been absolutely surreal.

Um, he put a wash on yesterday afternoon for me.

It's nice that it's not just a one-way thing.

My parting words to him were, "Please look after her for me."

It looks like Lee listened to Tracey after all,

and mortgage-mad Laura's got another surprise up her sleeve.

We worked out we could still rent somewhere and save for a mortgage.

Really?

-Mm.

-Oh.

But then, surely if you stayed with us,

you would get that down payment far quicker?

We would, but we wouldn't have our own place for quite a while.

-OK, so that's a bit of a turnaround.

-I know, tell me about it, yeah.

It's a shock for Mum.

Losing Laura might happen sooner than she thought.

She's very focused,

so I didn't think anything would sway her from her five-year plan.

Laura was adamant that she wasn't going to rent

and once that deposit was there she would get a mortgage,

and now, suddenly, that's all changed in a matter of days.

What I have to decide is, at what point do I let go?

Tracey is realising that her little girl is growing up.

Back in Cardiff, it doesn't look like the same can be said

about Isaac.

Tonight, I'm having my boys round,

going to have a few drinks here and then hit Cardiff.

Here we go, boys!

Although the couple are now making their way through the money

they set aside for the bills, Isaac is not missing out on a night out.

There's 13 boys coming round,

and ten of them are going to be staying on the floor in here.

13 rowdy boys getting drunk, erm, all currently partying

in the kitchen, and then they're going out to town.

That room is just going to stink when I go in there in the morning.

But Christie's not too bothered.

She's looking forward to drinking her share of the bills money too.

Would you like a glass of vino?

Yes, please, babes.

How drunk do you feel like getting?

But in Cheltenham,

Laura and Lee are having a very different type of party.

I am nervous, but I think it's because

it's the first proper dinner party that I've done all by myself,

so I want it to go really well

to help that whole persuading-Lee thing I've got going on.

Cheers, my darling.

Is everyone OK for drink?

-Do you want a top up?

-Yeah, I'd love a top up, please, Lee.

Back in Cardiff...

A very loud atmosphere right now.

..it's lager for Isaac...

and a little bit of tagliatelle for Lee.

No, this is good, if I do say so myself.

Short skirts and...

fancy desserts.

Whilst Isaac and Christie swap household bills

for nights-out thrills,

Laura and Lee end their very sophisticated night

on a different kind of high.

Usually, when I come home from work, I would just lock myself away

for, like, two hours and just not talk to anyone.

This is really good.

I haven't felt the need as yet to sort of have my own time.

-All right for you, babes?

-Perfect, just the right amount.

-It's fine, you've succeeded as a host.

-Ahhh.

I am proud of Laura for what she's done tonight,

she's put on some great food

and I think it's certainly something I would like to do more of,

that just us two could do it in our own place.

I'm really proud of myself because I think I've done it,

I can do it now, so I could just host another one

whenever I wanted and not have to worry about it.

With a successful dinner party ticked off their bucket list,

Lee is manning up to adult life.

I think I do feel a little bit more mature

and a little bit more independent

that we can do this stuff on our own.

I've actually really enjoyed it. If we do move into our own place,

I'd like this to be sort of a big aspect of, you know,

our weekly life, really.

So, revelling in their domestic bliss,

Laura and Lee call it a night.

Over in Cardiff, Isaac's session with the boys

has blown the cobwebs away and focused his mind.

I've got to start getting into gear.

Living in the apartment for a week

has definitely made me want to start going to get what I want to do now.

Growing up, Isaac dreamed of becoming

a professional rugby player.

I went to a specialist rugby college,

which was really hard academically, plus playing the sport every day.

I had an injury where I broke my leg and after that, it was quite...

I felt a bit nervous to play, I didn't want to get it injured again.

With a tense few years behind him, he's ready to rethink his future,

and top of his list of dream jobs is dancing.

I'd love to go to dance classes, I was too shy, like, a year ago,

but now I reckon I could do it easily.

And it's Isaac's lucky day,

because a local dance instructor has offered to show him some moves.

I've the opportunity to go to a dance class

as part of this whole experience, so I'm pretty excited.

-All right?

-Isaac, hi. Tim, is it?

How you doing? Tim, yes, good to meet you, mate. How are you doing?

Yeah, good.

# I'm living

# I'm living life right

# I'm living

# I'm living life... #

He did a good job, you know,

considering he just walked pretty much in straight off the street,

never had a dance lesson in his life.

Amazing. Can't even describe it.

Being a professional dancer or a professional actor or a rugby player

or any of that, you've got to work very hard at it.

Isaac kind of faced that truth towards the end,

he was like, "Yeah, OK, I can get it,

"but I'm going to have to work hard to get more,"

and I think he's realised that now.

This dance class has definitely made me realise

it's going to take a lot of hard work

for my dream of a professional dancer to come true.

While Isaac's been busting his moves, their financial bust-ups

have made Christie realise big changes are needed

to make independent life a reality.

Sometimes you have to put yourself in a position

which you don't necessarily want to be in - so, working quite a lot

-in a job you don't necessarily want to be doing...

-I can't do that.

But then you get the money for a better future.

I want, like, at least two more years

before I have, like, a full-time job.

I might get a part-time job so I can do, like, some of my dancing.

But might - why might? Why don't you definitely get?

Yeah, I will, I will.

I've learnt that I'm a bit of a stressy mare

and I need to calm down a bit and I need to not take life so seriously.

-Yeah.

-I need to have fun a bit,

-and you need to take it slightly more seriously.

-Yeah.

So maybe you can take some of my serious

-and I can take some of your chilledness.

-Mm.

And then we'll be perfect. Yeah, yeah?

So, they might have sussed out the perfect recipe

for their relationship, but with decision day looming,

will they have the big bucks to keep their big-city dreams alive?

Back in Cheltenham, Lee's topping up his bank balance

and it looks like Laura's move-out mission is going swimmingly.

We've done lots of fun things, had friends round,

and I think, most importantly, we've had a great time doing it together.

We've done it in our own time, we've done it at our own pace,

it doesn't feel like we're playing by somebody else's rules

all the time.

Laura's seen a change in Lee, too.

I think he's enjoyed this week more than I have, and I've loved it.

He's enjoyed having people round whenever he wants,

doing what he wants, and he's felt that he could relax

with friends round instead of having to shut himself away.

Lee clocks off on a high,

and to celebrate making it to the end of the week in one piece,

they decide to do what they do best...

party.

So, tonight's the last night in the house,

so we're getting everyone over to sort of celebrate that

with a few drinks.

Get mortal.

Get mortal. Yep.

And we're very excited. We're pumped.

Before mates arrive for pre-drinks, the couple check their cash stash.

20, 40, 60, 80, 100.

Basically, they're really rich.

So we've got 150 quid left altogether.

You look totes gorge, innit?

Totes gorge, oh, babe! That's the best compliment ever.

That's the only thing I'm ever going to say of that kind.

Hey, Lee, shall we get this party started now, please?

# It's my party

# I'm gonna do what I want. #

Laura can't wait to show how far they've come.

It's been a really good week. You know, the lad's pad that he had,

like, has to have for his PlayStation thing,

-he's used it once since we've been here.

-Really?

He's only used it once.

We've compromised for each other without, like, it being difficult.

Yeah. Happy ever after.

Well, I'll wait till I've got the rock on my finger then we'll...

-talk about it.

-The big rock!

I'd love it if it happened, can I be a flower girl?

-Just saying.

-Maybe bridesmaid.

Oh fab, I've never been to a wedding.

Don't panic, Lee.

After a bit of wedding planning, Laura's back to student style.

Names of...

cars...

starting with...

Corsa.

Civic.

Peugeot.

Another perfectly planned party, even down to Lee's toilet habits.

Lee, did you flush?

His pre-match poo.

-Do you...

-Pre-match poo.

With money as well as drinks flowing,

first, they hit karaoke.

ALL: # You are gold

# Gold!

# Glad that you're bound to return

# There's something I could have learned

# You're indestructible Always believing... #

And then on for some more drinks and dodgy dancing.

We are having a totes amazeballs night, aren't we, babe?

-We're getting mortal, aren't we?

-We are getting absolutely mortal.

Looks like these two have had a few too many celebratory sodas.

Just celebrating Lee still being alive...

-Actually...

-..after living with me for a week.

I actually couldn't think of a better way, to be fair.

Ahh. I'm really looking forward to decision day tomorrow.

It's been such a positive week.

I think we're just feeling so upbeat about the whole situation.

-Mm-hm.

-It's gone a lot better than I think we both expected.

Yeah, definitely.

With the couple partying into the wee hours,

will there be clear heads for decision day tomorrow?

Probably not.

It's decision day in Cardiff for Christie and Isaac,

and it's no surprise what their biggest headache has been.

The most difficult thing has got to be the food shopping,

cos we both like different foods

and both eat at different times, don't we?

Well, you kind of eat all the time,

so I just don't like the same food as what you like.

Their experience in the big city has been an education.

The main thing is that I hope that it's actually made you

a bit more mature and realise, you know, and myself,

realise what it actually takes to, like,

what it would take to move out.

# I tell you, girls grow up

# Faster than boys do. #

I think that my dad probably won't really have noticed

much of a difference, apart from there being more food

-and less dishes, really. And a bit less noise.

-Mm.

So he's probably had a bit of a relaxing week, really.

Yeah.

It's been very strange, sort of not having them around the house,

but I've sort of deliberately not really...

kept in touch with her this week,

so it's going to be more of a surprise to see what's been going on.

Time to find out what the country kids have been getting up to

in the big city.

I've eaten seven eggs in...

..just under 12 hours, which is quite a lot.

If he's just eating eggs, then that's...

I guess they could probably survive.

So, it only cost 19.95 for two mains, a pudding and a drink,

so that's really good.

I don't think they'd be able to do that every night of the week

but, erm, it was nice to see them doing it and... Yeah, it was good.

I think that this week has made me appreciate slightly more

what my dad does do for me and Isaac.

You know, he does pay a lot for us when it comes to the bills and food,

so I do appreciate him doing that, definitely.

That's really nice to sort of hear... hear Christie say that, so...

Yeah, I suppose it is nice to be appreciated occasionally.

-Hello.

-Hi there, how you doing?

-How's it going?

-All right, thank you.

-Good week?

-Yes, thank you, it's been fun.

-Good.

But have the couple learnt enough for John to take them back?

This week has taught me, um, to appreciate things more,

not to take what we've got for granted, definitely.

-Yeah, how much, like, food is, and...

-Yeah.

-..things like that.

How much you probably actually do pay towards us,

it's, you know, quite... quite a lot, I must imagine.

Your budget, how much have you actually got left?

Erm, we had 50p left from the whole thing, including bills, so...

Is that a regret to you, that you couldn't keep to the budget?

Mm, in the sense of, like...

-Proving to ourselves it was...

-Yeah.

-..but not in... I don't regret it.

-I just wouldn't have enjoyed the week.

-Yeah, I don't regret it,

-cos I would have just had a little breakdown, I reckon.

-Yeah.

So, I guess this is the big moment.

Are you going to be moving out, or are you coming back?

Are we welcome back?

Yeah, I think that if we're... if we're welcome,

we're going to have to come back, not for too long.

So, no surprises there.

With Isaac about to become a full-time music student

and Christie on apprentice wages,

escape to the city was a bit of a pipe dream.

I'm not going to charge you rent, but...

probably what I'd like you to start doing is putting some money aside

each week, um, for when you do move out.

-No, I'm happy to do that.

-Yeah, and me.

You appreciate there's a lot work to be done around the house...

-Yeah.

-So, um.

-Yeah, no, we will.

-Yeah, we will.

-Me and Isaac, we...

-Yeah, yeah.

-..we communicate via Christie,

-and maybe we should, er...

-Yeah, communicate more,

-it'd be easier, wouldn't it?

-Do it more directly, yeah.

Yeah.

I like that one.

I agree with that.

So, with the men of the house agreeing it's good to talk,

is it the start of a new era at John's?

I think now they'll probably do a bit more than they have done before

but, er, again, time will tell.

Well, we've made it, so hopefully it'll be a nicer environment,

living back at my dad's, so I think that...

And we appreciate...realise a lot of things that John does do.

Yeah.

And I-I love the fact that they've both agreed

that they need to communicate more,

-so that's definitely going to help me out a lot.

-Yeah.

I think that, two years' time, once I've finished my apprenticeship

and can actually be earning a nice amount of money

and once you've hopefully settled into something,

then that will be the time for us to move,

so you've still got two more years of us, Dad.

They might not be ready just yet to fulfil those big-city dreams,

but if they stick to their saving plans, it won't be long

until they're checking out of the Hotel of Dad for good.

In Worcester, Vince and Tracey have woken up

to a house full of Laura and Lee's partied-out friends.

Laura and Lee, obviously, are not here,

however that doesn't stop people crashing here.

And it doesn't matter,

as long as we know who's coming back, roughly.

We can get up in the morning and count the shoes

and know how many bacon sandwiches to make, that's fine.

But will it take more than Mum's hangover grub on tap

to lure Laura and Lee home?

When they went into this it was... it was an experiment

to see how they would get along

with the intention of always coming back here

cos of Laura's five-year plan, but I think...

I think they may have changed their ideas.

And in Cheltenham, Lee's hangover

means he's handing back his domestic goddess crown to Laura.

I think my mum'll be more nervous than my dad

about the decision we've come to,

because I don't think she thought it would go as well as it did.

But because we've had such an amazing week

with, just, no hiccups, I think she'll be a bit like, "Oh, damn it."

Whatever their decision is, it's an A star for effort for these two.

I think this has been a really good experience.

I think it was an experience that we needed to do

cos now we know that we can live together,

so, that's really important, cos we still didn't know, did we?

Fancy doing some Hoovering?

-Yeah.

-I'm joking, babe. I'll do it.

-We haven't argued at all, have we, really?

-No.

-Not even when there's been alcohol involved.

-No.

I actually, honestly, could say if you give me an opportunity

to do this week all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

No, me neither.

And rather than going into the red,

Laura and Lee even have money left over.

The big thing for my dad was the money side of it,

because he was like, "You have no clue about anything."

But the fact that we've done everything we have

and still have over £100 left proves that, you know, we can manage money.

Laura might have financial nous,

but will she be returning to her parents' house?

Before Vince and Tracey find out,

they get a sneaky peek at how the couple have coped.

Why do you want the label side?

Cos then the label...

On the side you sleep with, and you get the rustly label.

She's done it inside out!

She definitely follows her father.

Since when did Lee turn into Mr Practical?

Oh, my God, he just does my head in when it comes to budgeting,

he does my absolute nut in.

You really upset her.

Well, he just thinks we're incapable,

he thinks we're absolutely incapable and we have absolutely no idea

and we could never do it.

-Who's she talking about?

-You.

And I think that's what his attitude was.

Is she talking about me?

She was having a go at you, she was not a happy bunny.

Cor, dear.

As soon as Laura and Lee arrive, Dad starts the interrogation.

So what's the biggest thing you've noticed this week, you guys?

It's our willingness to compromise for each other

without it being a chore, like, the domestic side of things.

I've not had to ask Lee to do anything this week,

he's just done it.

Cleaning up after the party, cleaning up after the dinner party,

we've just both done it.

But Mum has just got one thing on her mind.

So, guys, what's your plan, then?

Are you going to stay or are you going to go?

Our plan is to come back...

so that we can save to go.

Laura's always had this thought about,

she's got to get a mortgage and I've always thought

I don't want to save for a mortgage, I want to save to go travelling.

But I think having seen this week we could actually rent a place,

still live quite comfortably and still both save to do what

-we want to do in the long term.

-Yeah.

We could move into our own place a hell of a lot quicker by renting.

So you've come off your, um, five-year plan, then?

Yeah, because I think my five-year plan

would have effectively taken about ten.

I need to come up with a new five-year plan.

It's speeded up you going, then, by the sound of it?

Yeah, definitely, cos I've compromised

on the whole mortgage thing.

I didn't think you would make that deviation from your five-year plan,

cos I know how focused you are.

Laura and Lee realise they're finally being seen

in a more grown-up light.

Some of the things we said, I saw them nodding their heads

thinking, "Oh, they have thought about this," and...

-Yeah.

-..not completely...

-That was nice.

..in the dark about certain things.

I think they do give us a bit more credit.

The thing that surprised me

is that they're planning on moving out again. The question is, when?

I think it will be a lot sooner than we thought it was going to be

and I don't think it would have happened

if they hadn't gone away for the week.

It did come as a surprise to me

that they were thinking of moving out sooner,

but I think they'll both work really hard to make it work.

I think my mum's happy that we're coming back

and not staying where we are, so she gets us back for a bit.

Yeah.

But I think she wanted us back for longer than we're going to stay.

I think, now, the whole thing seems imminent,

-it's going to happen...

-Mm.

..whereas it was always a "what if" or "maybe" before.

And just one month later, it did happen.

Laura and Lee found their perfect pad

and checked out of the Hotel of Mum and Dad for good.

Next time on Hotel of Mum and Dad, we'll meet control freak John...

-Do you need to have a go?

-I'll have a look.

Go and sit down, get out! How dare you?

..who's trying to domesticate his messy other half, Rob.

There's a damp towel on the bed.

-Why would you put a damp towel on the bed?

-That's yours.

-It's not mine.

And Rennick and Jodie,

who want to live a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget.

-Ugh.

-That's nasty.

"Broke but happy," that's how we're living.

How will they cope out in the real world?

Bloody stupid cake.

You ain't done no hand-washing since we've been here.

I just can't be bothered.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd