TV show winner was crystal clear

Amanda Lucia-Charley roped in her friend Alan Talbot when Channel 4 came back for a third time asking her to be featured in its ‘Four-in-a-Bed’ programme.

And her Crystals on the Prom guesthouse came out on top after impressing the other contestants with its hospitality including 76-year-old Alan’s appearance as a drag queen!

The show involves four B&B owners, who take turns to stay with one another – and pay what they consider fair for their stay. The winner is the establishment named best value for money.

Amanda and Alan were pitted against another B&B in Filey, motel-style accommodation near York and a glamping site in North Yorkshire.

Amanda said: “I’m not from a tourism background, but four years ago my partner and I bought Cyrstals on the Prom and we put a lot of investment into it to create a boutique-style hotel.

“It is the kind of place I would like to stay in myself if I was visiting Blackpool.

“It has only been properly up and running for the last couple of years.

“Four-in-a-Bed had twice asked me to be on the show, but I had turned them down because my partner is in the building trade and so I run it on my own.

“Them my friend Alan said he would do it with me, so the third time they asked we agreed to do it.

“It was filmed over two weeks in May and they were very long days, but it was tremendous fun.

“Alan was ‘Alan’ for the first part of the show, but when they all arrived in Blackpool he turned into Dame Ada who our guests love.

“The film crew said they had never had so much fun as when they were in Blackpool and it was laughter all the way through.”

Amanda and Alan took the other contestants ballroom dancing and for cocktails during their time in the resort.

Amanda added: “I know Blackpool gets a bit of a knocking sometimes, but I can’t find fault with the council.

“They pull out all the stops to get the town back on track and there is something for everybody here.

“We have guests wanting to come back to see us and to see Blackpool. We meet and greet them and help as much as possible with giving them information about what they can do.”

The winners plaque is now proudly on display at the B&B in South Shore.