Oh to love anything as much as George Clarke loves a triple aspect house. Show the man a room with two windows and he’s perfectly happy, but show him three and he is giddy. “Amazing!” he will beam brighter than the sunlight pouring in.
While Clarke might celebrate exceptional transformations, the 12th (12th!) series of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces looks much the same as it did when it started back in 2012, albeit in higher definition. As always, the loveable architect checks in with imaginative, enterprising and occasionally bizarre “small space trailblazers” – people who see the potential in cabins, caravans and carriages that are past their best.
This series kicks off by tugging on the heartstrings. Ten years ago, Clarke featured carpenter Adam, who converted a knackered old double decker bus into a quirky holiday home in East Sussex. But in 2022, disaster struck when it was ravaged by a fire. As a devastated Adam picks through the wreckage of his beloved bus, we learn that he’s lost more than merely the fruits of his enormous hard work – the bus rental had provided his only source of income since a diagnosis of Ménière’s disease (an inner ear condition that causes extreme fatigue).
It’s an unexpectedly downbeat start to a usually feel good show. But Adam’s discovery of a pot plant that has somehow survived the fire is emblematic of a new start: the conversion of four shipping containers into a new holiday let that will hopefully restore his livelihood.
As well as Adam, we meet mother and daughter beauty technicians Lucy and Molly from Deal in Kent, who are turning a clapped-out fold-down caravan they bought for £150 into a mobile “glamour van”. The stakes are considerably lower than with Adam’s build but Amazing Spaces is as much a celebration of entrepreneurial spirit as it is of DIY. Watching Lucy gleefully pink-ify the caravan with a glittery resin floor and some ghastly faux brickwork, I can’t help but be inspired by her vision and determination. You just know she’s going to to be a hit with the bejewelled huns of the summer festival circuit.
Meanwhile, Clarke traverses Denmark, which he’s excited about because he’s heard it’s “very cool”. We know this because he says it’s “cool” approximately 100 times. He’s not wrong though! The completely gorgeous modern interpretation of a traditional Viking longhouse set in a lush forest is undoubtedly stylish and the sort of place that has you casting your eyes around your own living room wondering why on earth you live in such a hovel.
Dedicated fans of Amazing Spaces will be pleased to hear that after sitting out the last series to focus on his own projects, Clarke’s architectural designer sidekick Will Hardie is back to benevolently bicker with the presenter as they renovate a Skyjack scissor lift despite them both admitting they’re “not great” with heights.
Clarke is so affable that it’s easy to forget he’s also an active campaigner, vocal about the housing crisis and the fundamental right to a safe, secure and well-designed home. Given the appalling recent statistics that only eight per cent of creatives in film and TV are from a working class background, Clarke – who grew up on a council estate – is a shining example of why opportunities should be distributed more evenly. His sincerity, empathy and boundless enthusiasm turn the already welcoming TV format of looking at nice houses into a warm hug.
By the time we reach the episode’s tearful climax – an emotional return to find out how Adam has got on with his shipping containers – Clarke is handing out literal hugs (and not just because of the triple aspect bedroom). Never has anyone been more passionate about passion projects. It’s infectious – you could even say, amazing – stuff.
‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ continues next Thursday at 9pm on Channel 4.