- 1 week ago
Rich Holiday Poor Holiday - Season 5 - Episode 01
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00:00Woohoo!
00:02Rich holidays
00:02Look at that!
00:04I can't imagine waking up to that every morning!
00:06Are the stuff of dreams
00:07Oh my God!
00:09We've got our own plunge post days!
00:12But can cheap getaways
00:14be just as fun?
00:16I'm having a good time!
00:18I'm not getting in that!
00:19For the first time, wealthy jet-setters
00:22This is the life!
00:24And hard-up holiday-makers
00:25They do look really posh
00:28travel together on two wildly different trips
00:32Do you guys drink alcohol?
00:33No
00:33At all?
00:34No
00:34To experience each other's idea of the perfect break
00:38The universe is really powerful
00:40If only positivity could pay the bills
00:42Can the rich rough it?
00:44There is no way on God's green earth
00:46that you or me are going in this
00:48Can the less wealthy stomach lavish luxury?
00:51I'm gonna be sick
00:52I hate that you made me touch seafood, how about that?
00:55And at the end
00:56A hundred and thirty-four thousand
00:58You could buy my house and landscape my garden
01:02Will one family's holiday heaven
01:04Give me off, give me off, give me off, give me off
01:06Be another's holiday hell?
01:08Yes, get mashed up!
01:09Absolutely not
01:10This is possibly going to be the worst holiday I've ever been on
01:42BOLTON
01:44We're all just a bit bonkers.
01:46No way.
01:47Yeah.
01:47Would you like some salad?
01:49No, bye.
01:50I think uptight people are quite funny.
01:53I just think, let loose a bit.
01:55Let your hair down.
01:56Have fun, have a shot.
01:59For this fun-loving family, money is tight.
02:03Beth's a cleaner and Gary's a roofer.
02:05Between them, they have a disposable income of just £150 a week.
02:10I am such a good budgeter.
02:12But I DIY everything possible.
02:15We never treat ourselves.
02:17We sacrifice stuff like nights like with friends.
02:20Yeah, with tea.
02:22Fully loaded pizza nights are their only splurge.
02:26As a couple, we have zero time together by ourselves.
02:30Our lives revolve around the pits.
02:31Beth and Gary got together when they were little more than teenagers themselves.
02:36We met at my cousin's wedding.
02:38Gary was the best man.
02:40We've just been together ever since.
02:41They tied the knot three years ago.
02:44But even that was on a budget.
02:45You don't even have an only mood.
02:48When it comes to holidays, a weekend camping in Wales is usually as good as it gets.
02:53We're very outdoorsy people.
02:55We like open fields.
02:56In 11 years, they've managed just one foreign getaway.
03:00A bargain break to Spain.
03:02That was the best.
03:04Hola!
03:05Hola!
03:05Ringing bell every ten minutes.
03:07It was my first time abroad.
03:09So a lot of it was just drinking by the pool.
03:12Remember when you pushed me in the back?
03:14And eating a lot of food.
03:16I had 50 hot chocolates in two days.
03:19They all come back like ten stone every year.
03:24This holiday experience is a chance to broaden horizons as well as waistlines.
03:29I'd really like to show the kids more of the world.
03:32Enjoy the finer things in life.
03:34But how do they feel about taking a trip with rich strangers?
03:38I wouldn't want to learn about history or stuff like that.
03:42I definitely would not eat sushi.
03:45My nightmare holiday would be if the kids couldn't enjoy themselves.
03:50Because that's the sole purpose of going on a family holiday.
03:53I think that they're going to be like snobby.
03:55They like to show off like how much money they've got and just flex really.
04:0225 miles away in Cheshire's super wealthy Wilmslow live millionaire medics Sam and Andre
04:09Dessant and their 14-year-old daughter Cassia.
04:12Second serve.
04:13We all make mistakes.
04:14We've been married for, oh gosh, pressure.
04:1730 years.
04:1830 years.
04:19Make it bad.
04:21Life and business partners, the doctors have made a mint with their own health and aesthetics clinic.
04:28Turn over.
04:28Well, Gary, sometimes you make 80 grand a month.
04:31On average, 50.
04:33With a disposable income of 2,500 pounds a week,
04:37mid-50-something Sam and Andre can afford to practice what they preach.
04:42I have anti-wrinkle regularly.
04:43I have filler, skin tightening.
04:45It's cost me about 1,000 a month because I have everything.
04:49And it's not just about looking good on the outside.
04:52As always, cooking from scratch?
04:54Mm-hmm.
04:55Andre and Sam are health obsessives.
04:59We eat well.
05:00We exercise.
05:01Don't drink alcohol at all.
05:04Holidays have to be perfect, too.
05:06I don't ever look at anything below five star.
05:09That was nice, Drew.
05:10The Dissons think nothing of blowing 40,000 on a single break and have at least three holidays a year.
05:18My favourite holiday is probably Florida.
05:20I think holidays are very important to improve yourself, relax by a pool, then see something historical, hire a professor
05:28for the day.
05:29As for their nightmare getaway...
05:31Camping probably isn't my thing.
05:34Cold, miserable, not good food.
05:36Just being really uncomfortable.
05:39So why are the Dissons willing to sacrifice five-star excellence for a budget break?
05:45I do fear that money takes you away from reality and eventually you lose what's really important.
05:51The families will be spending a week together to see how the other half holidays.
05:56There it is.
05:58Oh, my days.
05:59The first to be put to the test, a Dissons-style luxury break.
06:05Are we ready, guys?
06:07Where are we going?
06:09Malta.
06:10Wow!
06:11Mathisar Wellness Resort.
06:13As it?
06:15Oh, my God.
06:16Never been.
06:17Just somewhere to relax.
06:18Yeah.
06:19I don't like relaxing.
06:21The ancient capital of...
06:23Valena?
06:24To experience luxury culture and history.
06:27Goosebumps will win.
06:29Situated between Italy and North Africa, Malta is a small but mighty island.
06:35Year-round sunshine, turquoise seas and historic ports have made it a luxury destination for discerning jet-setters.
06:44For both families, an all-expenses-paid stay at the regal five-star Phoenicia Hotel and Spa, a favourite of
06:52the late Queen Elizabeth.
06:53Oh, that's exciting.
06:55We've never been to Malta.
06:56I'm just giddy.
06:58It's day one.
06:59Come on, then.
07:00Getting going.
07:02The Leafs are falling over themselves with excitement.
07:05I want to know if we're going to have champagne, a bellini on our island, a cheeky bellini.
07:13But the alcohol-free docs are taking a different approach to holiday prep.
07:18When you travel, you're in an aeroplane where the pressure's less, oxygen's less.
07:22So before we go, we'll do hyperbaric oxygen, so oxygen in a chamber to get ourselves super-perfused.
07:28So when we travel, again, we arrive crisp and pristine.
07:32Like it.
07:35It's a three-and-a-half-hour flight to Malta, and for the Leafs, their second-ever family trip abroad.
07:42The weather, well, just amazing.
07:46The families will meet for the first time at the five-star Phoenicia.
07:50The new hotels of the world are very much what I like.
07:55There's a red carpet.
07:56Nowhere.
07:57I'm not sure we belong here at all.
08:00Once they've checked into their £1,000-a-night luxury suites...
08:05So, this is your room.
08:06Thank you so much.
08:08Wow.
08:09Oh, my God.
08:11God, look at the balconies.
08:13Oh, my God.
08:15That's incredible.
08:16Still a bit overwhelmed.
08:19The kids get to experience this, aren't they?
08:21We could never give it to them physically, financially.
08:26This is so cool.
08:27One night here is more than Gary and Beth's monthly rent.
08:31Scrums it.
08:36It's new territory for the Leafs.
08:39You ready?
08:40Wow.
08:41Wow.
08:42But they're adapting fast to the holiday high life.
08:45Chocolate cake.
08:46Unreal.
08:47Loveless stuff.
08:49I got me a teddy bear.
08:51I think we'll be very comfortable.
08:53I think so.
08:53I think so.
08:54This is just what we love, Neville.
08:56Just what we love.
08:57The suite might be exactly what the disants expect, but meeting their holiday companions
09:03is another matter.
09:05A little bit apprehensive, meeting the family.
09:07They might judge us as, I suppose, a bit snobby.
09:11Cool, innit?
09:12Yeah.
09:13It is so cool.
09:14To think people have the expenditure to provide this for their children.
09:23Do you know what?
09:23I'd like to know what they do for work to get to that level.
09:27Beth is about to get her answer.
09:30Get the cup of tea.
09:31It's the moment both families have been waiting for.
09:43What is it you guys do?
09:45So we're medical professionals.
09:47We're in a private clinic, a medical clinic.
09:48So we've got to practice what we preach.
09:51So before we came, we have oxygen chambers at our clinic.
09:55And you perfuse your body with 500% oxygen.
09:58Probably over 1,000 pounds worth of treatment.
10:00Depends those pounds for air.
10:02So that's a bit extreme, I think so.
10:05I can walk outside and inhale and be free.
10:08We come with a vibe of actually being quite healthy on the trip
10:12and even go back healthier than when we came.
10:15Quite surprised that people who are on holiday
10:19and look after themselves.
10:22We like a bit of a blowout.
10:24So do you guys drink alcohol?
10:26No.
10:27At all?
10:28No.
10:28So I don't know if that's something you could try and get on board with.
10:31No, because I've had some this afternoon.
10:33Okay.
10:34I'm starting to worry.
10:36Don't excessively drink, do we not?
10:37We do enjoy having a drink.
10:39Takes a job thing.
10:40Then you get a bit low.
10:42Are you going to come on this journey with us?
10:44Yeah, absolutely.
10:45We're going to have a great time.
10:47I think the Leafs shows a desire to get on board with our idea of a healthy holiday
10:54and not think what we do is daft or silly.
10:57I mean, for us, being on holiday is a special thing,
11:01so I don't think it fits for us.
11:07Coming up, the Leafs fling themselves into the five-star holiday.
11:12It's the best holiday ever.
11:14But will the luxury lifestyle...
11:16I just get an oyster.
11:18...leave a bitter taste?
11:20It was £420.
11:23There's no way you two go to a restaurant and do that yourself.
11:27Yeah, we do.
11:36A jet-setting family of health obsessives...
11:39Five-star wellness resorts.
11:41Wellness!
11:42Oh, my God!
11:43...are showing a cash-strapped, fun-loving foursome...
11:47Wow.
11:48Wow.
11:48...how to have a wealthy, healthy holiday.
11:51So do you guys drink alcohol?
11:53No.
11:54At all?
11:55No.
11:55But it's off to a rocky start.
11:58I don't think it fits for us.
12:03In Malta, it's breakfast time.
12:05And the hotel's lavish buffet and a la carte menu await.
12:10At £100 for four,
12:12it's just a tad less than the Leafs' weekly disposable income.
12:16Noah, waffles!
12:18But on the dock's strict, healthy holiday regime,
12:22much of it will be out of bounds.
12:24So after a night's sleep,
12:25how do you feel about doing our style of holiday
12:28with a no-booze, healthy-kick idea?
12:33We'll go up for it.
12:35Do you think your parents are going to be able to do it?
12:37Probably not.
12:38Oh.
12:39The early signs are that they are interested in how we do things.
12:43They're motivated to try a different form of holiday.
12:46So at home, we do intermittent fasting,
12:48so I don't usually eat till about two o'clock.
12:51I'd be starving.
12:52Yeah, we need the fuel first thing in the morning, don't we?
12:55Otherwise...
12:55Yeah.
12:56Get hungry.
12:57Yeah, you do.
12:57The Dissons aren't expecting the Leafs to fast,
13:01but Andre can still steer them in a healthy direction.
13:05They have this little centrepiece here for all the cereals and fruits.
13:09There's an egg room.
13:10An egg room? Who has an egg room?
13:12Incredible.
13:13Tastes mushroom.
13:15Yeah, it's not just an egg room, really.
13:18When we saw the breakfast for all the bacon,
13:20the sausage and the mushrooms,
13:23I found it quite difficult not to...
13:25I can see the sadness in your eyes.
13:27Get loaded, bacon.
13:30The temptation is too much for Noah and Gary.
13:33He's tried making the tiniest English breakfast ever.
13:37Yeah, it's hard to resist.
13:39I noticed Gary has a plate of meat.
13:44I think on the last day,
13:45if Gary comes in and says he wants a kale smoothie
13:49and one for Noah,
13:50then we know we've probably cracked it.
13:53It's not just the Dissons' healthy regime the Leafs will be sharing.
13:57Oh, you're ripping it.
13:58They're about to discover what five-star activities they'll all take part in.
14:03Walking tour of the Turkish shelter site.
14:06Yes.
14:07So it gives you all the castles, the old town.
14:11Child-free mum's makeover.
14:15Michelin's dad's sushi dinner.
14:17Oh, sushi.
14:19Relaxing by the pool.
14:20Snoring in famous blue luggage.
14:23Oh, God!
14:25It was wonderful to see the reaction,
14:27because I suppose I wouldn't like to say we take it for granted,
14:30but this is the kind of thing we would book.
14:31It's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing.
14:34This is going to be incredible.
14:35That's it!
14:37That's it!
14:37That's it!
14:37That's it!
14:38First on the itinerary,
14:40a guided sightseeing tour of Malta's historic capital, the letter.
14:46So, welcome.
14:47My name is Clive Cortese.
14:49I'm going to be your private guide for today.
14:51We usually do hire a tour guide, just so we don't miss the important points of the place.
14:57But at £155, it's more than the Leafs' weekly food shop.
15:02Well, that's our mainly, it was built in the 16th century.
15:05Yeah.
15:06By the famous Knights of St. John.
15:08The city's historic architecture has earned its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
15:15The walls have changed over time, see the holes forming.
15:18Fascinating stuff for culture vulture Andre.
15:21When are we going to the pool?
15:24Not so fascinating for eight-year-old Noah.
15:27So, here we are, Baraka Gardens.
15:29And all the fortifications that we're seeing now just in front of us today,
15:33it is used by both gladiator films.
15:36We thoroughly jarred it.
15:38Incredible scenery.
15:39I'm getting a bit bored.
15:40And then we have Noah, who was viewing on the whole way around.
15:45Just on my left-hand side is St. John's Coal Cathedral.
15:50I don't mind the history.
15:51He's bored.
15:52He's bored, yeah.
15:53Yeah, he's bored.
15:55It's not a holiday adult for children.
15:57I hope we enjoy this short tour of the city.
16:02It's worth applause, but will it be worth the money?
16:05£155 for the tour.
16:07Yeah.
16:07Yeah, it's money well spent in my book.
16:09Not £155 worth.
16:11I could do that myself.
16:12We'd do so much more with £155.
16:16Back at the hotel, and next on the itinerary, pull time.
16:23I'm excited.
16:24Although the five-star finisher isn't the usual habitat for inflatable crocs.
16:30Noah, stop.
16:31Stop.
16:32Noah.
16:33Noah, don't zip his head in.
16:35I kept telling our kids to be quiet because they were a bit...
16:37I didn't want to get looked at and judged.
16:39Noah, just wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
16:41I can really look at the big bloody croc at it.
16:43Yeah.
16:44Noah, slow down.
16:45Noah.
16:46He can't wait.
16:48Beth and Gary aren't used to such posh surroundings, but the kids are taking to the luxury like
16:53ducks to water.
16:55That was one of my favourite parts of the day, seeing Noah and Grace splashing the pool.
17:01That's what I think kids should be doing on holiday.
17:03While the dads are on pool duty, the mums can kick back and relax.
17:08This is nice, isn't it?
17:09Just having a chill.
17:10Do you get much chance to do this at home?
17:12Not really.
17:13No.
17:13It's pretty full on.
17:14Yeah.
17:14Life's busy.
17:16Obviously, I had Grace when I was 17.
17:18How did you find that?
17:19It was difficult.
17:20I didn't have much support.
17:21I very much did it all by myself.
17:22Did you not care?
17:23So it was, I devoted my life to her and then Noah.
17:27Every last thing we're doing is just about the kids.
17:29We don't have time together.
17:30We don't have time alone.
17:32Hopefully, on this holiday, you can get some treats, some time on your own.
17:36I would love that.
17:37Yeah.
17:37And I know I need the time.
17:39I know I need to look after myself because if you don't look after yourself, you can't
17:42look after everyone else.
17:43You can't.
17:44Oh.
17:47For my 30th year, we planned a trip to Milan.
17:51Gary snapped his Achilles and then we had to not go on the trip, so we never made it.
17:56Just because I had to carry on putting a roof over the head and feeding them, paying the bills.
18:01It was a lot.
18:02It was something special for you, wasn't it?
18:04Yeah, it was.
18:05And obviously, you missed out on that.
18:06That's okay.
18:07We're here now.
18:07Well, yes, we're here now.
18:09It was lovely to have a chat with Beth.
18:11She's a mother first and foremost and always puts her children first.
18:15Sometimes she just needs to have a bit of time to herself.
18:18She deserves that.
18:19Lovely conversation to have with her.
18:21Just us mums, putting us to rights and sharing our insights with me.
18:26I thoroughly enjoyed.
18:28Next on the healthy holiday agenda, some me time for the parents, while the kids are
18:34in childcare.
18:35For fitness freak Andre, that means one thing.
18:43It's been a long time since I've been near a gym.
18:46It's a luxury Gary can't stretch to, but Andre spends £400 a month on a PT.
18:53I know that money can pay for our monthly food shop, so it feels like it's a necessary luxury.
18:58It's crucial for healthy body, healthy mind.
19:00And it's not Andre's only spendy necessity.
19:04Anti-wrinkle treatments, best facial skin care, skin-tying treatments.
19:08This can mount up to £10,000 of work a year easily.
19:13Well, £10,000 is a massive thing.
19:16You know, that's a third annual wage.
19:19It's a non-negotiable.
19:20He looks well for £55, so...
19:22I've not seen his forehead move.
19:26Meanwhile, for £170, the mums are getting made up for a posh double dinner date later.
19:32What do you usually spend on getting your make-up done?
19:35Usually it's about £100.
19:37What?
19:38Who are you going to?
19:40Shut up.
19:41What was it like today having some new time?
19:43I feel selfish and I feel guilty.
19:45You put the children first, but your vista's important.
19:48I'm going to try and take that from this experience and look after myself a little bit more.
19:53Yeah.
19:54Okay, you can have a look.
19:57Wow.
19:58Well, I might take up having my make-up done on a regular basis, because that was incredible.
20:04Yeah, I love it.
20:05I think it's stunning.
20:06I think it looked beautiful.
20:07So, how do you feel about sushi tonight?
20:09Never really tried it.
20:11I don't think I'm willing to either.
20:15Beth might be trying to swerve the sushi,
20:17but a date night does hold some appeal.
20:20Me and Gary don't have, we don't spend quality time together at all.
20:25You look incredible.
20:26You bet it's absolutely amazing.
20:28So, to reconnect as a couple would be incredible.
20:32Well, let's get some dinner.
20:33Yeah, brilliant.
20:34Let's go.
20:36The uber-cool Aki Malta is a magnet for Valletta's glitterati.
20:40Some of their signature dishes can top £50 each,
20:45and the fish-packed sushi menu is a healthy dining option.
20:50Can I get some cocktails, please?
20:52No alcohol.
20:53Especially when booze is off the table.
20:56We will have the soft-shell crab.
20:59If it's got a tentacle, I'm not touching it.
21:02From the sashimi, can we have the octopus?
21:05When you do it, they sounded horrified.
21:07First up, £25 fresh oysters.
21:11A food that's never touched the leaf's lips before.
21:15Are you going to eat that?
21:16Remember, you don't chew, you just swallow.
21:19One, two, three.
21:23Swallowed.
21:24And swallowed.
21:27What was that like?
21:29Not that bad, to me as well.
21:30Oh, girl, there you go.
21:31In for a penny, in for £25.
21:35Oh, yeah.
21:36Wow.
21:36Well done.
21:37Well done.
21:38I think that deserves a round of applause.
21:40I think.
21:40Go on.
21:41Give them their due.
21:42They both work for the challenge.
21:45They, they, they, they at them.
21:46I mean...
21:47And alcohol-free.
21:48No touch coverage.
21:49I had to say an oyster.
21:52Yeah, I just thought it was the closest thing I was going to get to.
21:56That's a slow shot.
22:02It's like an explosion.
22:04That's incredible.
22:06The sushi has gone down surprisingly well.
22:08But will the bill?
22:10It was £420.
22:14£420.
22:17And your swerkers, what the...
22:21What?
22:23Well, you didn't have that much.
22:26We spent £45 on water.
22:29There's no way you two go to a restaurant and do that yourself.
22:32Yeah, we do.
22:33Yeah, we do.
22:34They were very shocked by the price.
22:36Yeah.
22:36They couldn't, they could never fathom spending that much.
22:39I've spent three, four times that on a meal.
22:41It wasn't worth the money.
22:44But they've definitely shown me we need to do more for each other.
22:47Maybe a little date night to maybe really like the spark a little bit.
22:52But not with that price tag of £420, definitely not.
22:59There's just one activity left on the luxury holiday to-do list.
23:04How are you feeling, guys, about the boat trip?
23:05Yeah, excited.
23:07The families are taking a private charter catamaran to Malta's top snorkelling spot.
23:12But at £1,000, it's close to what Beth earns in a month.
23:16Oh, my God, I'm going to weave a felt.
23:18This is insane.
23:20Whoa.
23:20I'm bored alone.
23:22It just screams millioner.
23:26A trip like this is a first for the Leafs.
23:30Away we go.
23:32It's unbelievable.
23:34The kids are never going to start talking like this.
23:37This is one of the cruel things I've ever done.
23:39But for the seasoned boat tripping distance, it's all in a day's luxury holiday.
23:45It's a boat.
23:45It's a nice boat.
23:46It's wonderful.
23:47But we've done this quite a few times.
23:48But it's really interesting to see people do it for the first time.
23:51To them, it is like magic.
23:56Destination Blue Lagoon.
23:58Yeah!
24:02The Leafs jump feet first into the experience.
24:06Oh, left me behind.
24:09The boat is old.
24:11We find it a little bit too cold.
24:13We like it a little bit warmer than this.
24:16More use to the Maldives, the Dissants have decided to sit this one out.
24:21But for the Leafs, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
24:25Two, three.
24:27I loved how excited the Leafs were.
24:31Just seeing them squeeze every bit of fun out of that day.
24:34Maybe a tin jealous about how much fun they were having.
24:37Maybe we've become a bit complacent.
24:40Like, well, we'll come back another time.
24:42And so maybe that's what we've got to work on.
24:43Maybe get back to what makes us excited.
24:45Seeing fish in, like, clear waters.
24:48You don't get that in the UK, do you?
24:50It's the best I've ever.
24:51With every penny, if it is.
24:53The memories and the experience.
24:55To see the smiles on the kids' faces.
24:58And I enjoyed it more than the kids.
25:00You know, it's fantastic.
25:04Back on dry land,
25:05and before the sun sets on the booze-free, healthy holiday,
25:09there's time for a quick debrief.
25:11Did you ever maybe delve into the minibar at all?
25:15A lot.
25:16I wouldn't say a lot.
25:18I'll be honest, I had one last night.
25:21But, yeah, nothing like I would normally.
25:23I think you've done fantastically well.
25:24We have really, really enjoyed it.
25:26Yeah, good.
25:27We wouldn't choose to come back to a hotel as grand as this.
25:32Not somewhere this posh.
25:34We don't believe we belong here.
25:36Just because we're quite loud.
25:38We've been on lots of five-star holidays,
25:40and there's a lot of noisy people.
25:42Rich, noisy people.
25:43You don't really have to worry about that kind of thing.
25:45For me, it's the relaxing.
25:48I am really going to take out of this.
25:50Maybe just a weekend for me and Gary ourselves.
25:54It'll be lovely.
25:54But it hasn't been totally one way.
25:56We've also observed things that maybe we've been missing out on,
26:00on holidays.
26:01Always remember your unbridled joy,
26:03and the energy you all had to get in that water.
26:07We take these things for granted.
26:09And it made us think, you know,
26:10we should appreciate these things more.
26:12We really should.
26:13Now, there's just one thing left to learn.
26:16The cost.
26:2016,142.
26:25I'm kind of speechless.
26:27Like, I don't think we'd ever spend that much.
26:31So, the costing of the holiday, I thought, was about right.
26:33What we'd expect, really, isn't it?
26:35That amount of money will go down towards a nice trills.
26:40I'm shocked that people have that disposable income to spend on a holiday.
26:47Time to turn the tables.
26:49In the envelope is the destination of the budget break a la Leafs.
26:54You're heading to Rural Lancashire.
26:57Whoa!
26:58For a back-to-basics break in self-catered camping pods,
27:03prepare to get muddy in the great British countryside.
27:07Ooh!
27:10Rural Lancashire, a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts
27:13with rolling fields, sheep, and low-cost farmyard camping.
27:19Both families will stay in a three-by-three-meter off-grid pod
27:22and share a compostable loo for two.
27:26The word camping was like ice down my neck when I saw it.
27:30When Cassie was one, we had a camper van.
27:34It was a two-week holiday that we'd set out.
27:36And R&J lasted five days.
27:38He had a bit of a breakdown and was trying to order flights to Dubai.
27:43We're in trouble.
27:44I might go loco.
27:45It's going fast at all.
27:52Coming up...
27:53The distance are slumming it.
27:57156 pounds.
27:59That is so tight.
28:00And it's no walk in the park.
28:02It's not what I choose to do on my holiday.
28:12A hard-up, fun-loving family...
28:15I'm so excited, you!
28:17...have been on a high-class, healthy holiday.
28:20I just ate an oyster.
28:23Now it's their turn to show their five-star-loving companions...
28:27If you're heading to rural Lancashire.
28:31How to holiday on a budget.
28:34I might go loco.
28:35It's quite possible.
28:37It's the second half of the holiday experience, and the families are back in the UK in beautiful, rural Lancashire.
28:45It's going to get wet.
28:46I mean, I've brought one pair of jeans, I've been.
28:48A 400-pound pair of jeans.
28:51For the budget side of the holiday, the Dissons will be doing it the Leafs way.
28:56Wow, look at them.
28:59They look cool.
29:00They do look cool.
29:01Weekend campers, the Leafs, are on home turf.
29:04Look at the views.
29:07Is that a sip pod?
29:09Oh, my God.
29:11Is that a sign-house for sewage?
29:12But for the Dissons, it couldn't be further from a five-star spa hotel.
29:17Nothing here, is it?
29:20A bit of sheep.
29:21Hello, everyone.
29:22Hello.
29:23Travellers, adventurers.
29:24I'm Jack.
29:25Welcome on Little Middop Farm.
29:27We have three pods in the field.
29:29And so is one of them the spa pod?
29:31Spa pod.
29:34Andre might find the accommodation comes up short.
29:37The pods are a snug three by three metres.
29:42Oh, it's cosy.
29:44It's smaller than some of the bathrooms we've been in, in the hotels we've stayed at.
29:47Some of the showers in the bath.
29:49I've never been on a holiday where I could touch all four walls at the same time.
29:54It's better basics.
29:55Are you going to be able to do it?
29:57I don't know.
29:59I don't know.
30:00I don't know.
30:00I don't know.
30:01While Sam and Andre are already contemplating throwing in the towel, the Leafs are enjoying
30:07some good old-fashioned free fun.
30:09We like nature, open space.
30:11Just join in with the kids.
30:13Here, you can just be yourself.
30:15I'm wild and free.
30:16There's no running for the distance.
30:18Without their usual bellhop, they're struggling with their luggage.
30:23Good job Andre's been down the gym.
30:25There's no holiday feel to it.
30:27It's just endurance.
30:28It's like a test of your endurance, isn't it?
30:30What's the Himalayas base camp type feel to it at the moment?
30:34There's no space.
30:35Yeah, I feel like I'm on a geography field trip.
30:40Hysteria is already setting in, and that's before Sam and Andre find out what each family
30:46has to spend for the next few days.
30:49Guys, this is for your food and for your activities.
30:52Yeah, you can't matter.
30:53OK, we've been in the plow away.
30:5660, 80, 100, 120, 140, 150.
31:01Each family has a budget of £156.
31:05Just one of your activities was that much.
31:08It was.
31:09That is so tight.
31:10That is...
31:12I said before, we'd spend that much money just from getting to the airport, to the hotel.
31:17Mm-hmm.
31:18I know you're going to see what you can actually get with it.
31:20Yeah?
31:21Absolutely.
31:22Absolutely.
31:22The value of money.
31:25It's a balmy six-degree morning at little Midop Farm.
31:29Can't be this cold every morning.
31:31For the jet-setting Dissons, it's a rude awakening to UK budget holidays.
31:36We're cold, we're uncomfortable, can't move around the pod.
31:40We're stuck in a field in the middle of nowhere.
31:42There's no electricity.
31:43And there's no bathroom, the en-suite bathroom.
31:47On this break, Sam and Andre will have to make do with a communal shower.
31:52I've never walked this far for a shower.
31:55I want to have a shower, but I don't because it's too cold.
31:58But I can't wash my hair because it's such a walk to the shower.
32:01And I've got no hairdryer because most five...
32:04Well, all five-star hotels have hairdryers.
32:06So, I didn't pack one.
32:08Oh, OK.
32:10I don't think I want to take my clothes off.
32:12For Sam, showering is a no-go.
32:15What were you doing, Sam?
32:18We're purple.
32:20I'm stuck with this.
32:22So, people...
32:23The shower is a washout.
32:26Maybe Andre will do better with the communal kitchen.
32:29Have we found a toaster?
32:30No.
32:31So, we might have to improvise.
32:34Having blown 60 quid on a budget shop, Gary and Andre are on breakfast duty.
32:40When it comes to a holiday, I like to be catered for.
32:43I don't want to do the cooking myself.
32:46It's not quite the five-star that they're used to.
32:48It's not the egg room.
32:49I'm not sure I'd call that toast.
32:52It's not a glowing review from Beth.
32:54I'm not hungry, actually.
32:56While Sam resorts to fasting.
32:58But at least the kids are getting stuck in.
33:01It's cheap and cheerful, just like the Leafs' usual holiday activities, which the Dissants
33:06will also be taking part in.
33:08Holiday activities.
33:10Volunteering with the local...
33:14That sounds like it might involve shuffles of some kind.
33:17Toasty marshmallows on the campfire.
33:19Lovely.
33:20Lovely.
33:21Paddleboarding.
33:21Oh!
33:22Ho, ho, ho, ho.
33:24I don't know any idea of fun.
33:26It's my idea of sort of holiday hell, I think, doing that type of thing.
33:29So, this is the things we do.
33:30You just keep things simple, keep it fun for the kids, and it's relatively cheap as well.
33:36I hope Nick's and realise that they are so fortunate.
33:39First up, a trip to the alpaca farm.
33:42Guys, what sandwiches do you want?
33:45But on their budget weekends, the Leafs never leave camp without a packed lunch.
33:49I'm not sure that Sam and Andre go on many days out where they'd need to pack a packed lunch.
33:54It'll be an experience for them, for sure.
33:57Volunteering on a farm will also be a novelty.
34:00The closest the Dissants usually get to animals on holiday is a big book safari.
34:06Now, the first job is feed the lambs that you've just seen.
34:11Oh!
34:12Volunteering with Alison at Woodend Farm is a spend-free day.
34:20How old is he?
34:22He's really into it.
34:23He's really.
34:24The kids are in holiday heaven.
34:26This is the best thing I've ever done.
34:28How cute is he?
34:29And the adults aren't far behind.
34:32There we go.
34:33There we go.
34:34Oh, this is absolutely lovely.
34:35I'm crying because it's so cute.
34:39I must say, it's good for the heart.
34:41I feel like I get a lot more from this experience than any five-star resort.
34:52But the next job isn't so cute and cuddly.
34:55The alpacas need mucking out.
34:56Well done, guys.
34:58You're doing incredible.
35:00And while the Leafs get stuck in, Sam and Andre are hanging back.
35:05It's not what I choose to do on my holiday.
35:08Yeah?
35:08Yeah?
35:09Is it quite clean?
35:10Yes.
35:11It is.
35:12It kind of picks the cleaner corner where the little white coats weren't going to get
35:16too dirty.
35:18It's work.
35:19I just don't get up in the morning and think, oh, I'd love to go out today and shovel whatever.
35:24At least Cassia is mucking in.
35:26Bend those knees.
35:28Bend the knees.
35:29Yeah, I would just pay someone to do that.
35:32But I work hard anyway.
35:33I don't need to do that when I'm holiday.
35:35Okay, Teddy.
35:36I really did enjoy the alpacas to the farm.
35:40Very lovely.
35:41Oh, my God.
35:44That was the most fun I've ever had.
35:46Wholesome family fun.
35:47Our goal is to show that you don't need five-star luxuries to enjoy your holiday.
35:53So today has been a success.
35:56Big kick from us.
35:59But will Beth's packed lunch get a thumbs up?
36:02Huh.
36:03More use to Michelin stars than Mother's Pride.
36:07I couldn't finish it.
36:08I had half of it.
36:09For the super healthy Dissons, it's a culinary come down.
36:13It wasn't, I didn't like that really.
36:15It just wasn't, um, my cup of tea.
36:19Coming up.
36:20Dad, step up.
36:20Oh, no, he's standing up.
36:21Andre throws himself into the budget holiday.
36:24It was more on the arduous side of fun.
36:27Both families find out the final tally.
36:29Whoa.
36:30And there's more surprises in store.
36:33No, you can't do that.
36:41A hard-op, fun-loving foursome.
36:44This is the best thing I've ever done.
36:46A showing a five-star loving family.
36:48It's about the basics.
36:49How to holiday on a budget.
36:53£156.
36:54That is so tight.
36:57To see if money really does buy holiday happiness.
37:00My room's sort of holiday hell.
37:03It's a chilly morning in Lancashire.
37:06Yeah, let's go.
37:07And both families are geared up for a day on the water.
37:11Paddle boarding.
37:12So, that's £12 per person.
37:14So, that'd be £84, please.
37:17That's actually very, very reasonable value.
37:20It's cheap and cheerful family fun.
37:24And the Leafs don't hesitate to hit the water.
37:27I'm having a good time!
37:30I'm not getting in that.
37:32But Sam and Cassia are more used to tropical temperatures
37:35than cold Lancashire lakes.
37:37It just looked crazy.
37:39It was freezing cold, blowing a gale.
37:42It just didn't look like fun to me.
37:44Sam and Cassia did a flight getting stuck in,
37:47like we know what we do.
37:49Because no hairdryer.
37:51She used to pass our resorts that have a hairdryer in it.
37:55And she didn't pack one.
37:58At least Andre's giving it a go.
38:04Dad, he's standing up.
38:05Oh, no, he's standing up.
38:06Oh, no, no.
38:06Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
38:10Did I fall over?
38:11I don't know if I fall again.
38:12Why should I do that?
38:14Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
38:16no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
38:16no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
38:17It felt right to give everything I had
38:20because the Leafs family was certainly giving it everything.
38:23They were not going to waste a single second of this, despite the rough conditions.
38:28At £85, it's the big-ticket activity of the budget break.
38:32So, was it worth it?
38:34It was more on the arduous side of fun.
38:37So, this activity was a quarter of the meal that we had in Malta
38:40and I get to remember watching Andre falling the lake for the rest of my life.
38:49Back at the campsite, there's more no-frills fun in store.
38:53Campfire marshmallows.
38:55Is that good enough?
38:56Yeah.
38:56They did really well, weren't they?
38:57Just a tenner for wood and a few quid for marshmallows,
39:01a holiday night out doesn't get much cheaper.
39:04It's not Michelin star, it's not fine dining,
39:07but standing around a campfire and stuff in your face is what life is all about.
39:12I did enjoy that.
39:13That was fun.
39:14They're not the healthiest things.
39:15It's like eating plastic.
39:17I shan't be giving up my Michelin star dining any time soon.
39:20I have really enjoyed this holiday.
39:22My mum and dad keep saying to me,
39:24oh, you're coping so well, you're coping so well,
39:26but I'm just enjoying it, to be honest.
39:31It's the final morning of the holiday.
39:34That way.
39:36That's ridiculous.
39:37And it's checkout time.
39:39So, am I looking forward to going home?
39:42Very much so.
39:44Bye, pod.
39:45But before they leave,
39:46there's the small matter of the cost of their budget break.
39:50It was?
39:51Total bill for your holidays.
39:54£912.
39:55Whoa!
39:59That is rich.
40:01I'm shocked that it's quite as low as that,
40:03but then, you know, there's no luxury involved.
40:07Amazing.
40:07Crazy.
40:08We get 15 of our holidays for their holiday.
40:11It's £15,000 less than the Malta break.
40:15That £15,000 would do so much for us.
40:19Go to our holidays and our deposit.
40:21So, being on your holiday,
40:23a lot of things for us was the first,
40:25so the snorkelling was the first,
40:27the yacht ride.
40:28And, yeah, a lot of them things are things
40:30that we couldn't perhaps offer the children,
40:35maybe ever again.
40:37but we're happy at the end of our holidays
40:39and you're happy at the end of your holidays,
40:41so we did kind of want to prove
40:43that money doesn't equal happiness.
40:45I probably would pick Martin over this.
40:48LAUGHTER
40:50Yeah.
40:50My perspective on budget holidays hasn't really changed.
40:53I am an on-suite girl.
40:55I do like to have an on-suite.
40:56I've been away from this sort of simple
40:58for maybe for too long
40:59and it doesn't really,
41:01it doesn't really float my boat anymore.
41:03I think I have been perhaps irrevocably changed
41:06by a five-star treatment.
41:08I have enjoyed this holiday
41:10the same way that I've enjoyed Malta.
41:12I think I've learned that
41:13even on the simplest of holidays,
41:15we can still have as much fun as we can
41:16on the most expensive holidays
41:18because we have each other.
41:20Oh, Cathy, that's incredible.
41:26So this is goodbye now, I guess.
41:28We're leaving, going home.
41:29It's quite sad, really.
41:31I do feel sad.
41:32I do feel really sad.
41:32Happy to be going home,
41:34but sad to...
41:35It's the end of our experience.
41:37Thank you for sharing the whole experience with us.
41:39Thank you, too.
41:40I thought we'd just get you a little gift
41:41so you can remember us,
41:42not that you'd ever forget us.
41:44Oh.
41:46Pass the parcel.
41:47Oh.
41:52And we don't have to clean up after it.
41:55No.
41:56No.
41:57And we've got you guys
41:58a little something as well.
41:59So what's really come across to us
42:01is just how proud and selfless you are.
42:03Last year was very, very difficult for you.
42:05And so if it's OK with you,
42:07we'd be very much like to fund
42:09a holiday for you all
42:10to the Greek island of Skopoulos.
42:17No, you can't do that.
42:19You want to.
42:20We'd really love to do it.
42:22We would love to do that for you.
42:24You totally, totally deserve that.
42:28You're welcome.
42:33Oh, no, you don't really need to do that.
42:35I'm sorry.
42:39And you'll think of us when you're there.
42:41Yeah.
42:41That's far too bad.
42:44It's not.
42:45Thank you so, so much.
42:49Oh, that's incredible.
42:51Thank you very much.
42:52It just proves what nice people they are, though.
42:55You come on the experience like this
42:57and you make assumptions of people
42:59before you meet them
43:00and they are far from it
43:01and just that gesture.
43:03It almost feels that it's difficult to accept.
43:06Yeah.
43:08Definitely.
43:08Accept that as a gift.
43:10That's a lot.
43:11That's a lot.
43:15But I'm so excited.
43:17So excited.
43:19We're going to Greece.
43:22Yeah, you're going to Greece.
43:24For now, it's back to Bolton.
43:27Home sweet home.
43:29And Cheshire and a chance for both families
43:31to reflect on the holiday.
43:34I'm not going to change my holidays anytime soon.
43:36I prefer the five star all the way.
43:39I'm just too far down the road of five star
43:41to go back in time and do the simple holidays.
43:45We really enjoyed it.
43:46Yeah.
43:47And we definitely go to the sun on a budget.
43:50Yeah, the memories we've made were fantastic.
43:53The dance taught us a lot of valuable life lessons.
43:57We need to spend more time with each other
43:59and we need to spend more time with ourselves.
44:01Does money buy you a happier holiday?
44:04Not necessarily.
44:05I think it's the people that you're with
44:07that make your holiday special.
44:09It was lovely being with the other family.
44:11They made it fun.
44:13It's definitely taught us not to judge people as well.
44:15Yes.
44:15Our perception on rich people
44:17was that they are snobs
44:19and they're not.
44:21They're just humans
44:22with a lot more money.
44:23Next time.
44:25Oh my God.
44:26Go on, strum it with us.
44:27Cannot believe I'm doing this.
44:31Go on, you're in.
44:32You got a Spider-Man.
44:34Wow, look at this.
44:35This is the most beautiful palace in Venice.
44:38Boring.
44:39Just horrendous.
44:40That's five months worth of wages for me
44:42for this summer.
45:08It's the most beautiful palace.
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