Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 9

In our previous post, I mentioned that we are conscious that not everyone will have positive things to say about a TV production crew being around.

It is remarkable what happens to some people when any film crew is in the vicinity. I don’t know what it is about a camera, but it can bring out the very worst behaviour in a handful of people. We were very aware that we had to be on the lookout for anything that might hinder production, particularly when Alan and Amanda were here, or that might reveal the location and thereby attract unwelcome press attention before it was required. If onlookers decide they want a selfie with the presenters, this can knock the schedule back 10 minutes that somehow has to be regained. If this happens regularly, the entire schedule can be knocked off kilter.

It is sobering to hear accounts from the presenters that there are occasions when members of the general public will grab one of them for a selfie without even asking if it’s alright; they’re viewed as a commodity with no feelings, and that their work is incidental when compared to a quick Instagram story posted by a complete stranger.

During the course of filming, the occasional photo or video escaped onto social media and I was mortified to see some of the comments. In Lanjarón, a village in the Alpujarras to the south of Granada, the local mayor posted a photo of Amanda weaving baskets for a scene. The mayor, understandably, was excited that his village was being featured in a programme being filmed by the BBC. I read one of the comments in response, posted by a British person who lives in Andalucia:

“Think you may find that is Amanda Holden. Never seen the show with her and the over the top camp fella, but told they are filming in Moclín, Granada and surrounding areas. Don’t know the name of the programme as I don’t watch shite television…”

This might be an opinion that you would share in your own home, but what good does this sort of comment do to anyone when posted in the public domain? Whenever the programme was mentioned anywhere, I would see a stream of comments from British people living in Spain along the lines of “we don’t want them here”, or “where’s the asteroid when you need it?” This sort of Nimbyism (Not in my back yard) is short-sighted. The point I would make is that many areas of rural inland Spain do need this type of programme. The coast is another story, and we have all read the negative stories in the press about protests against tourism. In the major coastal cities, local people are getting priced out of the property rental market due to increased rental values driven by the Airbnb culture. However, for years the Spanish government has been looking for initiatives to attract visitors inland away from the main coastal resorts. As with so many things, it is finding the right balance. With 88 million visitors a year, Spain has to find ways of managing the overpopulation of coastal destinations and capping the number of tourism licenses issued is one way. Giving visitors an alternative to the coast, using history, culture, architecture, nature and the magnificent landscapes is one way of taking pressure off the hotspots.

As we have said, we became involved in the programme for what we feel are the right reasons - highlighting rural depopulation and inviting visitors to venture inland. Rural communities need to supplement their revenue streams in order to survive, and this level of publicity must help achieve this objective, so for non-Spanish people to decide that the publicity is unwelcome is misguided. From a demographic point of view, the producers have to make sure their programmes are as accessible as possible, so covering every angle of the life and culture of Andalucia is essential. This means that some filming was done in Málaga and on the coast, but the overall aim of the programme remains the same.

As for the treatment of celebrities as a commodity, they are just individuals who have worked hard to get where they are. It was interesting having a chat with one of the presenters of the programme who is only too aware of the transience of TV life. One day you may be flavour of the month and you have to milk that for all it’s worth as tomorrow you may wake up to find that your star has faded. It is a job and having seen them in operation, there is little to envy. Keeping energy levels up all day, often for 12 hours, while being driven from pillar to post and expected to be witty is not easy. Of course they are well looked after, but the success of the programme hinges on that ability to always be the life of the party, and to be able to turn that energy and enthusiasm to any topic of conversation. We, the viewing public, drive the content and create the opportunities for the celebrities, but that doesn’t mean we own them or can grab them whenever we see them in public in order to take a selfie. When opportunities arise to promote everything that is glorious about Spain, who are we to be the naysayers, critical of positive publicity when all around us there is so much negativity? As I say repeatedly, now that the crew has departed it is up to us to make the very best of this great opportunity, to the benefit of everyone.

You can read earlier posts in this series by clicking on the links below:

Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 1
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 2
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 3
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 4
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 5
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 6
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 7
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 8
Our Summer with Alan and Amanda 10

Follow us on Instagram:

Andrew @awatsonone
Ian @ianrutter
Casa Higueras @casahiguerasmoclin
Esperanza 9 @calleesperanza9
Granada Village and Country @granada_villageandcountry
Granada Cultural Holidays @granadaculturalholidays

‘Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Job’ is being shown on BBC One from 24th January 2025 and is available on iPlayer.

For the programme, Amanda and Alan bought their property through our estate agency business, Granada Village & Country and we were instrumental in putting together the building teams who completed the renovation of the property.

The property will be available for sale through Granada Village & Country, and featured on Rightmove, at the end of the series.

Our other businesses as featured on the programme:

Casa Higueras Bed & Breakfast
Esperanza 9
Granada Cultural Holidays

With enormous thanks to Amanda, Alan and the entire team at Voltage TV for choosing Moclín and for your enthusiasm, love and consideration throughout the filming of the series. We loved having you all here!