Home awards programme enthusiastic to return to isles
A BBC property show is calling for Shetland homeowners to apply to their sixth series.
Scotland’s Home of the Year (SHOTY) series five is currently airing on BBC Scotland every Monday at 8.30pm.
New judges Banjo Beale and Danny Campbell are set to take over from Michael Angus and Kate Spiers.
Beale is Australian but moved to the Isle of Mull ten years ago.
Beale told Shetland News: “I went on an interior design competition show on BBC called Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr and then I unexpectedly won that.
“From there the guys that make SHOTY spotted me … I got the call up to be a judge.”
In series five Beale appears as a guest judge but he will take on a permanent role for series six.
Beale says he has “a soft spot” for all the Scottish islands, but he’s “really on a mission” to get to Shetland after visiting Orkney for the current series.
“I just selfishly want to visit Shetland!” he said.
“It’s really fun because you get to nip around people’s houses and travel up and down Scotland.”
Beale encourages anyone to apply, even if they don’t have the ‘perfect’ home.
“I think a lot of people, and even for me before going on the programme, would have thought ‘oh my house is not good enough to be on that,’” he said.
“But I think if you’re proud of your house, if your house kind of represents you as a person … it doesn’t have to be perfect.
“We’re not looking for perfect, we’re looking for a home that’s full of heart.
“If your friends think you have a cool home, chances are that maybe we will too.”
The application for next year’s awards is available here.
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