'Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr' 2024: Meet all ten season 5 contestants - what day and time is it on TV?

For those who reckon they've got an eye for interior design, the must watch reality TV programme is back on our screens.

The fifth series of 'Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr' has returned to BBC One, and once again viewers are once again loving watching ten novice designers compete for a chance to win their break in the world of commercial interior design. The show airs every Tuesday on BBC One, between 8pm and 9pm, with the final episode airing on Tuesday April 30.

At the end of eight weeks of challenges, the winner will be given a collaboration contract with a global homeware brand to produce their own line of home furnishings. But, before the winner is crowned they have to impress design expert and former editor of 'Elle Decoration' Michelle Ogundehin, who returns as the series judge.

The designers come from all walks of life and have very different signature styles, from the ‘Victorian Maximalist’ to the ‘Elegant Brutalist’ to the ‘Colourful Traditionalist’. Each week, either working alone or as a team, they are set a new challenge as they are given free rein to redesign a range of commercial spaces across the UK. These include turning former nun’s cells into B&Bs, revamping activity centres at Chester Zoo, transforming Wembley dressing rooms and remodelling holiday lodges at Blenheim Palace.

Each week Michelle decides which designers have created her ‘Stand Out Space’ and which designers will be sent home. She is joined by leading figures from the world of interior design including Abigail Ahern, Kelly Hoppen, Sophie Robinson and Mary Portas.

So, just who are the designers hoping to take the 'Interior Design Master' crown in 2024? Here's all you need to know about all ten contestants.

Anthony

Style: Colourful traditional

Occupation: Stay at home Dad/ Interior stylist

Location: London

Before becoming a full-time dad, Anthony was a musical theatre actor. He moved to London from Liverpool at the age of 18 to study Musical Theatre. He performed in productions such as 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' and toured the world with 'Evita', before hanging up his dancing shoes in 2020 to start a family with his partner.

In preparation for adopting their baby, Anthony and his dad, who is a builder, transformed his run-down house into a perfect family home. It was from there Anthony’s love of interior design began.

Anthony then designed his partner’s new restaurant. His focus was to bring the outside in by bringing in natural materials and upcycling second-hand furniture.

Alongside looking after his son, Anthony now works as a freelance interior stylist for a luxury B&B company and also for events such as 'The Brit Awards' and 'Eurovision', dressing the artists’ dressing rooms.

Ash

Style: Africa Modern                                                   

Occupation: Interior Therapist

Location: London

As a diplomat’s daughter Ash lived in Bonn, Stockholm and London before returning to Nairobi as a teenager. Although she has a home in London, her heart is firmly rooted in Kenya where she tries to spend as much time as possible. Her grown up daughter and son also live in London.

Renovating homes in Nairobi, she realised that the commonly perceived African aesthetic was often limited to ‘tribal’ or ‘safari-style’ which didn't align with her vision. Ash draws inspiration from the pulsating energy and spirit of modern Africa and she aims to anchor her spaces in joy, colour, resourcefulness, whimsicality, art and craftsmanship.

A few years ago Ash started a website and YouTube channel to showcase her apartment renovation. She now styles herself as an ‘Interior Therapist’ aiming to create spaces for her clients which celebrate African heritage and make people happy at home. 

Ben

Style:  Victorian Maximalist

Occupation: Lingerie Designer

Location: Wolverhampton

Ben grew up in San Sebastián, Spain, but now lives in Wolverhampton with his history professor partner. He had a passion for history since childhood and it is demonstrated in his dress sense as well as his interior style. As a child he became fascinated with the Edwardian era – both the clothing and interiors.

This love of history grew as did his hoard of antiques from the local flea markets. These unique finds are still present in his home today, including a French horn he transformed into a lamp shade.

He studied fashion in Madrid and gained a Masters in furriery and lingerie at Central St Martin’s in London before designing clothes for film and TV. He later went on to manage a boutique in London’s Portobello Road dressed serving customers dressed head to toe in Victorian clothing. Ben now works as a sample cutter for a well-known lingerie company.

As well as his own home, he and his partner are currently renovating Ben’s family home in the Basque country which dates back to 1460.

Domnall

Style: Graphic Mid-Century Modern

Occupation: Illustrator, Artist and Shop owner 

Location: Londonderry

Domnall was brought up in Derry. He studied illustration at university and got his first job as a Graphic Designer at a local newspaper until his career took him to Belfast, Sydney and London.

He returned home in 2009 and, in 2013, he was commissioned to create an iconic wall mural as part of his hometown’s City of Culture status. Domnall opened a studio shop in 2015 selling a range of reclaimed and upcycled furniture, original artwork, prints, fabrics designs and jewellery.

He also began to produce artwork and murals for local businesses and has also worked on a variety of interior design projects in his hometown, for which he also supplied bespoke furniture and artwork. 

In 2023, Domnall completed his most sustainable interior design project to date-designing a bar and restaurant for the Millennium Forum Theatre in Derry. Domnall is eco conscious in his designs and prefers using sustainable, non-toxic materials, such as pineapple leather and he sources and refurbishes preloved furniture. 

Francesca

Occupation: Textiles Maker and Teacher

Style: Playful Colourist

Location: London

Francesca lives in East London with her husband and their two-year-old son. She is a crafts teacher and has taught children with special needs in her local community.

As a young child, she recalls poring over her mum’s interiors magazines picking out things she’d have in her future home. In her early teens, her favourite pastime was to collect free colour paint cards and spend her time printing off floor plans from estate agent’s website to redesign the rooms.

During the pandemic, Francesca decided to focus on renovating her flat and starting a family. Her home renovation gained a good following on Instagram as people appreciated her fun, playful and mischievous style.

As well as teaching crafts she takes on freelance sewing commissions and has started attending an upholstery course and wants to re-forge her career in interiors.  She would ultimately love to run her own interiors brand with a workshop to make and design products.

Hannah

Occupation: Interior Designer

Style: Colourful Brutalist

Location: London

After studying a foundation degree in Art and Design at university, Hannah embarked on a 20-year career in fashion visual merchandising. She worked her way up from the sales floor in a little shop in Leicester, to managing the European creative team for a global brand. 

Hannah left retail fashion when the pandemic hit, and she made the decision to pursue her long held ambition to become an interior designer. She signed up for a diploma in interior design and alongside her studies did a few unpaid makeovers for friends to build up her portfolio.

From a modest start upcycling plant pots and vases, Hannah set up her own homewares business, selling cast cement pots and vases through shops across the UK. Hannah has redesigned her own flat, a handful of other residential projects and an office so far but has dreams of designing mid-century homes and hotels.

Jess

Occupation: Upholsterer

Style: Memphis inspired mid-century

Location: Margate

Jess moved to Margate after she joined the events team at Dreamland theme park. At the same time, she started a part time upholstery course as a hobby.

Her hobby for upholstery quickly became her passion so she quit her job and set up her own upholstery studio with a friend. Since then, Jess has upholstered hundreds of items and collaborated with interior designers across the UK. Jess loves taking on ‘weird and wonderful’ upholstery challenges and her most challenging project to date, has been entirely covering 19 ceilings with upholstery in a local hotel.

Jess is also a co-owner of a popular gay bar in Margate which she bought with her brother, girlfriend and two best friends. It went from a disused computer shop to a late-night bar which Jess designed in the Memphis style, which cemented her love for interiors. Now, she has just bought her first property.

Matt

Occupation: Bathroom Designer

Style: Elegant brutalism

Location: Cheltenham

Matt is originally from Cheltenham and grew up with a passion for art and design, partly due to his father’s job restoring Japanese antiques.

Following school, Matt gained an extended diploma in Art and Design and went on to do a BA degree in Interior Architecture. He spent a year studying in Barcelona and during the summer worked with his dad restoring furniture. Matt is now back living in Cheltenham and currently works as a bathroom designer for a local company. 

He is inspired by Brutalist architecture and design and loves working with light and shadow to create interesting design. His ambition is to open his own commercial design practice and his ultimate dream is to design a fashion catwalk in collaboration with a fashion designer.

Roisin

Occupation: Former Travel Advisor

Style: Colourful maximalism

Location: The Wirral

Roisin is originally from the Isle of Man. She moved to Liverpool to study Drama and during her summer holidays would work for camps in America as a lifeguard where she met her now husband. She got married last year and lives in The Wirral in a house she has designed and renovated.

When Covid hit, Roisin and her husband decided to stay with her parents on the Isle of Man as they were in the process of building their new home. Roisin took over as their interior designer and project manager liaising with the architects and tradespeople to make her vision come to life.

In 2022, after some encouragement from her work colleagues who were always asking her for Interior design advice, Roisin set up an interior design Instagram account to document the transformation of her parents’ home and gained a following. As soon as she found out she had a place the show, Roisin quit her job and now wants to pursue her dream career of being an interior designer. Her ultimate dream would be to design an entire boutique hotel. 

Sheree

Occupation: Copyrighter                                                        

Style: Colourful Scandi

Location: Margate

Sheree is originally from Leeds and grew up in a creative family home. Being half Danish and half Jamaican, Sheree has been influenced by both Scandi and Caribbean interiors and now loves to incorporate both styles within her own designs.

Sheree’s mum renovated their family home which sparked Sheree’s interest in interior design.After university, Sheree moved to London to pursue a career in journalism. She became a copywriter for various retail stores and now manages a team who work on the companies’ marketing campaigns, adverts and websites.

She currently lives in Margate, in a newly purchased Victorian terraced house which she’s renovating herself. This big project has allowed her to put to into practice her interior design style. Sheree’s gained so much enjoyment from doing up her own home, she now wants to embark on a career as an interior designer.