Channel 4's new TV show 'The Village' will give participants a chance of winning a dream home in the British countryside. They are calling for anyone tired of living in the city to take part in their new TV show due for filming at the end of the summer. You'll be given the chance of starting a new life in an idyllic village in the UK and win a house reportedly worth up to £300,000 in the process.

The contestants, all couples, will be filmed living and working with locals, who will meet weekly to kick out those they don't like.

The show has already attracted controversy with residents of Aberdour in Scotland - one village touted for the show - concerned about how they could be portrayed.

Some 2,000 people live all year round in this scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife.

In preparation for what some are calling the successor to 'Big Brother', Studio Lambert, who will make the show for Channel 4, looked at hundreds of villages to find the best one. They are said to have held discussions with the village's community council to assess the residents' feelings about the project.

According to an interview in the Daily Record, the Committment Chairman William Dryburgh expressed some reservations: "The Prisoner put the Welsh village Portmeirion on the map in the 60s but talking to my colleagues on the community council, we don't know if this is the right way to put Aberdour on the map.

"They did press on us that one of the very strict provisos was that the winners would not be able to sell the house but must stay in the village - there'd be a commitment to Aberdour for 12-15 years.

"My sister and brother-in-law know a couple who were on Channel 4's Grand Designs. The work went without a hitch but the producers said, 'We can't have that, we've got to have drama'.

"We're wondering if they will go down that road - introduce things that don't exist."

Other residents have also queried the idea of bringing in outsiders to win a house when there were people already part of the community that might like to take part. At this stage, it isn't clear whether locals are eligible to apply for the show.

Stephen Lambert, boss of London-based Studio Lambert, is also behind hit documentaries such as 'Wife Swap' and 'Faking it'.

How to apply

If you can answer yes to these 4 questions, Channel 4 would be interested to hear from you:

• Have you had enough of fast paced urban life/want to escape the rat race and crave the tranquillity of village life?
• Have you got something to offer a village to benefit the community and in turn win over the villagers?
• Are you trying to get on the property ladder/sick of renting and dream of owning your own home?
• Are you available for filming for this new series between July and September?

If this sounds like you, email the production team ASAP at thevillage@studiolambert.com, or give them a call on 0207 534 2029. 

You'll be asked to complete an application form, which you can download on the Studio Lambert website. It includes questions like:

• Why should you have the opportunity to win your own home?

• If you won the house, who would you wish to live with?
• Why do you want to live in a village?
• What do you think you could offer to a village community?
• How will you support yourself in the village?

Further details on the Channel 4 website and the Channel 4: The Village Facebook page. Hurry, you have until Monday 14 June to enter!

Ways to Stay in Touch

To stay on top of what's happening at Win a House, here are a few ways you can make sure you don't miss a thing. From social media to email delivery, the choice is yours!

	Our official Win a House newsletter, sent out about once a month.	Subscribe
	The latest RSS updates delivered by email, as they get published.	Subscribe
	Our simple RSS feed to add to your favourite RSS reader.	Subscribe
	Follow us on Twitter for all the latest highlights	Subscribe

Hits: 4068

Comments & Opinions

7 comments so far, what say you? Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe by email (members only)

Add Comment

Hope they don't mess this up...

After the TV crew are gone, the villagers will still be there - and so will the winners! The village could be swamped by tourists (good, for some people). It could go well, but then again C4 could screw it up if they're not careful. Interesting idea.

big ron , 20 May 2010

• 
• +3
• 
• 

Disabled

I had dream to have my own house, not a big house,normal house with a picket fence. I have COPD stage 4. I'm on oxygen 24/7. Can my dream come true. Thank you, Bonita Schmidt

Bonita Schmidt , 21 May 2010

• 
• -1
• 
• 

RE: Disabled

@ Bonita: sorry to hear that, why don't you apply you never know?

Linda R. , 24 May 2010

• 
• +3
• 
• 

Dartmoor For Me Please

This is a brilliant idea, but as Ron said, it needs to be planned and handled very carefully. Unlike Big Brother, this will affect the lives of everyone in the village. I hope it goes well, and look forward to a future series being held in a village on Dartmoor, or on Bodmin Moor (even better).

Kirlan , 08 Aug 2010

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Just Katya!

Shame, I can't apply. I already have a house so no need to win one, I already live in a village so no need to escape the rat race, I live alone so don't qualify. Oh yes and it's too late now anyway. I just fancied taking part, meeting folk, having fun, doing the challenges.... Ah well never mind eh?

Katya Barratt , 22 Aug 2010

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Still waiting to hear

Has everyone been told if they are on it yet?

mr howard , 19 Jul 2011

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Re: Still waiting to hear

@ mr howard: If you're referring to Series 1, it's too late, see: http://win-house.co.uk/blog/co...n-c4.html. You can read about the show on the Channel 4 site: http://www.channel4.com/progra...neighbour. I don't know if they are already looking for contestants for Series 2 yet however?

Win a House , 19 Jul 2011

• 
• +1
• 
•