Amanda Holden has sparked controversy after revealing she took 28 flights during seven months of filming for her BBC renovation show, just weeks after the broadcaster unveiled its ambitious climate plan to reach net zero by 2050.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 54, made the admission whilst discussing Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job, where she and comedian Alan Carr transform a run-down townhouse in Andalusia into a boutique B&B.
The extensive air travel has reportedly left BBC executives “spitting feathers” at Broadcasting House.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie had emphasised the importance of environmental action when launching the corporation’s Climate Transition Plan.
“This will be a huge collective effort. It won’t be easy, but we must act, and act now, to reduce our environmental impact,” Davie said.
A BBC insider told the Mail: “They were spitting feathers in Broadcasting House when they heard how much jetsetting goes on to make that show. If that’s how many flights Amanda took, you can only imagine how many there were with Alan and the rest of the crew.”
The pair travelled all over Spain for their BBC travel show
BBC
Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Holden detailed the intensive travel schedule: “We fly out backwards and forwards, obviously I’ve got other jobs that I do, and so does Alan. So we will fly out for three days, come back and do the other work, and fly out ten days later.”
She explained that filming arrangements sometimes meant the hosts worked separately: “There are times when me and Alan can’t be there together, so you might see me relaxing on the beach or going to the spa, and Alan might be bashing down a wall.”
The BBC defended the production, stating “all efforts were made to reduce carbon emissions”, including waste recycling, rechargeable batteries for filming equipment, and car sharing.
The broadcaster highlighted that the series is certified by Bafta Albert, which encourages sustainable TV production.
The pair have been slammed for the amount of flights they took during filming
BBC
“The construction crew was sourced locally and crew members who travelled from the UK were mostly based in Spain for the duration of their contracts,” a BBC spokesman said.
Holden’s team has since disputed the number of flights, claiming the actual figure was 16.
The renovation show, which airs Fridays at 8pm on BBC1, follows Holden and Carr as they attempt to transform a dilapidated three-storey property in Andalusia into a B&B.
The series follows their successful Amanda And Alan’s Italian Job, which aired for two series in 2023 and 2024 and earned a National Television Award nomination.
The average return flight from the UK to Spain generates 195kg of CO2 per passenger.
Viewers of the show were left outraged to learn how many flights had been taken, as one slammed on X: “Now that is hypocrisy in a nutshell.”
Another added: “This is why they must be defunded. No accountability and a bottomless pit of money, that hardworking people are forced to pay. It is outrageous.”
“Exactly this type of programme is destroying the @BBC celebrity fish out water free holidays!!!!” a third said before another agreed: “It’s one rule for them another for us.”
However, not everyone was against Holden and Carr, as one defended: “The planes were flying anyway, so @AmandaHolden made practically zero incremental contribution to “greenhouse” gases. In any case, it was a great series.” (sic)
