By Emilia Randall
TV icon and interior design maestro Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has opened up about the chilling moment he found out that telly bosses had updated his ‘death tape’ – footage earmarked for broadcast upon a celeb’s passing – and how it took his wife to “Victorian tears” while he was left counting his blessings for keeping in the limelight, thinking “oh thank God – I’m still relevant” and gleefully realising “still moving.”
The design guru mused over life’s milestones as he hit 60, saying: “There is that game that you start playing when you get to 60 which is asking yourself ‘what would I like to be remembered for?'” Indeed, Laurence’s quirky home life has been making waves, but it’s his brush with danger on Netflix’s adrenaline-fueled Celebrity Bear Hunt that really could’ve stolen the show on his TV legacy.
The Changing Rooms legend had a hair-raising close call when he lost consciousness after being yanked under a boat during a daredevil stunt on the edge-of-your-seat series spearheaded by none other than Holly Willoughby and Bear Grylls. These days it seems the topic of old age and mortality is never far from conversation; Laurence even casually learned recently about the behind-the-scenes refresh of his own memorial montage.
He said: “I was working with a director the other day and he said ‘oh my wife is high up at The One Show and they’ve just re-cut your death tape’. And I was going ‘Ok .. that’s slightly grim’.”
Yet, there’s a silver lining for the granddad, who’s taking it all in stride. “There’s a part of you that goes ‘Oh thank God – I’m still relevant – and actually not only that – it’s been re-cut I’m still moving”, he quipped, reports the Manchester Evening News.
As for the content that’s made the cut in this cringe-worthy edit of his life’s highlights, Laurence’s left in the dark – but clearly, his legacy is very much alive and kicking!
Jackie, 60, Laurence’s wife, was heartbroken when faced with the news of her husband’s death. Laurence shared: “We were having lunch with my wife and daughter – my wife burst into Victorian tears”.
Yet, his daughter seems to have inherited her father’s spirit. The 60 year old recounted: “My daughter just said ‘oh great I love the One Show'”.
When asked about the fascination with his death at the young age of 60, he admitted: “You know I never mentioned death myself”, before swiftly correcting himself, “Oh no I did, I did, I did. I said it’s a nice place to be – a relaxing place to be. I want to be that guy that ten-twenty years after I’ve gone, someone goes ‘Whatever happened to Laurence Bowen? .”
In his Sunday Times column, Laurence expressed his acceptance of death, but he’d prefer to be “put out with the bins and recycled as quickly as possible” because he “simply cannot bear the way crematoriums are decorated.”
When questioned if redesigning a crematorium would be an ideal project, he responded, “why the hell not? I’d love to do up a funeral parlour or something of the sort.”
However, there’s one project that Laurence hopes will stand as his legacy – the transformation of Eleven Bibury in his native Cotswolds, a venture he’s undertaking with Lady Anne Evans. This new community hub, featuring a restaurant and shop, is set to revitalise the former post office in the picturesque village.
Lady Anne has dubbed the new hotspot in Bibury as the village’s very own version of Soho Farmhouse, branding it an “inclusive” club. Laurence, however, wasn’t shy about sharing his less than favourable opinion on the private members’ club, labelling it “patronising” and criticising its superficial rural charm, complete with a “thin veneer of countryside and a couple of wellington boots strewn around.”
Speaking of his creative collaboration with Lady Anne, Laurence expressed his newfound freedom in design: “I’ve never had the opportunity to let rip before meeting this creature, so she’s completely ruined me for all other clients.”
He went on to confirm his enthusiasm for their joint project, stating: “If there’s one design scheme just taken on its merits – it would definitely be this.”