60 minutes to makeover 4 rooms?!? (60 Minute Makeover)

Member Name: leanne8686

Product:	60 Minute Makeover
Date:	29/04/09 (610 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun viewing, terry dwyers a great host, lots of pretty rooms (after)

Disadvantages: Hard to believe its done in 60min.....

60 minute make-over has just started a new series on ITV1. I'm watching it (I sky plussed it earlier) as I write this review.

I've always been a fan of this kind of programme, I miss Changing Rooms sooo much!


Claire Sweeney used to present 60 minute makeover and I was never very keen on her but now it's Terry Dwyer and she's much better!

You can write into the show to nominate someone you think needs and deserves a house makeover, I myself would be insulted if someone nominated me lol. There are usually sob stories to accompany the house being made over, people recovering from illness or with disabled children; the receivers of the make-over are always worthy of it.

The person who is nominated is whisked away by another of their friends or family for a nice day out, they are kept in the dark about the makeover and only return home after it is completed. It's great to see their reactions to the lovely makeover their house has undergone in their absence.

Whoever wrote into the show plays a part in the makeover too, usually helping with the simpler jobs like painting. Often they have to create a 'piece of art' that is personal to the makeover receiver!


As the name suggests the team have just 60 minutes to makeover 4 rooms of a house. Before the time starts they are allowed to rip up carpets and take big things like cupboards out.

An interior designer- there are a fair few that swap about but my favourites are John Amabile and Richard Randall, works with the '60MM team' of around 30 handymen and women!
The designer decides on the themes and colour schemes for the rooms, I guess they do this before the program as they obviously need to buy furniture, paint etc.

The team is huge and that's the only way they could everything done in such a short space of time I guess, there are bodies bustling around everywhere. In the team there is every kind of handyman you could imagine; carpet fitters, kitchen fitters, decorators, carpenters, plumbers, plasterers....

For the rest of the show the designer wanders around with Terry checking everyone is busy and doing their job and also telling us (the viewers) what is going on and their plans for the rooms.

After 30 minutes everyone stops and has a 5 minute break then carries on for the last 30 minutes.

The last minute is always a countdown and everyone is nervous they won't finish but miraculously 9 times out of 10 everything is completed on time within the 60 minutes!

At the end of the show Terry shows the unsuspecting owner of the house around the made-over rooms.

They then tell us how much the makeover is worth and it's usually around 20-30K, they never scrimp on anything, No IKEA for the 60 minute makeover team!!


It does seem impossible how they can do everything in 30 minutes, I don't understand how they manage to plaster and paint within 1 hour and my dad reckons it's a scam!lol.

Whether it is all done in 60 minutes or not it's still great viewing though I could never afford anything they use I still like to watch for ideas.

Summary: A great interior design show