TWO hotel owners from East Lancashire had their bed and breakfast business scrutinised when they appeared on a hit TV show.

Janet Sutton and Margaret Lofthouse, who own The Avenue, in Brockhall Village, are battling it out every night this week against fellow B&B owners in Four In A Bed.

On Monday’s episode, the pair, who are from Burnley, welcomed Mary and Graham Walker, from Llama’s Pyjamas in Penrith, Kathy Lawrence and friend Gabby Mottenhead from One 4 Two in Cornwall, and Liz Hall and Colin Eadie, from the Kallacliffe Hotel, Newquay.

Although the show’s producers remained tight-lipped about who wins the competition, with the victors being announced on Friday, Janet and Margaret said taking part was good fun.

The pair who met when Janet married Margaret’s nephew, took over The Avenue two and a half years ago.

Janet said: “The producers contacted us and I thought it would be a superb opportunity to promote the business.

“We filmed it at the beginning of September, and it was very hard work because you have the cameras on you all the time. It was gruelling but really enjoyable. We had someone who was very critical, but the rest of the people were lovely. It got a bit confrontational towards the end of the week with a few heated debates.”

Janet and Margaret took the three couples to Outdoor Elements, Simonstone, where they raced to build a campfire and make tea.

Before they left, two of the three couples said they would stay at the hotel again after completing a survey. But Mary Walker complained about the lack of decaffeinated tea in her hotel room, having to wait for her breakfast, and about the noise of traffic .

Squeaky beds, some dust, a stained carpet and an unflushed toilet were all mentioned by the guests.

But Janet and Margaret were also branded ‘excellent, warm and friendly’ hosts, who cooked a ‘gorgeous’ full English breakfast.

The programme, Four in a Bed, will be shown nightly on Channel 4 at 5pm.