One in three families employs domestic help, but finding the right match can be tricky. Each week, this series focused on a different area of domestic help as two families were given a chance to road-test three hand-picked candidates to see if they were suitable for the job at hand.
After each road test, the candidates and employers came face to face to discuss the good, the bad and ugly of the trials. We saw home truths and candid revelations as it was revealed who, if anyone, got the job...
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Personal Services Required, 9pm, Wednesdays, Channel 4
In episode four, the last in the series, two employers - marketing agency owner Thomas Hughes and Lady Swinton, or Baroness Masham of Ilton - were looking for a house manager: someone to oversee the smooth running of the entire household and any staff that go with it. Allan, Patricia and Roxana all agreed to undergo trial periods.
It soon became clear that the real challenge for Lady Swinton was finding someone who fits in with her existing staff, while in Buckinghamshire, Thomas's daughters proved a handful. Did Allan whip Lady Swinton's staff into shape? Did Roxana get things up to speed in the kitchen? And how did Allan cope when Thomas's daughters threw a party with some unwelcome guests?
Episode three focused on au pairs for working single mum AJ and hairdressers Karen and Joel Balducci. Three au pairs looking for work - Julia, Chloe and Malado - stepped up to the challenge.
Karen and Joel were looking for a little more than an au pair, and despite trying to get as much out of their prospective candidates as possible, Karen's mountain of ironing didn't seems to be going anywhere. Meanwhile in AJ's home, it looked as though an ability to handle a reel of sticky tape held as much weight as getting on with the kids, and her strict rules were pushing the au pairs to the limit. And when there was a mix up with the cat bowl and her breakfast bowl, things started to get personal…
In episode two, head-hunters Danny and Gabriella Grasso, and Craig and Marjorie Walsh, who run a luxury dog resort and spa, road tested housekeepers Vivienne, Wendy-Anne and Andrew.
It soon became clear that the real challenge for the Walshes was finding someone who'll love their canine guests as much as they do. Meanwhile, the Grassos' long working hours and their need for a chauffeur hat to be worn on trips to town seemed to be causing problems. And when Vivienne's singing started to drive Craig to distraction, all seemed lost.
In the opening episode, PR consultant Suzi Alexson, and businessman and entrepreneur Peter Rosenfeld, road tested three personal assistants: Melanie, Anne Marie, and Mikey.
But it was no walk in the park for the employees, or the employers, when Suzi and Mel clashed over PR guru Max Clifford, Peter struggled to find someone to manage his love life and his underwear, and Mikey got mistaken for Suzi's Cuban ex-husband. Was a domestic match made in heaven just around the corner? Or will the personal services required ads be renewed for another week?
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