Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer's 'special' relationship as she says 'we'll never be apart'

Channel 4's Location, Location, Location has been a mainstay of the TV schedules for a quarter of a century, but as times have changed so have the presenters

Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp have been working on Location, Location, Location together for 25 years.

And despite admitting they don't see each other outside of work, they still spend a lot of time together.

The pair opened up about their special relationship, with Phil expressing: "I put Kirstie among the most important people in my life."

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Kirstie is on the same page: "We'll never be apart. I can't imagine a day when he and I go more than a month without seeing each other."

Back in 2000, when the renowned property programme Location, Location, Location premiered, the average UK house price stood at £78,000.

Fast forward 25 years, and the telly favourites have witnessed this figure skyrocket to an eye-watering £268,000.

As the dynamic duo reminisce about their journey on the beloved Channel 4 series, they note not only the shift in property prices but also their personal transformations over the last quarter of a century.

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During the successful run of the hit show, they've embarked on a staggering 469 search quests, totalling 1,810 property viewings, and ultimately assisted eager homebuyers in snapping up real estate worth a hefty sum exceeding £176million.

In light of the celebrated 25th anniversary, encapsulated in a special documentary feature, Phil jests, "Twenty-five years - you'd get less for murder!"

He recalls the inception of what would become a lasting working relationship and friendship with his 'particularly fiery' counterpart, Kirstie, saying: "Little did I know we'd go on to become long-term colleagues and lifelong friends."

Launching alongside Big Brother, the much-acclaimed show was initially going to be dubbed The Great House Hunt.

However, a fortuitous flub by Kirstie during filming led to an expletive-laden blooper that nearly cut her television ambitions short, reports the Mirror.

On recalling the incident, she confesses: "I was mortified," and further contemplates, "I almost said 'this is proof telly's not for me'."

The duo acknowledge that they weren't exactly naturals in front of the camera at the beginning, but had ample opportunity to hone their presenting skills.

"We were good at house hunting, but we were pretty terrible at pieces to camera," Phil says with a chuckle.

Back in those days, offers made to estate agents were often from a red phone box - a time before smart phones and property websites became the norm, as Kirstie points out: "You had to search physically to see a property."

Come 2004, 'Location, Location, Location' saw its popularity rocket alongside surging house prices - with the average property fetching £140k, which was an 80% spike over just four years.

By 2006, house prices had escalated to £163k, and reflecting on that time, Kirstie admits: "I don't think we fully realised how much damage would be done by how much house prices went up in that period."

The onset of the financial crisis in 2007 left Phil, aged 55 and a former head boy, fearing for the future of their show: "I remember worrying people wouldn't want to watch property programmes any more. But in actual fact, people needed advice."

Following the crash, which plunged the economy into a recession, the average house price dipped to £157k by 2010, only to rebound to £176k by 2014.

Reflecting on their time on the show, 53 year old Kirstie views their tenure on the series and Channel 4 as an "absolute privilege".

They believe that not only have they been instrumental in changing lives by finding the perfect homes, but also acknowledge the profound influence the myriad of couples and families they've encountered has had on them.

"They've changed our lives too," she asserts.

The co-presenters have shared many experiences, highlighted in 2023 when Phil tragically lost his parents in a rare driving accident at their home in Kent.

Both have celebrated their love with marriages; Phil tied the knot in 2001 with Fiona, his Australian partner of six years, and together they have two children, while Kirstie married property magnate Ben Anderson in January after a partnership spanning over two decades.

She embraced the role of step-mum to his two elder sons, all four of whom attended their wedding as ushers.

Phil's romantic journey began at the iconic London hotspot the Ministry of Sound back in 1995, where he met Fiona, leading him to once remark: "It is not the place where you usually meet your one true love."

Both presenters have relocated residences themselves multiple times.

They've shared some hilarious on-screen moments, including Kirstie Alsup's memorable questions to Phil Spencer like: "Have you ever been bitten by a horse Phil?" and, "Do you think anyone thinks we're spies?".

Now, their main concern is becoming obsolete. Kirstie reflects: "There's chat bots helping people decide where to live. Well, we were going to be replaced one day," adding with humour, "I thought it would be by a younger, thinner me but clearly - it's AI."

Strolling down nostalgia avenue, they contemplate if what they've really taught viewers is that a tipple can ease moving house stress.

Kirstie quips: "Are we in a situation where a lot of people think the best way to make an offer on a house is in a pub?" questioning their impact, "Is that what we've achieved?"

Raising a glass to "the next 25 years together", Phil Spencer exclaims: "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Catch them reminiscing on two and a half decades of home hunting in '25 Years of Location, Location, Location' on Channel 4, tomorrow at 9pm.