Channel 4's Kevin McCloud says he was 'lucky' after fears Grand Designs would be axed

Kevin McCloud has candidly reflected on the future of Grand Designs, confessing his initial worries that the innovative show might not survive past its debut series. He reminisced that during its inception in the 90s, "no one knew if it would work" as this programme centered around everyday families renovating extraordinary homes was uncharted territory at the time. Since its premiere in 1999 and with filming having commenced in 1997, Grand Designs has etched its place in TV history.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Kevin shared his initial uncertainties: "I didn't know what I was doing then.



I don't think any of us did. We were lucky to get the commission, really lucky, because no one knew if it would work as an hour long programme. There were a lot of questions asked about it.

It kind of built its audience slowly and all of these years it's just kept going!" Reflecting on the show's evolution, he mused: "I thought at the end of series one, in 1999, 'well, if they commission another one, do you think we will have a project or have we covered everything?' And then series two came and we keep finding new projects that we have never seen anything like before. "I couldn't be more proud. There was a time when, I think, 'is this still relevant, shall we carry on?' and the answer is 'absolutely'.

" Discussing the latest series that hit screens on Wednesday (26th March) evening, Kevin revealed: "We're doing two series this year - one in the spring and one in the autumn. This year has been really pleasant to film." He elaborated: "It's a really strong, strong series and we have a couple of revisits.

The thing about revisits is, after doing them for decades, there has got to be a really strong reason to go back." He also mentioned that returning to see families is often "heartfelt and exciting" and hinted that an episode in the forthcoming series will be "one of the most poignant" he has ever worked on, reports the Express . Kevin further commented: "The thing about this programme is that it is about building and architecture, but of course, really, it is about people.

Their relationships and how they express themselves and how they express their love for each other and the world through buildings." Grand Designs airs on Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4.