LAURENCE Llewelyn-Bowen says he is so famous in the Far East he gets mobbed
like The Beatles or One Direction.
Although the dandy interior designer hasn’t been on the box in Britain for a
few years, in Asia he is head judge on a reality show called The Apartment.
And the former Changing Rooms star says the fans over there can’t get enough
of his bad guy act.
Laurence explains: “The Apartment is like a cross between Changing Rooms and
The X Factor — I snarl around Asia slagging off interior design.
“It gets 120million viewers in Asia and another 70million in the Middle East.
It’s most amusing when I go over there — I get mobbed.
“It’s a culture shock — I get on the plane in London and people are like
‘Hello Laurence, haven’t seen you on the telly for ages, thank God’. Then I
get off the other side and I’m like one of the Beatles or Harry Styles’
grandpa. It’s insane!”
Laurence, who started his TV career on Changing Rooms back in 1996, will soon
be back on our screens in Stepping Out — the new ITV talent show where
celebrities learn to dance with their real-life partners.
Sexy Billed as “Strictly Come Dancing meets Mr & Mrs”, the Saturday
night show will be hosted by Davina McCall.
Laurence, who will be taking part with his wife Jackie, below, says: “I’ve
never wanted to be on a reality show because I never saw the point.
“I always said I would never do one — unless I could learn to dance with my
wife.
“We haven’t got to the sexy stage of the dancing yet but hopefully it will. We
feel like teenagers again doing this. We’re having so much fun.”