‘Surprise’ as South Downs hotel wins reality TV game show

The White Horse in Storrington was voted winner in the latest round of the Channel 4 game show Four In A Bed.

And the award came as a surprise to hotel owner Leon Fernholdt who had been in the hotel business for just four months when he took part.

“We never expected to win,” said Leon, 37 - a barber by trade - who bought the hotel with friend Glenmoore MacGregor, who works as an optician, and who has since sold his share of the hotel to Leon.

The game show itself involves hotel and B&B owners taking turns to stay with one another and pay what they consider a fair price for their stay after giving their views on each of the venues.

The winner is the establishment named best value for money and the 400-year-old White Horse took joint first place with the Seacrest Hotel in Portsmouth.

Leon said that he and former hotel partner Glenmoore MacGregor “didn’t want to come across as ‘picky’ on the show.

“We paid everyone their full money and didn’t mark anything down,”

And the other contestants also paid the 13-bedroom White Horse the full price of £120 a night.

The show was filmed in March just before lockdown but was screened this week.

Leon also owns Fernholdt Barbers, next door to the White Horse, which he’s run for the past five years.

He’s now looking forward to reopening the White Horse after lockdown 2 but is meanwhile offering a takeaway service.