Roger and his toilet set to star on TV

Hear '˜bed and breakfast' and you'd be forgiven for imagining doilies, cat hair and Prince Charles on a teapot.
With his unusual taste in decor, Roger Young from Sompting takes the toilets nickname to its logical conclusion. Picture: Kate ShemiltWith his unusual taste in decor, Roger Young from Sompting takes the toilets nickname to its logical conclusion. Picture: Kate Shemilt
With his unusual taste in decor, Roger Young from Sompting takes the toilets nickname to its logical conclusion. Picture: Kate Shemilt

But what if you could stay in a house with disco lights in the shower and a gold toilet seat?

Well it’s no pipe-dream, because you can stay with Roger Young when you visit Sompting.

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His boogie-filled bathroom won over TV producers when he applied to be in To B&B the Best, a show which helps homeowners turn their empty rooms into money-earners.

Roger Young in his vibrant kitchen. Picture: Kate ShemiltRoger Young in his vibrant kitchen. Picture: Kate Shemilt
Roger Young in his vibrant kitchen. Picture: Kate Shemilt

He only wanted to be a guest – but thanks to a last-minute cancellation, he was persuaded to turn his spare bedroom into a bed and breakfast by the producers.

Roger and his home in Valley Road, Sompting will star in the first episode, which airs on Monday on Channel 5.

The 57-year-old, who has lived in his bungalow for 24 years, said the show was ‘a lot of work but great fun’.

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“I applied to be a guest in one of the B&Bs and didn’t get it but the producers shocked me and asked to take pictures of my house for the title credits.

Roger in his refurbished bedroom. Picture: Kate ShemiltRoger in his refurbished bedroom. Picture: Kate Shemilt
Roger in his refurbished bedroom. Picture: Kate Shemilt

“They then called me and said they’d been let down by someone else and asked if I wanted to do it, so I thought why not?”

His house was visited by presenter Lisa Holloway, a B&B owner and winner of AA’s Friendliest Landlady and Best Breakfast and Dinner awards.

When Lisa visited for the first day of filming, she was ‘bowled over’ by Roger’s unusual taste in decor, commenting that his yellow and black kitchen looked like the ‘inside of a wasp’.

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Roger said: “I’m quite an artistic person – my kitchen and bathroom are quite abstract to say the least.

Roger outside his bungalow in Sompting with television presenter Lisa Holloway. Picture: RicochetRoger outside his bungalow in Sompting with television presenter Lisa Holloway. Picture: Ricochet
Roger outside his bungalow in Sompting with television presenter Lisa Holloway. Picture: Ricochet

“My shower has got one of those disco lights so when you turn it on it starts flashing. It’s so I can have a party in the shower – it’s the best place for one really isn’t it?”

But for his spare room, which was full of his old antiques, Roger decided on a ‘fresh and modern’ look, which went down well on the show and with his guest, a trainee pilot in Shoreham.

Since the episode was filmed in March Roger has had seven guests – but the retired Glaxo Smith Kline manager admits it’s just for pocket money.

“I go on holiday five times a year so I couldn’t have it as a full-time business!”

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