BUILDERS renovating a terraced house for BBC TV show Homes Under The Hammer made the next door neighbours’ lives a “misery” for six months. Ian Gilbert and his housebound partner Rita Owen were woken up almost every day at 7.30am to the noise of a jackhammer, and he claims they were given no prior warning before the work got underway.
7 Ian Gilbert outside his home in Crewe, Cheshire Credit: Andrew Price / View Finder Pictures 7 Ian with his partner, Rita Owen on her 80th birthday Credit: Andrew Price / View Finder Pictures 7 Homes Under The Hammer presenter Dion Dublin during the episode, which broadcast last week Credit: BBC 7 Ian says he was never pre-warned about the show being filmed or the renovation work Credit: Andrew Price / View Finder Pictures Rita, 84 - a cancer survivor who has other severe health problems - has now moved into a care home as full-time carer Ian, 70, can no longer cope, saying his own health problems were exacerbated by the ordeal. He is currently awaiting open heart surgery. The next door house, in Crewe, Cheshire, was given a full renovation into a six-bedroom HMO after being sold at auction as part of the show.
Ian said the first he knew about the work was when he saw presenter and ex-footballer Dion Dublin outside doing a piece to camera segment for the programme in October last year. Construction work began almost immediately and wasn’t completed until April. READ MORE TV NEWS 'IT'S NOT THE SAME' Homes Under the Hammer fans demand bos.