Original subtitles

So here we are. We've almost reached the top.

Our two remaining designers can almost taste victory

but first they're going to have to show a dash of ingenuity,

a splash of personality,

but most importantly, lashings of design brilliance.

Put that all together and you've got a winner.

I'm not drinking that, am I?

All right, love, this is my first day in a cocktail bar.

It's bars week...

HOARSELY: ..and it's the final.

For the last seven weeks...

Oh, my goodness.

..our aspiring designers...

Ahh!

..have transformed hotels...

Look! I know, huh?

It's very dark in here, I'm having a flashback to being back in the womb.

..apartments...

Ooh, it's like a jungle in here.

Wish I'd brought my mozzie guard.

# Back to school, back to school. #

..schools...

Just had enough of painting. I've actually got blisters.

My carafe, my carafe, where's my carafe?

..and even shepherds' huts...

Three minutes to go. I've never moved so fast.

..and impressed some of the biggest names in the industry.

I'm excited. Instantly excited.

Oh, wow.

I would never in a million years

think that I would be this excited about a yellow kitchen.

You certainly instantly get a feel of being in the Caribbean.

It looks cool!

Now only two remain...

I love it! OK, now we're talking.

I've played to all my strengths.

I'm not a print designer any more.

Like, I can actually do the whole thing.

Just there.

Something kicked in that I didn't know I had.

It's going to be great, I can feel it.

..as they face the biggest opportunity of their lives...

This is it. Game on, Amy.

Game on, Banjo.

..and compete to win a major career-defining contract

with a luxury hotel on the Cornish coast.

Michelle, how are you going to decide?

I know, now it becomes personal. I really care about them.

Having survived seven tough challenges, finalists Amy and Banjo

await their ultimate brief at Michelle's design studio.

This feels a bit empty. It's empty. We did it. It's crazy.

All our dreams came true. We did it.

It's the finals and I am so happy to be here.

I want to bring it. I want to step it up.

I want to do something crazy and fun. I'm ready.

I know, like, we're mates, but it's hard, cos I want to beat you.

I know, I want to beat you too.

Actually because you've been so good the whole way through

it would be such satisfaction.

Oh, zing!

I can't actually believe it. How crazy to be here!

I'm feeling really nervous, actually.

I think this is what it's all been building towards.

And now it's here it's quite terrifying.

Hi! Hello! Hi Alan.

We're in the final. Yeah. Isn't that crazy?

So, listen, what is your strategy?

Because obviously, we don't know what Michelle has got planned,

but last week you went with your custard-coloured cupboards

and it was a gamble, but it paid off.

It paid off. I'm going to go classic Banjo.

Classic. But there's got to be some surprises in there.

So how are you feeling?

I feel like I'm starting to actually get it.

If I can just apply all of the things that Michelle has been

telling us with what I've already got as my essence of Amy

then hopefully that will get me to top designer.

That would make a lovely perfume, wouldn't it? Essence of Amy.

I know, do you think? I think Eau de Amy. Or room spray.

Always cheapening me, Alan.

Nothing wrong with a room spray, they can be very classy!

Hi. Hello.

Oh, hello. Hi, Michelle.

So here we all are. Well done, you two, this is it.

Are you ready to be briefed? Yeah. Yes. Let's go then.

I saved something really special till last.

We are off to London's West End,

where you have a bar each in Soho to transform.

Oh, goodness.

Now these spaces need to appeal to daytime trade,

but they also want to be really vibrant evening destinations,

so it's a tough old market and you're going to have to work hard

to stand out from the crowd.

And as it's the final, we're not making it easier.

Both bars have two floors to redesign.

What? Oh, man. And don't forget

there is a fantastic commercial contract at stake.

Good luck. Thank you. Good luck.

Girl!

Oh, my gosh, how are we going to do two floors?

On the West End.

I feel like that steps it up a notch.

Mm-hm, now it's proper serious.

Well, good luck.

Good luck.

In the heart of the Capital, Soho is the West End mecca

for entertainment and nightlife.

Each finalist will have an entire two-floor bar to transform.

Upstairs must appeal to both daytime and evening crowds

while downstairs is for after hours.

The finalists must produce an intimate cocktail lounge

that can compete with the finest venues in Soho.

That is so hard!

It is hard, but it's also about bringing together everything

that these guys have learnt in every stage of the competition.

They just need to now just have the confidence, they can do this.

Do you reckon Banjo sort of needs to curb his quirkiness

when it comes to bars?

No, I think this is the one where he absolutely goes with it.

I love his kind of sense of narrative

and building this story and immersing himself in the whole thing

and this is where I think he could actually just go with it.

But I think Amy is going to give him such competition

because I think she's really got her mojo back.

There's just this thing that's happened to her

that she's realised she's not just a two-dimensional print designer.

She can do rooms.

Literally, her eyes have opened, so she just needs to keep on going

and it's going to be a tough call to choose between them.

Will you be looking for two defined spaces or symmetry between the two?

I think there's got to be a dialogue between the two,

but I think that very act of going like down to a cocktail bar,

it kind of implies something a bit more louche, a bit more abandoned.

Very decadent.

I mean, what is it that the designers are going to do

to lure people in?

To kind of make them think, "Oh, maybe I'll not go to my regular,

"I'm going to check out that new place." I mean, what is that thing?

Yeah. I like it when there's a board

that says "pints are a pound" with a big arrow.

Classy. Yeah, yeah. I'll be in the bar next door.

MUSIC: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie

With a chance to meet their clients before embarking

on their designs, the finalists are in London.

Hi. Hi, how are you?

Just off Carnaby Street, Amy is at Two Floors bar.

Owner Marc is looking for a major update

for his laidback drinking den.

The whole point of Two Floors is it's unpretentious.

It's pretty much an old school saloon drinking bar,

almost a New York dive bar.

It's very compact and you need to be very creative

to do something that gives us more space.

Yeah. I love mid-century, that kind of clean look.

Almost a bit '70s period, almost. I think that could look really chic.

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

Whatever you do it will be an improvement.

I think I need to tread quite carefully

because loads of people go there, cos it's a Soho institution.

That has actually made me more terrified than anything else.

So... Oh, wow.

This is Handy Joe's Tiki Lounge.

It's very themed.

Yes. It needs a lot of love.

Yeah. And a lot of creativity, yeah?

Let's make it into something people will really love.

A destination.

Yeah.

Downstairs is the most mental Tiki bar

and I think it probably was a great idea 25 years ago,

but I think it probably needs a good old full gutted refresh.

Less than a mile away is 21 Soho, a cafe and work-space by day,

and bar and comedy club by night.

Wow, this is gigantic.

Owner Dan has ambitious plans for his new business venture.

The main thing that we wanted to achieve was to have something

that's not your standard comedy club.

We want it to be bright, airy, welcoming,

kind of modern British members club.

We want to really step it all up

and actually make it feel a bit more luxurious.

I've never been to a British members club,

but I'm sure they're really posh and fancy, so all the things I'm not.

I don't even think I've been to a British nightclub properly.

Like, I'm more of like a simple pub guy.

OK, this... This needs some love.

I've barely been in London, so this is out of my comfort zone.

What are we doing downstairs? Currently it's just a black box.

Something more intimate, something a bit sexier.

A bit cooler to be in.

I think if we can create a space

that allows people to feel like they can kick off their shoes

and have a dance until late at night.

Yeah, that's the big ask. It's like from coffee to cocktails to comedy.

Like, that's a tough brief!

It's why I'm really glad you're helping us out.

Yeah. I'm looking forward to it.

Cheers, see you later. Thanks very much.

It's actually stumped me already.

It currently has an identity crisis, so I hope I don't lose myself in it.

I'm genuinely overwhelmed at the scale of this.

After ten days to prep their plans, the designers are back

in London to embark on their greatest challenge so far.

With both floors to transform, Amy and Banjo have three days

and £6,000 each for their designs.

As it's the final, they've each chosen a team-mate to assist.

Banj! Ahh!

Ahh! I'm your team-mate.

Oh, my God, thank God. My saviour.

Molly makes a return for Banjo.

Crazy, huh? It's cool, though. Yeah. It's big.

The only downfall that Banjo could have which may mean he didn't win

is the fact that he's been so good thus far,

so he's got so much more to prove.

It's also got to transition from like a cafe to a comedy club

to a cocktail bar.

It's got to be, like, a lot, a tonne of different things. OK.

He's got to really, really pull it out the bag.

Woohoo! Franny, you're back!

Thanks for having me back!

And Fran is joining Team Amy.

Right, I'm yours. What's the plan?

Tell me what we're doing.

So upstairs kind of New York, Tribeca, making it more elevated.

Yeah. Downstairs is going to be '70s Soho,

amazing orange colours,

it will feel quite sumptuous.

You might see Columbo down there with a cigar. I love Columbo.

Me too, he's my fave. Brilliant.

I'm moving the bar, which is basically...

Sorry, are we smashing stuff?

We might be sledgehammering. Hoo-hoo-hoo! Are you on board?

You just point, I'm going to do whatever you say.

Woohoo! Let's win this thing.

Dude, you're going to smash it.

I mean, it's great being second in command.

I need to be the one just going we can do this,

we can do this, we can do this.

Don't cry, Franny.

Wow! So...

Like a train, we're going to the station.

Morning!

Oh, hi, guys!

My dream team to help me win the final.

Woohoo!

With the usual team of trades on hand to help...

So basically, I don't even really know where to start.

This is the biggest job, this feels like totally robust.

..it's game on for Amy and Banjo.

We've got a lot to do and it's a massive space.

I'm not organised, I, like, my list is all over the place

so bear with me.

Taking on the biggest space first,

Banjo's vision for his British Members Club inspired bar

is a classic blue, green and white scheme for the walls,

with a mustard border which will continue along the base

of the luxe velvet drapes.

A new lighting scheme of lowered rattan pendants throughout

will enhance the upcycled furniture of natural woods

mixed with opulent jewel-toned velvets.

A five-metre-high sliding door, gilded with copper leaf,

will add glamour to the space.

Front of house, the colour scheme continues into the cafe

and new box office zone.

And to add a bit of life to the luxury,

Banjo is adding plants throughout.

It's such a big space. I couldn't see it on the page,

but when I'm in here I'm starting to feel how it comes together.

I've gone back to the drawing board

and I'm thinking I might put some panelling around the edges

and make it a shaker style which matches under the window.

Quite masculine, adds a bit of detail.

And then I've got a panel running the length of this curtain

about the same height as the bar.

That will bring that colour the whole way across

and then maybe bring the space down a little bit.

Make it a bit warmer and more intimate.

I hope that will work, but, I mean, pressure makes diamonds

so that's why I'm here doing it right now, on the day.

You look worried. I was just trying to work out what it's made out of.

So I think the front, yeah... It's brick. It's breeze blocks.

Let's smash it up.

With grand plans for downstairs,

Amy's focusing on her basement bar first.

Whoo! Yes, fabulous.

I'd have brought my sledgehammers if I'd have known.

I don't want to hear the coulda woulda.

I would have chose the other bar.

Amy's destination cocktail lounge will be a love letter

to 1970s Carnaby Street.

She's demolishing the current tiki bar

and building a whole new one at the back of the room.

The walls will be adorned with her very own textile designs,

and upcycled mid-century furniture.

Quirky features and shag pile rugs thrown in

will all add to the '70s splendour.

One, two, three.

Oh, my God. Go!

Woohoo! Yes! Well done, guys.

The to do list for this design is completely monumental,

but I didn't want to come in here and just, you know,

try to do a bit of decorating and jazz it up a little bit.

It needed to be completely reworked.

Oh, Stephen.

And I want to think about space and proportion and layout

and function and all of those things that I didn't think about

at the beginning of these challenges.

Ah!

But there's so much to do, it's actually quite sickening.

What do you think? That is lovely!

This is a table top for the centre of the room.

Oh, she's a piece.

Yep.

Over in 21 Soho, Banjo's upcycling furniture for his main bar area.

So, my bench is from like a dirty pizza shop

and this is from a dirty burger joint

so all those posh people won't know what they're sitting at.

The owners wanted a kind of British members club-cum-comedy lounge.

They are fancy and full of, like, comfy chairs,

so that's what I'm doing in here.

Except rich people will come to sit on cheap furniture

in hopefully an expensive looking bar.

Right, cocktail lounge.

Oh!

Banquette here, wallpaper with panelling.

Gorgeous. I'm going for, like, Nana's nightclub.

My favourite look in the whole world. Yeah.

Downstairs, Banjo is continuing with his colour scheme

but dialling up the glamour with a blue decorative print

and wooden panelling for the walls and matching floral patterned rugs.

Velvet upholstered seating, a copper gilded bar

and the addition of a stage will give his cocktail lounge

the option to convert to an intimate cabaret venue.

Do you like it?

I love it.

It's nice, isn't it?

Really feel it.

This is the first time I've actually done wallpaper.

So this is crazy for me.

This is like classic, old school, William...

He's making a comeback, isn't he? Old William.

William Morris, she's back, baby.

And then I'm going to make it a bit more contemporary,

putting the panelling over it.

It actually feels really high quality as well.

You can actually, if you smell it look, they smell as well.

They don't really... Oh!

They don't really.

Thank you.

At Two Floors, Amy's bar demolition is in full swing.

Imagine this is me from challenge one,

like, what the fudge is happening?

No regrets. Do you know what?

From a design point of view, it's what needs to happen

and that's the most important thing.

I'm ripping out bars in Soho.

Aah!

I don't think I ever thought I'd make it this far, honestly.

A bit of lunch? I didn't really tell that many people to start with

because I was worried about how far I would go.

And then the longer I stayed in,

the more I kind of shared with friends and family.

Cheers.

But they're just really impressed.

I think more people have belief in me than I have in myself,

which is quite nice to hear.

What would you describe your style as?

Quite colourful, but using my own style is quite mental.

Yeah!

Before the competition, Freddie and I had had

a tough few years with fertility.

I was desperate for a change.

I was desperate not to think about fertility any more

because I was over it.

Has it been full-on?

It's been much more intense than I thought it was going to be.

Every week I'm covered in bruises.

When you have these natural things

you're just meant to be good at in life

and then you can't do it.

I'd got to the point where I didn't think I was good at anything.

And I think...

Sorry.

Putting that on the back burner has literally been the best thing.

I thought that the little scrappy Amy inside had gone.

I felt like the fertility journey had really squashed

a lot of that out of me.

And I feel like I'm back now, which is really amazing.

Well done, darling.

Halfway through day one and the pace is picking up.

Yeah, it fits.

# London calling to the faraway towns

# Now war is declared and battle come down... #

Ooh, look at this.

Talk about saving the best till last.

Glittering West End.

Oh, I love this part of London.

Oh, it's making me want a gin and tonic.

So many places that I've been thrown out of.

Now where are these bars?

Time to brave the showers and check in on our finalists.

Amy, Amy!

Amy, Amy!

Hi, Alan.

What have you done?! I don't even know.

What's this?

That's your life raft to get out of here. You might need it.

It looks like a bomb's hit it.

It might have looked better, actually, if a bomb had hit it.

Oh, wow, you've got so much to do. You've only got three days!

Yeah, it's a worry. It's genuinely a worry.

Do you think you've bitten off more than you can chew?

Do you know what? I came into the final,

I'm just going to do what I want to do, make those design decisions

regardless of anyone's time or effort. Oh!

I'm going to make it happen.

Couldn't you given it just a bit of zhuzh?

Do you know what? It was so rotten, it was in the wrong place,

it was too big and they could only fit one person behind it.

I'm just going for it.

It's the final! It is the final, right?

Well, listen, the best of luck and I can't wait to see it.

Thank you, Alan. Yeah, when it's a bit less rubbly.

MACHINE WHIRS

It sounds so unhappy.

On the other side of Soho,

Banjo's tasked Molly with sewing oversized velvet curtains

to help give his bar opulence.

Argh! You can do it, little machine!

So, this is the excessively large bottom border.

I've definitely never sewn anything this big before. No. God, no.

Not anywhere near.

Yeah, it's scary.

What?!

Yeah, just going for it.

Makes me nervous.

But with Banjo's luxury scheme starting to take shape,

he's having some doubts.

It's not my style. I'm used to more kind of rustic kind of things,

so I thought, OK, the copper will bring some kind of patina,

texture to the space. But it's like right now,

I just can't see it. It's not too late to change my plan.

I really need to honour that gut feeling

and just really think about how everything's going to work together.

We're day one and we've only got about two hours left

and I haven't even lifted a paintbrush up yet.

I know, I feel bad because obviously that's your expertise.

Because we've all been diverted downstairs.

5pm at Amy's bar and the basement demolition is having

a knock-on effect on the upstairs build.

The plan for the paint is we'll go black on the ceilings

and then the black will be brought down on to the walls.

And then I've also got white to start going in the centre,

so where the black comes down to will then meet white.

To attract more of a daytime crowd to her laidback New York style bar,

Amy's going for a bold black and white colour scheme on the walls

with geometric murals to add some colour.

When the lights dim, the bar will be the main show,

with new mirrors, warm lights and added shelving to make it dazzle.

Amy's also creating a statement cushion rail along one wall

and a new modern balustrade for the staircase to lead the eye

towards her destination bar below.

Damn it.

The ceiling's got this... Yeah.

Meanwhile, downstairs, there are more hidden surprises.

Every step of the way, this place, there's something.

The whole ceiling and the walls is really bad

so we need to try and get plywood up to cover up all the mistakes

and start with a fresh surface.

There's a lot to sort out.

Whoa.

Banjo, how's it going?

Oh, it's all right. I don't know. I don't know if I'm feeling it yet.

Why have you gone for beige? Why?

I don't know, I think... It's not like you!

Posh people like beige.

It's supposed to be a British members club.

I feel like I've got a bit of a creative block.

Oh, really? Yeah. You don't need that in the bloomin' final.

No, worst timing.

Right now I'm taking myself too seriously in a comedy club,

so I want to get back to Banjo being a bit more fun and playful.

Yeah. Right now, I'm like having crisis over painting a wall white,

that's not me. No, no. So I've got to snap out of it.

It's brand, Banjo, not beige-o.

Beige-o. Beige-o. Beige-o.

That's never going to work. No, I've just got to go big

and I'm going to have to revisit it.

There's a church across the road, I'm hoping for divine intervention.

Something.

Well, listen, let's hope you get that miracle, love.

All right, pray for me. I will pray for you. God Bless.

See you.

Just even one coat it will look pretty... Oh, yeah. ..good.

As day one of the final challenge draws to a close...

Aah! I'll tread in it.

..both designers are feeling the pressure.

Downstairs, I think that's in a good spot.

Upstairs, I see white walls and blues,

some cane furniture, some velvets.

Bye, guys. Bye, guys. See you tomorrow.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

I love copper.

It's literally a mess.

And it's - my mind is a mess.

Is this the dump that you thought you'd be in at this point?

This is actually, it's...

It's much, much worse than I thought it was going to be.

I think to think of what's at stake is actually quite overwhelming.

I know there's a lot riding on it. I just hope I don't mess up.

Let's go. You ready?

Yeah. Day one done.

Day one done, darling.

It's early morning in London's West End

and in just two days, these Soho bars must be ready

for the scrutiny of the judges.

Got it? Yeah. OK.

At Two Floors, Amy has a long to do list.

So main priority today is to finish the bar and to plywood the walls.

I need upstairs painted, the ceiling, the walls, the roof.

I hope it's doable.

Looking at the place, it looks like we've got about a fortnight's work.

Yes, this is absolutely true.

I'm worried, if I'm honest. I am worried.

Um...

But I feel like let's just see how the day pans out.

But that's hardcore.

So, I would love for you to do a mural.

I think we stick to the colours that we're bringing in downstairs,

like that olivey green. There's loads of orange. Yeah.

With some paint finally on the walls in Amy's upstairs bar,

she's pushing ahead with her statement geometric design.

I kind of was thinking something more kind of freestyle.

And then it echoes your modern century downstairs

and it touches on it here. Yeah, yeah. Love it.

Love it. Lovely.

OK, I'm going to leave you to it. OK.

I do think it's really important to connect both spaces.

Initially they've got briefs that are complete polar opposites,

but doing it by colour, doing it by shape,

we can link the two without it being too overpowering, I think.

Focus on that.

Day two, I'm back!

Overnight, I've decided the white maybe looks a bit Tudor,

it's not working for me.

At 21 Soho, Banjo's had a change of heart.

I love the blue and the blue talks to the rest of it,

and it doesn't make sense being white.

So, I'm painting that one navy blue as well.

I didn't sleep last night.

Then I called my partner this morning and he's like,

"Snap out of it! Just have fun and if you have fun,

"it'll come across in the space."

Sometimes I just get so caught up in all the other stuff,

I just forget to, like, take a breath.

Not in my wildest dreams, I thought I'd get this far.

I've never been someone to think that I've got it

and, like, it's in the bag and this is mine.

Well, my confidence has definitely grown.

Like, I've found like my voice in this.

But it's hard being judged

when you put your heart and soul in something.

What are you making here, Bo?

OK. so I'm making south side cocktail.

What's in it?

Gin, mint, lemon, lime.

Yeah, zesty.

Yeah, zesty.

Only probably just admitted that I want to win this thing.

I don't know if it's a self-preservation thing,

but I'm in it to win it.

Cheers to you, good luck.

And I'm going to give it my best shot.

Oh, tastes like victory.

Lovely.

Ah, looks all right, doesn't it?

Yes! That's amazing.

Yes. That's a good way to start the day.

So how do you think we're doing time-wise for the bar?

Give me two hours, so before lunch,

you should have the bar ready to wallpaper. Amazing.

At Two Floors, finally a new bar under construction.

I'll come back here for a drink, will you?

Will I buy you a drink here?

You're buying!

I'll be buying the whole night long, I think.

It'll just be like an open tab for you lot.

And Amy is ready to tackle her '70s decor.

I can't put this rug on the ground

because it's like a busy bar in Soho,

it's not going to be practical, but I can put it on the walls!

Fun, right?

And then I'm going to probably go with like the wood behind it

or maybe crazy behind it.

The vibe down here is '70s, it's retro, it's like themed,

but not too themed.

I just want it to be fun, I want people to be like,

"Oh, my God, let's go to that bar."

Oh, that's lush.

Lunch time in Soho and the streets are as busy as our two teams

racing towards the finish line.

Franny. You're not going to say you want me to paint over it, are you?

No! I really love it, it looks fabulous.

OK, cool.

And with their bars just minutes away from each other,

a chance to check out the competition.

Peekaboo!

Love what you've done with the place.

What, the construction site?

Was that on your brief? Apocalyptic?

Yeah, so it's a bit '70s trippy. You've had too many psychedelics.

It's a vibe. It's having a moment.

Don't tap it, stop it! No, it's... Michelle loves texture.

She's going to walk in here and think,

"God, it's gorgeous. Staples and nails."

It's going to have a nice like velvet draped fabric on it.

Yeah, are you feeling all right?

I'm like a bit overwhelmed with how much, like,

the climb from this has been.

Yeah, you're crazy, girl, for ripping that bar out.

I'll leave you to it. Bye, love.

Come and see... Oh, you won't be coming to mine.

I'll come and see yours when you're finished. Come for a drink.

That's, like, concerning. Like, I'm shocked, actually.

I know she's going to do it, but I mean, I don't...

I wouldn't want to be in that position, honestly.

That is pretty scary.

I think, Molly, though,

if we can get curtains made for here, let's do it.

Yeah? Yeah.

At Banjo's bar, as well as yet more sewing for Molly,

there are some last-minute design additions.

We've actually got a lot more to do than probably we realised.

Weirdly, like, seeing Amy's space didn't make me relax.

Next thing for you is we are going to put

something along this lower bar.

Actually, there's no time to be complacent

and Amy is like working like a dog.

We've got to clad the bench seat.

And we're not like working as fast and hard, maybe.

You know, she's not going to give up till the end so nor should I.

Any more rabbits in your hat you're going to pull out for us?

No, that's it. Is that it? That's it. Yeah. All right.

It's a competition, so we've got to work hard till the end.

Banjo!

Hello.

Oh, I love your glove. So what are you doing here then?

I'm copper leafing the bar, then I'm going to put a nice effect on it,

and it's going to rust because I don't want it to be too blingy.

No, can I have a go? Yeah, of course.

This is so satisfying.

Be careful, though. It takes a delicate touch.

Gives me a good opportunity to try out my mime.

Nice.

It's good, innit?

Very good. Is there a way of doing this?

Yes, you just like lightly brush your finger over it

and dust the copper off.

Tickle it.

Tickle your copper? Tickle your copper.

Oh, you know I love your stories.

There's always a back story and a narrative with any of your designs.

What's the one for the final? Tell me.

Well, down here I was going to go

kind of a bit of a gangster granny vibe.

You know, she probably wears leopard print, comes down here,

plays bingo with the girls.

Brings her toy boy. Ah! Oh, really?

Yeah, it's like a nana's nightclub.

Nana's nightclub.

Yeah. But anyone's welcome and anything goes.

Right, well, I'm going to dash off.

Bye.

As day two draws to a close, the competition is heating up.

I think after everything that I've done in that space,

if Banjo wins, then the only ladylike thing to do

is just give me his crown,

because the hard graft that's gone into that building,

I'm a winner. I'm a winner.

Don't yous get on the beers tonight.

No, never. Never.

Part of me is thinking that Amy is taking a big bad risk

and it might pay off and then Michelle will be like,

"What have YOU done?"

I have to step it up a gear

because she is not going down without a fight.

Thank you, gentleman.

Ah, yes!

Final day, Banjo!

Oh, my God.

After eight tough challenges, it's one more push for our finalists.

You guys have brought your posh vibes today?

Oh very, very, very posh. Cost me ten quid to get in here.

All right, snap to it.

THEY LAUGH

In just a few hours, their bar designs must be complete

and ready for the critical eye of the judges.

Yeah, we're a bit behind, so I'm a bit nervous about that,

we've still got a lot to do.

I haven't got a bar or cafe yet, and, you know,

this is a bar and a cafe, so... HE LAUGHS

..that's concerning.

All right, boys, let's get this light up.

First priority for Banjo this morning,

installing his rattan lighting scheme.

If you just drop that right down. Oh, hold on, hold on.

I found this parasol from Ibiza. I didn't go to Ibiza.

I found it at, like, an antique fair.

Hold that there.

It just brings the space back down to Earth.

Keep it there.

I wanted something natural that kind of was just, felt like a warm hug.

I'm not 100% sure it's held, but we'll know when we get down.

Yeah, there we go. It's great.

All right, what do you reckon?

HE CHEERS

Oh, I love it! That is the ticket!

Going to move this a tiny bit.

At Two Floors, Amy's '70s scheme is finding its groove.

Fun, right? It's going to come together. Oh, my God, wow!

It looks so good. I love that yellow.

Yeah, the yellow's good, right? I need more of it in here.

I've got some nice mirrors. I painted this panel here

and then I'll join the custom fabric that's '70s onto this wall.

Babes, I actually want to buy a new dress

and just come out and hang out here. We could do, like, '70s hair...

If they don't bar me, we'll definitely come back. That's fine.

Have you seen Wayne's bespoke kipper tie?

Piers, there's one coming for you. Ian... Oh, I'll have one.

One on the way, a bib for lunch.

When Michelle walks in here I hope she sees I've made design decisions.

I'm not just decorating, because let me tell you,

decorating this place might've been easier!

Oh!

Amy!

Welcome! Hi, Alan.

This is a bit chicka-chicka bow-wow!

Are you enjoying it?

Did you design this? This is one of mine. It really hides the problems.

ALAN LAUGHS A bit of fabric on the walls.

And look at that shag. I love a shag! Do you?!

Can I touch it? You can touch it, yeah.

I've got something like this around my toilet.

It's similar, yeah. '70s.

Oh, you've done so well! And is it all going to plan?

Do you reckon you're going to get it done?

I don't know that I've got a plan right now.

I'm just trying to throw stuff on walls.

I feel like this is a real departure

from anything that I would normally do,

but I feel like I'm trying to listen to what Michelle says

and just follow the brief.

It's about the space and it's about what the owner asks for,

so I feel like I'm trying to nail it.

I don't know if I'm getting there. Well, listen,

I'm going to leave you to it.

The only way this could get any more '70s

is if you had someone who looked like Austin Powers in here!

Oh, you should probably come back later in your outfit, then.

That's rude.

SHE LAUGHS

Bye, Alan! Yeah, baby!

THEY LAUGH

Right, and then if we can put the middle one up a bit higher.

So, I want a bit more height.

A bit higher. Bit higher? Yeah, that's it.

At 21 Soho, Banjo's bamboo bar is up.

Oh, I love it! Are you happy?

Yes, that literally took two minutes to pop up.

It's really '70s... Tropical Art Deco '70s,

boho, nouveau, Soho, riche.

And his upcycled furniture is ready to install.

OK, final touches on this banquette seating,

which was from the all you can eat pizza place.

This piece had seen better days, it had a rough life,

lots of greasy fingers.

But I think it's finally where it belongs.

Ah, Franny, this looks incredible!

Oh, do you like it? I adore it. Aw, I'm glad, babe.

How much nicer have you made it?

At Two Floors, Amy's customising her upstairs bar

with a cushioned rail to run along the length of the wall.

I think it makes it a little bit more daytime,

which is what they lacked in here.

No-one was coming in for coffee

because you would look in and it looked dark and a bit uninviting,

and hopefully this will make it look more like somewhere

you'd feel more comfortable in the day.

If it was all black, I think it would feel like a nightclub

and I might be worried, but I'm confident in what I've done.

I feel like I've got a bit of a happy medium.

I need to go at a faster speed, don't I?

Just two hours to go, and things are stepping up a gear.

Aw, yeah.

Bring it down a bit.

This was actually genius, by the way.

Wow.

Barbra Streisand. Now big giant coasters.

With the deadline approaching,

it's one final sprint towards the finish line...

Light bulb moment.

Oh, sweet baby Jesus.

..to make these bars fit for judging.

I feel like I've gone into, like, level mega beast mode.

Time's up.

Franny, we've actually finished.

Mate.

Thank you. You smashed it. Shall we get out of here?

Yeah, I just want to nick some of those nuts, they were really nice.

THEY LAUGH

I will be the most pleased if Michelle can see the confidence

that's grown in me.

I love it. Amazing.

I make decisions that I didn't make before.

I take risks that I didn't take before.

I use materials that I'd never use before.

This was genius.

And I didn't come here with much, to be totally honest,

and I'm glad to be leaving with more.

Nice.

Lovely.

HE SIGHS

I love it.

It's stunning. Yeah.

All through my life, people were like, oh, he's quirky,

or they don't take me seriously.

Yes.

HE LAUGHS

So, to get that validation from Michelle, that's amazing.

Yeah, I love this. Now I've literally branded them.

The whole competition has taught me

maybe my difference is my superpower.

Let's do it. Wahey!

Cheers. Cheers, partner. Thank you for all your help.

Helping Michelle judge the finished bars are fashion designer

turned interiors guru Matthew Williamson,

and hospitality industry expert and founder of the London Cocktail Club

Sarah Willingham.

So, here we are in the heart of London's Soho,

and from my perspective,

I'm looking for them to have really taken on board everything

that they've learned so far.

It really is a challenge to see can these designers

offer something unique,

what is their design DNA

that's going to make each customer that comes in come back in again,

and have a healthy business?

That vibe starts the second you walk through the door

to the minute you take a sip.

It's really important to feel the theme all the way through.

I mean, there's a lot of competition around here,

so that bar has got to stand out.

AMY: I just did not want to come into this space

and not show Michelle every single thing that I've got.

I think I was brave in my design choices. I knocked out a bar!

That was mental.

I'm, like, actually crying happy tears now

because I actually think I've done well.

Yeah, I'm just genuinely really happy, and that's been a while.

I feel really happy.

Wow.

Right, now, Amy has a Soho institution to deal with.

I mean, this bar has been around forever,

so that was quite a challenge. I mean, I walk into this space,

this is a bartender's paradise.

What I like a lot about what she's done is made the ceiling black.

It's neutral.

She has clearly said, the heartbeat of this room is the bar.

That says to me, I'm going to get a good drink out of this place.

When I look at this space I find it quite utilitarian.

Everything's quite sort of, you know, tin and wood.

It just feels really practical,

it's going to be a good place to hang out.

Amy is a 2D print designer.

I've seen so many of her projects now

with these really intricate, like, wallpapers

or fabrics that she's created. OK.

So, I am loving the fact that now she's gone to something

so different with these wonderful kind of graphic motifs

and then really scaled herself back to black and white.

That's a big leap for her.

But was that a deliberate answer to the brief?

Because there is a slight coldness, personally, I feel here. Yeah.

Ah, disco ball!

Oh, wow. Wow.

Wow!

This is SO different.

Definitely a bar of two halves. Phew!

And the biggest thing we have to hand straight to Amy

is that where you are standing, Matthew, used to be a mammoth bar.

Wow. OK. Well, I think that's one of many brilliant decisions.

I love this space. I just get an instant happy feeling.

It's quite themed, which I don't mind.

I think it's really cool and stylish. I just love it.

Is that because your shirt matches? It also matches my shirt, yeah.

So I feel very at home.

SHE LAUGHS

But no, I do love the palette. I think all these warm tones,

the mustard, the terracotta, I think they meld together so well.

I feel like the decisions that she's made,

she's made in the context that it is a working commercial bar.

For somebody who's come from 2D print, that's amazing!

You know, there's people I've worked with for 20 years

that wouldn't be able to do that.

BANJO: This challenge has been a beast.

I've poured so much into this.

I've wanted to create something that is, like, a little bit more unique.

And every week, like, my confidence grew a little bit more

and a little bit more.

It's nice to be here and be like, wow, like, you've made it.

Ooh.

Wow.

I don't know about you guys, but my first impressions

feels very warm and inviting.

We've got box office here.

You've got this kind of orange that is clearly telling us something.

Yeah, I definitely want to walk through,

which means he's done that right.

I'm wanting to go into the bar. Excellent. Let's go, then.

Nice continuation of theme,

and yet the feeling is different in here,

which I think is good and correct and I like it.

Yeah, absolutely. It's definitely gone up a notch

in terms of the glamour. It feels much more decadent.

Talking of decadence, look at this.

I think putting this kind of copper finish on it

gives you practically the same look

and is going to have cost a fraction of the price.

That is, I mean, that is gorgeous.

What I really love is that palette that he's used.

Dare I say, it's very sort of on-trend.

I think it looks a wonderful, jewel-like space.

I think it's very clever that he's kind of added this, like,

double-sided banquette right in the middle of the space.

It's almost like he's created a spine for this room.

I just think that's the kind of subtle design detail

that I have been looking for.

Oh, I think I'm just going to take a little seat right here.

Ooh, now, then... This is cosy.

I really like this.

This says, I can have a party down here.

First impressions, I really like it.

Yeah, me too.

I think it's got a real unique, cosy, quirky quality to it.

And it's all-encompassing, isn't it? The textiles, the wallpapers.

He's gone for it with green, but all these tones and layers of green.

It feels fabulous down here.

What we've seen him max out on here

is the bits that maybe we were feeling we didn't see upstairs.

We've got more luxurious drapes down here,

bigger carpet, we've got pattern, you've got that softness in feel.

I definitely feel like I'm in the same place,

which is important, I think, as a customer.

I love the wallpaper, but I'm missing mirrors.

It's not a mirror for me to look into,

it's a mirror to reflect what's happening within the room.

It's like the finishing touches are the final magic,

but only if the bone structure is right. Yeah.

And he has, he's nailed that.

After eight weeks and eight tough commercial challenges,

who will take the prize?

Hey, sugar. Hi. Are you OK?

Ah! Are you exhausted?

Oh, my God! I am going to sleep for three days after this.

SHE CHUCKLES

I'm really nervous today. Um, everything has been

leading up to this.

I've put my heart on the line.

I want to win it.

We've only got one more chat. What's one little chat with Michelle?

Oh, my gosh.

I hope that Michelle thinks that I'm just ballsy,

that I've gone for it, that I've not been scared

to do what I believe is right.

Winning would honestly just be incredible.

So, this was the most ambitious challenge we've ever given them.

They delivered, didn't they? Oh, they completely delivered.

I think they both really listened to the client

and they both took a very decisive interpretation of it.

The difference for me is that Banjo had a very difficult bar... Very.

..and had to really use his design to make you work your way around it.

Amy was gifted a bar that had fantastic bone structure.

Although, she made that huge leap downstairs to say this bar

is in the wrong place. I had the privilege of seeing

both the designers in week one, and Amy,

she was a surface pattern designer,

and now here she is doing these two huge, big, commercial spaces,

so, it's fantastic. And the same with Banjo.

He shows a real breadth of design,

that he can really do lots of different things.

So, Michelle, how are you going to decide?

It's going to be so tough! We sort of know them now.

I know. Now it becomes, it feels, it's quite personal.

I really care about them, but I also care about delivering

to our kind of end professional contract,

that they've got to be able to do it.

Hi, guys. Hi, Alan.

You must be exhausted.

We are pooped.

Well, listen, whatever happens today,

both of you should be so proud, because week after week

you've delivered these bold, innovative, wonderful designs

that have just sparkled, so thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you.

Now, Michelle would like to speak to you both individually.

Amy, you're up first. Good luck.

Thank you. Good luck. Wish me luck. Go get 'em.

Hi. ALL: Hi.

Oh!

SHE LAUGHS

Nervous.

Hello. Hi.

Now, your bar has real heritage and an incredibly loyal clientele,

so what was your starting point in the upstairs bar?

I think I just tried to keep a balance

in between what could work in the day and what could work in night.

It had got to the point that all the surfaces were a bit rough,

everything just needed a bit of zhuzhing,

but I just didn't want to overdo it.

I wanted to kind of elevate it a bit.

I thought that space was fantastic,

and I felt that you'd listened to show much

of what the client's needs were

and that you didn't mess with the heart of that business,

which is this whooping great big bar. Mm-hm.

I mean, that place will run brilliantly

with that stripped back design. Yeah.

I mean, let's move downstairs, cos I have to hand it to you,

that was a brave decision to just knock out that bar.

And we are all agreed it was absolutely the right decision -

but was there a moment where you just thought,

"If I do this, I'm not going to have the time"?

That was the biggest design decision I made in there,

and I felt like if I did one thing

to change it and enhance it, then that was it.

I couldn't have slept at night if I'd have gone in there

and then just tarted up their bar that was existing.

And now 1970s as a theme, we felt that you'd, like,

you really had a bit of a blast in there. It was fun, actually.

But tell me about your approach to it.

I did run with the '70s theme massively,

and I didn't necessarily - probably too much -

I didn't necessarily think,

"Oh, how am I going to tailor this and make it really modern?"

I didn't want to do, like, platforms hanging from the ceiling

and you know, ABBA or whatever, although I'm almost a '70s child.

I'm a '70s child and I'm a fan. I loved it,

and I think it was really brave and bold.

I think it felt a great space to be in.

I loved your palette. I think it was fantastic. Thanks.

One kind of final question for you,

what is it about interior design that excites you?

I'll be 40 next year, and I didn't necessarily think

I had a career change coming,

but to be able to just learn new skills

has literally opened my eyes to possibilities

that weren't there before, and I think that's quite incredible.

It's just been the best opportunity.

It's been great to be along for the ride with you. Thank you.

Do you know what? That was quite intense. I've done all I can.

I just have to wait now. A nervous wait.

BANJO: Hi. ALL: Hi.

So, Banjo, your bar is a new kid on the block,

and it's got quite a complex mix of functions.

How did you start with that?

Yeah, I think the entire place had an identity crisis.

So, for me, it was making sure that the separate spaces

spoke the same language, and I probably realised

that what I was creating was more of a mood.

It felt like for me that you had a really smart understanding

about the spaces.

I think you have an amazing sense of colour and pattern and texture.

It felt very contemporary. So, yeah, congratulations.

Ah, thank you.

SARAH: I got anxiety when I walked in, thinking,

this is an absolute nightmare of a space to make work,

and I thought you did it beautifully.

You almost tried to force us left as I walked in,

I was drawn in there,

which I thought was really, really important.

Getting a bar like that to transition from day to night,

how did you kind of tackle that?

Um, so for me, lighting was probably really important.

I knew the first thing I needed to do was bring that down

to create a warmer kind of space.

The second thing I did was to create that horizon on the curtains

that then bled into the walls

to create a little bit of an envelope in the space.

If it was a rainy day outside, like, it would feel warm,

or in the evening you could kind of draw the curtains

and it would be a beautiful, warm space.

Moving downstairs... Yeah. ..was it a very deliberate decision

to kind of continue the same design language?

Yeah. I wanted it to talk together.

So, downstairs was a bit of permission

to kind of have a bit more fun, and maybe dial up the glamour a bit

and turn up the opulence.

So, I hope I achieved that.

I wanted to see lots of frouf everywhere.

I was like, where are my mirrors? Where are my cocktail shakers?

Where's my finishing touches? Michelle was very much like,

this is about the bare bones of the design. Yeah.

You know, this is about the structure.

So, I went through an educational process as well.

I was having none of it with her frou-frou.

That's a good name of a bar, Frouf.

I might open my own bar in Soho, Alan's Frouf.

THEY LAUGH

Banjo, I've really loved watching you develop.

This has been about a kind of rite of passage of confidence. Mm.

You've got it in here, but it was about you believing

that actually your innate feeling could work and would be right.

I think what I love about making spaces

is adding a little bit of irreverence,

doing things slightly differently,

and doing this has restored my sixth sense I have

when I kind of walk into a space and you know that's what that needs.

Banjo, thank you so much for really helping us

understand the thinking behind your project.

Well, thanks for your time. I appreciate it. I'll see you.

While Michelle makes her decision,

some familiar faces are welcomed back to the design studio.

Oh, my God! How exciting!

You guys have been so busy!

HE LAUGHS

It's great, though, right? They've done really well.

I'm so pleased those two are in the final.

Oh, my God, where do I start with Banjo's strengths?

He's a genius. It's Banjo, Banjo, Banjo for the win for me.

I think he really, truly deserves it. Not that Amy doesn't!

Her finish and detailing is just exceptional.

I would like to see Amy win,

literally because of how she has grown.

Yeah, she could do this.

He's got something very special.

A testament to his skills, definitely.

Banjo is very fresh and very unique. Amy's very polished.

Very, very difficult, this. I don't envy the judges.

Hi. Hi.

Well, here you are. Well, you could've got dressed up!

It is the final! You all look gorgeous.

Now, Michelle, please, put us out of our misery.

At the beginning of this competition,

I said that I was looking for someone

who was willing to learn and eager to get stuck in.

Because I was going to make you jump through so many hoops

so that you could begin to understand something

of what it takes to be a professional interior designer.

And you did not disappoint me.

You two are up here because you showed me something extra.

You mastered teamwork, creative compromise, the art of colour.

You also showed me that you understood

the importance of narrative.

But most importantly, I think you showed me

that you now really understand the way that a space makes you feel.

And you both achieved that.

Sadly, there can only be one winner.

And one of you just took it home that little bit more for me.

So, the winner of this year's Interior Design Masters...

..is Banjo.

Well done, you deserved it. You deserved it.

Well done, mate. Really. My work is done.

I appreciate it.

Sweetheart.

THEY CHEER

What an amazing journey you came on.

Thank you so much.

I can't believe it, this is amazing! I won!

I'm speechless, I am. And I'm never speechless.

I mean, this is life-changing. This is a real contract.

Have you checked if there's anything in there?

HE LAUGHS

I'm so pleased for Banjo.

I've got such a massive amount of respect for him

and I feel like the better person won on the day.

I think I did something this week

that no-one else would've been brave enough to do.

I'm just really happy that I got to do it.

It's not sad tears, it's good tears.

Banjo has shown me some pretty consistent brilliance

right from the first challenge.

He has this incredibly intuitive approach to design,

which just can't be taught.

So, while Amy has absolutely knocked it out of the park,

he just pipped her at the post for that final dose

of original thinking.