Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Here in the English countryside...

...in amongst the greenery...

...and wildlife...

...perhaps an overnight stay in a 14th-century inn,

boasting seductive accommodation...

...afternoon tea...

...cool drinks on a summer's day.

Or maybe you'd like something a little livelier?

TRUCK HORN BLARES

Yes, in the heart of the West Midlands,

just a few minutes off the M6, is a hotel.

Good morning, The Moat House. Chloe speaking. How can I help?

Offering sumptuous rooms with a bird's-eye view

of the UK's longest motorway...

The M6 is the heart of the whole country,

so it's a very, very busy network.

...where frantic commuters can get away

from the delays and hold-ups...

"Report of obstruction."

How many times do you see that on the motorway?

...weary drivers can escape the hell of a bank holiday tailback...

HORNS HONKING ..for a spot of dinner a deux.

Perfect, to be honest. A lovely stay.

And truckers can refuel with some grub in the bar.

Can I have a bangers and mash, please? Yeah.

In the motorway hotel, it's all this and more.

People just came five minutes off the motorway.

They find gems of places like this.

Enjoy your stay.

Right, everybody come off. This time...

We've got the troublemakers in from Preston today.

...a coachload of pensioners make a welcome pit stop

from the busy motorway...

CLATTERING

Honestly!

...and stress-test the hotel's hospitality.

Recovery driver Greg...

HE STRAINS She's a bit of a heavy lump.

...tries to keep the M6 moving... HORN HONKS

...on his own. Everything all just comes at once.

It was quiet five minutes ago, and now it's carnage.

With wedding season afoot,

staff head out on the road to drum up more business.

Right, then, Chloe, ten weddings today, please. Hmm.

But with the wedding supremo's shock departure,

will a replacement be found in time?

I'm actually going to be leaving

the wedding department in a couple of weeks.

Chloe is going to be a big loss to the team.

So we need to get someone in sharpish.

When I was bar manager at The Swan, I served Danny Dyer.

It's springtime at The Moat House, where the wedding team

are gearing up for one of their busiest times of the year

under the capable leadership

of wedding planner par excellence Chloe.

Do we have any famous people ever come to The Moat House? Yeah.

Marco Pierre White. Pierre White.

Christopher Biggins has stayed with us.

Biggins. I love Christopher Biggins.

A hotel just off one of the UK's busiest motorways

may not seem like a likely destination for your special day,

but whatever the reason for visiting,

the staff's duty is to go the extra mile

to keep all the guests happy.

So, we check in and then...? We've checked in.

Upstairs.

Top of the stairs.

No, no. Through the bar to the restaurant.

That's where you're eating.

This is where you're sleeping.

Between April and December,

the hotel hopes to host at least 90 weddings.

Like plenty of others,

it's working hard to recover from COVID

and keep the cash tills ringing.

Have you been before? Do you know where everything is?

Yeah. You know where the bar is and everything? Lovely.

RADIO: On the M6, we have a wide load travelling northbound.

It's taking up two lanes, so expect delays on the approach.

And with the perpetual motion of the M6 right on your doorstep,

there's always the chance of some passing trade.

Oh, somebody might ask if there's a lift.

Yes, there is.

And today, their luck's in.

There's one of their regular coach parties swinging by.

It's been one of those mornings.

I went down to collect the sandwiches,

and the delivery hasn't arrived.

GROANING Oh, my goodness.

Winging their way down the motorway from Preston

is one of the hotel's most frequent and most demanding guests.

So I said, "Oh, no! I'm in a real mess."

Legendary wing commander Mrs Ailsa Lyles,

motorway regular and coach trip organiser extraordinaire.

She said, "Look, are you prepared to accept any that we have?"

Ancl so, if you think, "Oh, I can't eat that,"

swap with somebody.

Ailsa runs a tight ship.

She needs to, with all those snarl-ups and delays to deal with.

So, it shouldn't be too long before we're coming off the motorway.

Her fellow travellers, like Mrs Mulder,

are also discerning customers.

Today, we are heading to a military tattoo,

which I believe lasts about three hours.

Everything is organised down to the last detail.

On the right, there are toilets there.

Regular customers like Ailsa are very good for business.

And here we are.

And with the lengthy journey still ahead of them,

this regiment will need to pace themselves.

Right, everybody can come off.

Ailsa has been coming to us for years,

three or four times this year.

It's all going beautifully to plan.

AILSA CH UCKLES It is now.

Thank goodness, with the sandwiches and everything.

Oh, clear me.

'She's so lovely.'

She literally glows in a room full of people.

Do you know, I rang you up the other day. Yeah?

It was me. It was you!

ls everybody off?

Excuse me.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, everybody's off.

Ailsa's party are taking every one of the hotel's 41 rooms tonight.

And in these challenging times, her custom is more vital than ever.

Your rooms are ready.

The hotel needs to keep her 100% happy...

LIFT: 'Doors opening.'

...or she might steer her business elsewhere.

I was somewhere along here.

An advance party has been sent to recce the terrain.

Oh, you'll like this. Definitely.

So far, so good.

Hey, this is nice. Bath and everything. Yeah.

Oh, yeah, that's nice.

One poor report card,

and Ailsa may be summoning boss Emily for a chat.

Right. Please may I just leave that with you for the moment?

With the all-clear on the rooms from her troops, lunch can proceed.

You're on this table. Thank you.

Ailsa is famous for her meticulous planning

and ability to keep the show on the road...

Hitchens. Hutchings.

...ensuring all her troops are billeted before lunch can be served.

Mulder and Storey? Yes. Here, Miss.

In here, you will find your name with what you're having to eat.

Because they're colour-coded, anybody getting a green one,

it means that it's pork.

With things running smoothly, Ailsa is in her element.

I enjoy doing this because I'm in charge.

With all her customers happily tucking in,

now the hotel just has to keep up its end.

But suddenly, there's a problem.

Have you got a roll of Sellotape, by any chance?

Why? Because we're all covered in little white bits.

Where have you got that from? Off the napkins.

Oh! Have you all got little white bits?

No. On... On...

Oh, yes!

Yeah, look!

Oh, excuse me, we've got a problem here now.

They're asking for, um, Sellotape or something

because, off these, we're all getting white.

LAUGHS: Look, everybody's looking!

You see? This one causes trouble.

AILSA LAUGHS

NARRATOR: While the kitchen staff are coping

with the panicking pensioners, the bar staff are flat out.

I just want everybody to enjoy their time.

With the first course on the way,

the wine is being knocked back

as quickly as tailbacks appear on the M6.

Glass of wine. What more can you ask for?

So, we have got the troublemakers in from Preston today,

the old coach trip.

But none of them have work in the morning,

so they have already started on the wine.

Of course they have. CHUCKLES

We get back from the NEC about 10:30.

I would imagine that there may be some

who go to the rooms via the bar, but I couldn't possibly say.

CLATTERING Honestly!

First glass of the clay.

You know, what am I going to be like later?

There's certain people you just can't, er,

you can't bring with you, you know?

Anyone fancy a cheeky top-up?

ALL: Yes.

LAUGHTER

Coming up...

He hasn't arrived. Oh, clear me!

...there's a hold-up on the M6,

and it looks like the coach is stuck on the motorway.

You don't want them late today,

but I've got a feeling I'm going to have to ring.

Come on, Mol.

The hotel pulls out all the stops for a canine visit.

Look at this. "Posh pooch wine for clogs."

Cheers, Mol. Chin, chin.

BARKS

Right, then, Chloe, ten weddings today, please.

Hm. Ness and Chloe attempt to sell the delights

of a wedding next to the thunder of traffic.

Literally come down the M6,

couple of junctions, and you'll be with us.

But business is moving just as slowly as the M6 on a bad day.

How many enquiries have we got on?

CHUCKLES: One! One!

AILSA: Has the coach arrived or not?

He hasn't arrived.

The hotel can breathe a collective sigh of relief

after keeping up their end of the bargain

to feed and water coach trip organiser Mrs Ailsa Lyles

and 40-odd customers in time for the next leg of their journey.

But there's now a spanner in the works,

as the replacement coach and driver that Ailsa booked

hasn't arrived yet.

He'll come from that end, I think.

Ailsa's current driver doesn't have enough legal driving hours left

to make the return journey to the military tattoo.

But the performance starts in 9O minutes' time,

and there's still no sign of his replacement.

You don't want them late today.

We're just waiting for another coach to come.

But I've got a feeling I'm going to have to ring.

Don't you think so, I'm going to have to ring?

If some of you would like to pick up sandwich bags,

then you can come and do that now

because that will save us a bit of time.

He's going to go and get them out for you.

Someone else who needs the traffic to run smoothly

is the hotel's wedding co-ordinator, Chloe...

We've got to stop for sweets on the way

to entice the children to the stand, so the parents might book a wedding.

...because Ailsa's coach party aren't the only ones

setting out on an important mission from the hotel today.

Weddings are big earners, and it's Chloe's job to deliver,

persuading punters that celebrating their big day next to a big motorway

is a selling point for ease of access for all their guests.

With weddings, there are obviously very few repeat bookings,

so every year, the hotel needs a fresh supply of brides -

oh, and grooms - to keep the wheels turning.

Today. we're going to go to the wedding fair,

which is on 11 till three.

We're going early to set up.

With COVID wiping out the wedding industry en masse,

they can't afford to ignore an event like today's.

We hope to get a couple of bookings, a couple of enquiries.

Let's just hope there's no hold-up for Chloe.

'Hello?' Hello. Where do I go?

'What do you mean, where do you go?' Well, I'm at the entrance, but...

'Come in to the entrance, turn right.'

Chloe's significant other today is her boss, Vanessa.

Oh, yeah.

Are you parked down...? Oh, I can see your car.

It's important for Nessa to be there.

She's the face of The Moat House, being the ops manager.

just hope it doesn't rain whilst we're in there.

Good morning, Ness. How are you? Living the dream.

There are roughly 275,000 weddings each year in the UK...

Where are we? Over there.

...with happy couples splashing out around £14] billion

on getting hitched.

Right, then.

The hotel needs to grab a slice of this giant wedding cake action

to keep the business thriving,

and it can't take its foot off the pedal.

Hopefully entice the kids to the stand

with some sweets so we can, er,

give their parents some wedding brochures.

Time for schmoozing.

In Staffordshire's wedding world, no man or woman is an island.

The thing is, we know a lot of people at the other venues,

because you work so closely,

so you actually know quite a lot of people.

We've got Bespoke Creations.

Erm, Adam's a magician.

Hello! Ooh, they're so cute.

We could have alpacas.

We've got enough space. Yeah.

Do you think Brian'd mind if I took one home?

Don't they have to live in packs? Is that why they're called alpacas?

THEY LAUGH

For Staffordshire, this is the biggest one.

Unless you start going to, like, the cities and things.

Obviously, most of our couples are from this area,

so it makes sense to come here.

Right, then, Chloe, ten weddings today, please. Hm.

Telling myself, "Ness isn't going to put me under any pressure today."

Yeah. Something like that.

As the doors are flung open, the aisles quickly start to fill

with inquisitive lovebirds.

HOOTING

Except that Chloe and Ness's stand...

...looks like you've been left standing at the altar, ladies.

This couple of seasoned wedding professionals

need to come away with some new leads.

People are looking for the pretty things as well.

So, the dresses, the cakes.

Ancl that's what you tend to see gets more attention at these things.

Have you been engaged long, or you just in the early stages?

THEY LAUGH

How many enquiries have we got?

LAUGHS: One! One!

Do you think more people are going abroad?

It's not the best of starts to the day.

They simply can't afford for opportunities like this

to slip through their fingers.

Back at the hotel, a stone's throw from the motorway,

staff are trying to keep 40-plus well-oiled pensioners happy,

but their coach is delayed.

AILSA: Oh, clear me!

They've still got to get down the busy M6

in time for the military tattoo at Birmingham's NEC.

It's curtain up in less than one-and-a-half hours,

and there's a 40-minute drive first.

That's if there's no hold-ups.

Ah, he's coming now.

Finally, the new coach has arrived.

Good.

But almost immediately, Ailsa has a new problem.

I thought he would have backed in.

I'm sorry!

It looks as though we're going to have to walk out.

He's not bringing it in.

They're not expected to swim across the water or anything?

Er, no. No. Not this time.

As many of her old soldiers are not A1 fit any more...

Make sure you've got your sandwiches.

...Ailsa needs to make sure none of her squadron is left behind.

Have we got the wheelies?

fight. CHUCKLES

All that we need now is to thoroughly enjoy this evening.

Forty-odd weary senior citizens

will return in about three to four hours,

which gives the staff just enough time

to at least restock the bar.

Make sure you've got your sandwiches.

just off junction 14, at a local wedding fair,

The Moat House's Chloe and Ness

are struggling to sell the idea of weddings

next to the UK's longest motorway.

We want to get people into the venue itself.

We want them to come and actually have a look

rather than just seeing the pictures.

But finally, things are looking up.

CHLOE: Hello!

whereabouts are you based? So, we're in Acton Trussell.

So, we are South Staffs, so literally ten minutes from here.

Yeah, just out of the city and then into the village.

We're in the Stoke area. Oh, OK. So it's not too far.

Literally come down the M6,

a couple of junctions, and you'll be with us.

Yeah, completely dog-friendly, including the hotel room.

This is the best selling point for us. The main thing.

We want the little ringbearers. Yeah. Yeah.

What I'll do, I'm back in the office later today.

I'll email across some brochures to you.

Ancl then, if you want to pop in to have a look around,

or if you want a quote, just let me know and I can get it sorted.

Emma and josh are exactly the sort of couple

the hotel needs to attract today.

All right. Nice to meet you both. See you soon.

And it seems like venue enquiries are like buses...

Hi. Do you want a brochure?

...as people begin to form an orderly tailback...

All right, not a problem.

...looking for a wedding venue.

Pop your name and your email in there.

We'll get some information sent to you. See what you think.

I'll just email the brochure to you.

Ancl if you've got any questions, you can get in touch with me.

Yeah, we can do that. Do you know what year you're looking at?

You going big, small?

We've got a few different rooms.

Summer, winter?

We do do outdoor ceremonies as well.

I can email all the prices across to you.

Then we'll show you around and see what we've got to offer.

I'll send some quotes to you and things like that.

All right, then. Enjoy your clay. All right.

See you soon. Thanks.

After the slow start...

Later today, I'll email it across. ..the show has delivered.

Well, sort of.

We've got about ten enquiries. That's not too bad, though, is it?

We certainly can't complain about the footfall.

Do the follow-through and see where we go.

We'll go back now and then get in touch with everyone

that's given details.

That's it.

The motorway hotel would ideally like

two weddings per weekend, every weekend.

Now all Chloe and Ness have to do

is turn a bunch of maybes into a bunch of "I dos".

RADIO: 'Looking at the M6 now,

'there's a lorry having a tyre change,

'so there's currently a lane one closure in place

'at junction 13 northbound.

'Speed limit has been reduced...'

PHONE RINGING

Stacy speaking. How can I help you?

At any time from two o'clock.

Sometimes the rooms can be ready earlier.

Each week, 300 or so weary travellers

will eat, drink and sleep at the motorway hotel.

Thank you. Bye!

Staff must stretch every sinew to cater to their needs.

Every guest is money in the bank.

Hello. Hiya. Hiya.

Are we just checking in? We are. We are.

Stacey and her colleagues are on a late shift,

checking in tonight's guests.

Hiya! Hi there. How are you?

Good, thank you. just checking in.

What's your name?

The hotel has a policy of trying to cater to all its customers' needs.

Come on, duck.

And pampered pooch Molly has just popped off the M6

with owners Rob and Debs

for a luxury doggy-focussed mini-break.

So, you guys are in room 111.

We've also got the VIP pups package

that's already set up in your room for you.

All right. Thank you. No, you're very welcome.

Hopefully, Molly will find the hotel to her liking.

'So, we've had a gift voucher off our family...'

Come here, let's take you out of there now.

...to visit The Moat House for an overnight stay.

Got a dog bed there. Oh, perfect.

Come on, MoL

We haven't been in a hotel room with Molly.

Hey, there's a little bed for you.

Perfect, that is.

We usually go in the caravan,

but this is a bit of a special treat.

Come on. Oi! Come on.

just hope she behaves herself.

Looks like Molly's got her owners on a short leash.

Oh, look! Wine for dogs.

Molly can have her wine, and I might have my glass of wine.

What do you think about that, Mol? Oh!

Which means that whatever Molly does...

Get some wipes.

...her human staff are more than happy to clear up.

I'll go to reception for a cloth.

Nothing appears too much trouble for Rob and Debs.

The only reason Molly agreed to this weekend was this -

doggy wine.

Do you want some of this, Mol?

After a hesitant start, she's soon lapping it up.

Cheers, MoL Chin, chin! Come on.

A couple more swigs,

and Molly's soon swapping shaggy dog stories...

BARKS Where's your dad?

...with some new pals...

BARKS

That's the terrier in her.

...and making plans for the rest of her weekend.

Oi! Stop it.

Coming up, local motorway recovery man Greg...

STRAINS She's a bit of a heavy lump.

...rushes to the aid of a sickly ambulance.

Everything all just comes at once.

It was quiet five minutes ago, and now it's carnage.

And hotel bosses have to cope when a key member of the team

makes plans to drive off into the sunset.

I'm actually gonna be leaving

the wedding department in a couple of weeks.

Chloe is going to be a big loss to the team,

so we need to get someone in sharpish.

RADIO: 'On the motorway network,

'the M6 northbound junctions 13 to 15,

'there's a speed restriction in place, so expect delays.'

In the shadow of the M6,

the motorway hotel hosts around 90 weddings a year,

all ably managed by wedding co-ordinator Chloe.

But Chloe has recently accepted a new post,

and the imminent first wedding of the season will be her last.

You know what? It's a really nice wedding to end on.

It's actually really nice. That's good.

You wouldn't want to end...

On nasty folk. On nasty folk.

You want to end on nice people, and that's what these are. Good.

Ancl then we can go, you can pick me up,

and we can go out and have drinks with our friends. Fabulous.

Today, her first job

is to call all the brides-to-be to break the news.

It's just a really, really quick call.

I just needed to ring you to let you know

that I'm actually gonna be leaving the wedding department

in a couple of weeks.

Chloe is going to be a big loss to the team.

Oh, thank you. Bye! Bye.

All of our couples have kind of got to know her

over the time that they've been planning their weddings.

It's a very big personality to have in the office.

When I said to Enisu I'm leaving, she goes, "Oh, no!"

Who said that? Enisu.

Aw! She really likes you.

Chloe's role as wedding and events co-ordinator is huge.

There's just so much to do. There's so many aspects of the job.

Chloe's expertise ensures every wedding the hotel hosts

runs like a finely tuned engine.

But she's decided on a change of direction.

It's the end of the road with the job at the hotel.

'It wasn't an easy decision.'

I think it all just came at the right time.

If that job hadn't have come up, I wouldn't be leaving the weddings.

'It's just the right place at the right time, I suppose.'

OK.

Er, yeah. LAUGHS

Chloe's assistant Emily

has only been in the company for seven months...

Oh, I will do. And you. Bye!

...and is understandably anxious

about her mentor's imminent departure.

What a short relationship we've had.

You've got Tom and Vicky to look after you.

Do you know, you've been dropping hints

the past couple of months about leaving.

Yeah. The other week, you were like,

"You'll have to do it on your own soon."

I know. I didn't think anything of it.

Ancl now I'm going to be all alone.

Well, no, I'll have a new friend.

Yeah. I bet she's nicer than you.

Might not be a woman. Could be a man.

'Obviously, I've worked with Chloe as soon as I started,

'so it's a bit like, "Oh, my God, my buddy's going." '

But, yeah, just got to wait and see what happens.

Em? Sophie couldn't remember if she has met you or not,

so I've booked their catch-up in with you.

First motorway hotel wedding of the season is days away.

It will also be Chloe's last ever one,

which makes finding her replacement even more urgent

for hotel boss Emily.

Chloe's only got, like, just under two weeks left here.

It does leave quite a bit of a gap. Um, you know...

by the time we get into full swing with weddings,

we really want to be a well-oiled machine

and, you know, have things pretty slick.

RADIO: 'An accident involving a lorry and two cars

'is causing disruption on the M6

'northbound between junctions 16 and 17.'

Motorway hotel customer Greg Berger doesn't have far to go for work.

TRUCK HORN BLARES

Well clone. Thank you for cutting me up.

As a recovery driver, the M6 is HIS boss.

This job that we're going out to now is a...

ambulance which has got a transmission fault.

Every year, ambulances are called out

to hundreds of serious incidents on the M6,

so getting them back in service is vital work.

We're coming off at junction 12.

I don't think I'm going to squeeze through there, Sonnyjim.

Maybe if you breathe in, Greg. Come on, give it a go.

HE BLARES HORN

At last, Greg spots his target,

and the sooner he can get this ambulance

back on the road, the better.

That'll be the one.

just checking for any signs of any major damage.

So, let me just grab a few pictures.

PHONE RINGING Vehicle breakdown, how can I help?

The calls for help from distressed motorists

stuck on the M6 are never-ending.

Calling from where, sorry?

But they're going to have to wait.

The faulty gearbox means Greg has got a problem.

Somehow, he'll need to move the stricken ambulance on his own.

STRAINS

All three-and-a-half tonnes of it.

HE EXHALES

She's a bit of a heavy lump.

Right, she's not moving. That's fine.

What I'm going to do, I'm gonna be cheeky

and ask these lads to give me a push.

CLEARS THROAT Excuse me?

Could I be cheeky and ask for a very small push of this?

Yes! Bonus.

Perfect, that is perfect! Thank you very much!

Greg's got the ambulance into position,

but now there's another problem.

He's got an unhappy HGV on his back.

TRUCK HORN BLARES, HE CH UCKLES

Trust all these lorries to come now.

Everything all just comes at once.

Quiet five minutes ago, and now it's carnage.

So just going to pull it round there and then let the car park flow.

Well, that is the ambulance all loaded up.

Obviously, the car park was very quiet when we first got there.

Everybody turned up out of nowhere.

There were lorries waiting to turn in.

That is the way the cookie normally crumbles

in the vehicle recovery industry.

just as you're about to do a job, everything just goes like hell.

Vehicle breakdown.

Stafford services northbound. Yeah. What vehicle is it, please?

RADIO: 'There's a report of a broken-down car

'blocking one lane on the southbound section between junction 14 and 15.'

You're in 141, so just up the stairs.

It's left again at the bottom of the corridor. Thank you.

The human traffic may be running smoothly front of house,

but behind the scenes, the departure of their wedding coordinator Chloe

has created a staffing problem.

I don't think that's a number.

With the first wedding of the season just a matter of days away,

her decision to leave the Motorway Hotel

couldn't have come at a worse time.

First wedding of the season is this week,

and that's pretty much Chloe's last wedding with us.

Erm, and then from there on in,

it really does kind of start to roll into wedding season.

So we need to get someone in sharpish.

Yeah, of course, I'll get that booked in for you.

Each wedding is an epic organisationaljigsaw puzzle,

and whoever succeeds Chloe must be able to hit the ground running.

No Wedding's the same, are they? They're all individual.

There have been only two internal applicants who both need

to be able to sell the hotel and the Motorway to blushing brides.

One is the highly experienced Vicky.

So, my job role at the moment is events manager.

The reason I'm applying is I like meeting different people...

...and seeing people happy with what we've achieved in the clay.

Nick's off 3rd and 4th. Yeah.

8th, 9th, 10th and 11th.

The other candidate is Emily. She's less experienced,

but her time working as Chloe's assistant

might just give her the edge.

My role currently,

I am the weddings, events and conference assistant,

so I am more office-based.

I've only been here for seven months, but I do think I am ready.

Good afternoon, The Moat House. Emily speaking. How can I help you?

For this position, I think we're,

at the minute, quite open to ideas,

and see, you know, what kind of comes forward, really.

I hope you're nice about me. I've trained Emily really well.

I said, "Listen, I know it's not ideal..."

SHE LAUGHS

So horrible. "..but it's the best I can offer you in my absence."

Yeah, I'm happy with the people that we've got

who've expressed an interest in it.

Ancl see how it goes.

Their interviews have been scheduled for later on today,

but before they can start,

there is one final wedding for Chloe to set up and get through.

Right. LAUGHTER

This is so wobbly.

I think brides get expectations

now we've got social media, Instagram, Pinterest.

They get these really big ideas in their heads.

Right, where are we going?

Like, hm... I think here.

Yeah, because I'm gonna bring the bride the inside way anyway

cos she gets cold. Yeah.

It's gonna be freezing today.

Some days, we walk in and there's so much stuff to put out,

like, so many things.

94 guest chairs.

Every wedding is the same,

but different, from getting place settings right...

CHLOE: Oh, Lord. Right, you ready?

...to getting a rowing boat perfectly positioned

for those important photos.

Don't lift it by that, cos Chris will yell at you.

And Chloe is the linchpin of it all.

Watch the bush.

Today, she's roped in hotel boss Chris to help

with this happy couple's special wish.

Ancl the Titanic sails again.

THEY LAUGH

You OK? Where am I going?

Over there.

Thank you, Chris. CHRIS: My pleasure.

As the final preparations take shape in the main dining room,

the kitchen is gearing up to deliver the wedding breakfast.

Let's just hope none of the guests are stuck in traffic,

or that could cause huge tailbacks in the kitchen.

It's the calm before the storm. It's gonna get really crazy in here.

The kitchen will need to run

as smoothly as the M6 does on a good day,

ensuring every course arrives on time and is cooked to perfection.

In the driving seat is head chefjames.

The wedding today, yeah, it's a four-for-four choice menu,

so we've gone for some really nice stuff.

Choice of four starters, four main courses and four desserts.

Ancl obviously, we've got the children's menu as well.

So, yeah, quite a lot going on today.

With such a complicated menu on offer,

the kitchen will have a lot of plates to spin

throughout the food service.

It's on big occasions like weddings

where the hotel's reputation is at stake.

A major part of our business is weddings, obviously,

because the weddings don't only bring the customers in,

they stay over as residents, they're here for breakfast.

They obviously use the bar, and they may stay, you know,

the night prior, they'll eat here as well.

So it's really good for us. Yeah.

Before the mains even get out,

we start plating up, all the garnishes and everything.

Ancl then it's literally all hands on deck,

getting all the warm desserts onto the plates,

garnished up and out the door.

With the wedding in full swing downstairs,

the race is on upstairs to find a replacement for Chloe.

Hello? It's Emily.

Do you want to come up whenever you're ready?

We're in the Brocton. All right.

Hotel boss Emily and officer manager Nicola

are getting ready to run the interviews.

Hopefully, this afternoon, we'll have everything boxed off

and know where we're going.

It's just getting an understanding

for what they want out of the role and why they're applying for it,

and just making sure they're a good fit, really.

The sooner that we can make a decision, the better.

Hello. Grab a seat.

Bit nervous.

I've never interviewed within a company before,

so that's, like... It's just new, so it's scary.

Thank you. You're so welcome.

I'm worried they're gonna ask me loads of questions

that I'm not gonna have a clue what to say.

Hello. Hello.

Lovely to see you.

I'm a little bit nervous, but I think I've got some good ideas.

Nervous? Yes.

Don't need to be.

I think we can take the wedding team forward a bit more.

Coming up...

The British love their sticky toffee, I must say.

You guys really do.

...Chloe and the kitchen team are racing to create pudding perfection

for 100 wedding guests.

They're both really, really strong candidates.

100%.

And there are important choices to be made in the boardroom.

It's a really tough decision between them.

NICOLA: Amazing. Thanks so much, Em. EMILY: Thank you, Em.

See you soon.

Bye. Bye.

The interviews for the hotel's new wedding coordinator

have just wrapped up.

Thank you. See you later. See you later.

The team has to decide between internal candidates Emily or Vicky.

And the decision is vital for the hotel's continued success.

If they needed any reminder of the urgency,

the first wedding of the year - and Chloe's last -

is taking place downstairs.

We have the baked cheesecake with a blueberry compote

and sticky toffee.

The British love their sticky toffee, I must say.

A wedding, you know, like,

it's gotta be something that people look at,

they will remember, you know.

You gotta make the plate look pretty.

You've got to put some extra pizzazz.

You've gotta make it look good because it is an important clay.

Very, very important.

Having been responsible for looking after hundreds of weddings

over the past three years, Chloe knows she's leaving behind

a very intimate and privileged role within the hotel.

I'm excited that it's my last wedding.

Obviously, I'm looking forward to going and doing something new,

and they're a really nice couple,

so I'm really happy that this is my last one.

It's always good to finish on a couple that you really like.

As today's wedding juggernaut motors on downstairs,

upstairs, the interview panel is meeting to weigh up their options.

They are both very strong.

100%.

Boss Emily and Nicola and Becky from HR must make a decision today.

Vicky or Emily? Emily really surprised me, actually.

I asked her about what she can bring to the role,

she's got some really good ideas. She's clone a lot of prep.

it just shows, like, how much she actually cares about it.

Obviously, Emily's got such a good grasp

on the, like, organisation side.

Like, that girl loves a spreadsheet, you know?

But then Vicky's got the actual experience

of working in the weddings on the clay.

She knows where things can potentially go awry.

It's a really tough decision between them.

Everyone's had their say, but the buck stops with boss Emily.

So, obviously, it's your decision.

so whatever decision you make, I am happy to facilitate.

It's down to Nicola to break the news.

First off, well clone with your interview. You did really well.

So, after you interviewed, me, Emily and Becky had a sit down,

and we discussed how we saw the role.

Ancl how we see it working best is...

...yourself...

working alongside Vicky.

Yes, please. So you're happy to...

happy to take it, then? Yeah, of course. Thank you.

Amazing. Congratulations. Thank you very much.

Ancl the way we see the role working

is yourself and Emily working alongside each other.

OK, fabulous.

Is that OK? Absolutely.

Congratulations. I can't wait to have you as part of the team.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Congratulations.

Thank you.

I can't wait to have you in the role.

Thank you. All right.

Went really well. Like, very well.

I... Honestly, I don't know. Why did I work myself up so much?

I was so nervous before.

There's a lot to do,

but now there's two of us that can do it,

which is, like, a lot of pressure off me.

It's a lot of pressure off Vicky.

We're just gonna be able to work as a team, which is really exciting.

I am gonna miss the weddings,

but at the minute, I'm ready to do something new.

Obviously, you've got Em and Vicky taking over together.

Erm, it's gonna be fine.

The team are gonna work great. The weddings are in great hands.

Next time... Well, hello.

It's your old mate Dave Spencer back with you once again!

One of the UK's biggest truck spotters and his wife...

Cannot live with somebody for 49 years without give and take.

...enjoy the delights of both the M6...

Well, it's great to have a few, er, honks.

...and the hotel all in one day.

Happy birthday, love. Cheers.

Here's to a few more.

The Motorway Hotel plays host to a mega star.

Am I in the right place? Well, almost.

Can't really get away with tantrums like Elton does.

I mean, I do occasionally.

Mr and Mrs Perry!

And Emily takes on her first wedding.

Am I crumby? I've got crumbs everywhere.

But things don't get off to a great start.

It is Lauren, and... ls his name Richard?

What's the groom's name? Richard. Is it Richard?

Laura. It's Laura. Ancl it's Laura, not Lauren. Oh, God!