AN EAST Linton restaurant and bed and breakfast will take centre stage on a popular television show in the New Year.

The Crown and Kitchen is one of four bed and breakfasts and guest houses appearing on Four in a Bed, where bed and breakfast owners take it in turns to stay with one another.

Each owner then pays what they consider a fair price for their stay, with the bed and breakfast considered best value for money crowned as the winner.

Billy Robertson, from the Bridge Street venue, was delighted to take part in the Channel 4 programme.

He said: “Obviously, it was an enjoyable experience – tiring but enjoyable.

“I don’t know if I will say that once I see the programme – as it goes out to six to seven million viewers!”

Billy teamed up with his dad, also Billy, to take part in the show, which featured other bed and breakfasts in Cumbria, Harrogate and Blackpool.

The 37-year-old, who took over the business two and a half years ago, said: “We went to all three and you go and do a bit of entertainment.

“We took them to [nearby] Foxlake [wakeboarding park], which was comical, it was really good fun.

“In Blackpool, we were picking up reptiles, big snakes and things like that, we had soul dancing in Harrogate, which was pretty embarrassing, and we were sheep shearing in Cumbria.

“The activities were quite good fun and certainly varied.

“You have to give your feedback on the entertainment, on the guest house and do a bit of a review.”

Filming took place over two weeks, with Billy’s rivals and the TV crew enjoying a meal at the East Linton restaurant.

The three other guest house owners stayed in East Linton, while the crew stayed in Dunbar and North Berwick, where the winners were revealed.

Billy, who lives on Dirleton Avenue, North Berwick, with wife Lauren, and sons two-year-old Crombie and five-and-a-half-month Harris, was keeping tight-lipped about who won the show, which is set to be aired in February.

He plans to show it live in the bar and hopes the show will drum up success for the business, which he regularly visited with his dad before he bought it.

The opportunity arose after the Crown and Kitchen was featured on another C4 programme.

He said: “We did Location, Location, Location and they did some filming in the back garden. Kirstie Allsopp was here. I believe it was through that show that Channel 4 got in contact.”