Property Experiment Trivia

The Presenters

Justin Ryan and Colin McAllister have actually been a couple for almost 20 years, having met in a Glasgow nightclub as teenagers. Colin went on to work for Scottish social services, while Justin became an estate agent. Office life wasn't for them, however, and they soon turned their attention to the property market.

‘The Experiment’ was actually inspired by the boys' own ascent up the property ladder. Having purchased their first house in Glasgow for BBC inviting them to play the market before the eyes of the nation, and ‘The Experiment’ was the result.£25,000 in 1990, they bought and sold their way to grander properties, gaining some media attention in the process. This led to the

The bickering between the boys and their project manager Nigel Leck is one of the most compulsive things about the series, and it certainly wasn't put on for the cameras. Leck was often enraged by the remarks made behind his back, and was given to demanding apologies from the boys after watching the raw footage from the series. He eventually left the show before it was finished.

‘The Experiment’ was a big gamble for the BBC, taking two and a half years to film without any guarantee that it would work. Indeed, their failures did attract some sneers from property experts after the series was broadcast. Colin 's response was blunt: ‘It was called an experiment. We weren't pretending that we knew it all.’

Justin was under so much stress during the series that he suffered a mini-breakdown. ‘I don't want to make light of those who have seriously had mental problems,’ he said, ‘but I did have an episode. I lost the plot.’ Colin also buckled under the pressure, responding to one property disaster by crawling under a bed and staying there until his nerves recovered!

Making the series brought the boys to the attention of ‘Pop Idol’ guru Simon Cowell , who advised them to ‘be more evil’ and then offered them a record contract! The boys have decided not to pursue a singing career yet, although Justin has said it ‘is something that might happen in the future.’