Channel 4 Grand Designs couple dealt devastating blow as project halted after hospital dash

Grand Designs viewers were gripped by a tense episode on Wednesday night featuring Tony, who was ambitiously constructing a 'wellness' house, before being rushed to hospital before more sad news.

Tony, alongside his wife Ara, made the decision to demolish his late parents' property situated in a serene woodland area near Henley-on-Thames, aiming to build a new dwelling centred around health and well-being. This project held particular significance for the couple due to Ara's autoimmune disease, which necessitated a calm environment conducive to her health.

The pair planned to live on-site to cut costs, with Tony taking on the task of project managing to save Ara any stress that could compromise her already fragile health. However, as expected, with such a huge project, the couple soon encountered issues along the way.

Midway through the programme, presenter Kevin McCloud disclosed Tony's unfortunate mishap. The 65-year-old host recounted: "However, this happy state of equilibrium is short-lived. A couple of days after my visit, Ara's worst fears about the dangers of working with such heavy loads come to pass.

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"Tony had a fall from a trolley while fixing a board to the ceiling, resulting in a fractured tailbone and severe lacerations. He was promptly taken to hospital for stitches", reports .

The scene then shifted to Ara as she described the incident. She said: "I was clearing up something on the floor, and I just heard him make a big noise." Overcome with emotion, Ara continued: "It was really scary!"

The project inevitably faced a pause when Tony was hospitalised for a week, yet astonishingly, just a month later, he was back on site, handling boards and diving into the renovation work once again.

However, there was more heartache for the couple as Ara revealed later in the episode she had been diagnosed with cancer. Despite the couple's setbacks, they managed to complete the home after four years, with host Kevin moved to tears over their milestone.

Visiting the couple at the end of the episode, which was filmed in November 2023, Kevin said: "I'm approaching Tony and Ara's house with a little trepidation. On top of the emotional, psychological, physical load this project has brought comes this latest news of Ara's cancer, which is so sad."

Upon seeing the completed home, a delighted Kevin said: "There is a finished drive," before exclaiming: "There is a finished house!" as he ran towards the property. Later, as he caught up with the couple, Ara shared some poignant words that left Kevin teary.

Ara said: "Nobody could have predicted what was going to happen to me. Now the path is to do peace, contentment and gratitude. I have so much to be grateful for, I live in a little piece of heaven. It's heaven round here."

An emotional Kevin replied: "It's my turn to get a bit tearful now, I'm in awe of the pair of you. Very tough and very wonderful of you to have got this far, I think it's just a great thing."

Grand Designs continues on Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4.