Escape to the Chateau’s Angel Strawbridge ‘will not apologise’ for foul-mouthed rant

Escape to the Chateau’s Angel Strawbridge has said she “will not apologise” for the foul-mouthed rant she directed at a crew member while on set for the TV show.

Angel was the star of the Channel 4 property renovation programme, which followed herself and her husband Dick Strawbridge as they transformed a 19th-century chateau in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France, for nine seasons, beginning in 2016 and ending in December 2022.

Last year, a leaked audio clip was circulated in which Angel could be heard berating two crew members, one of whom she called a “f***ed up little c**t”. Around that time, Channel 4 cut ties with the couple following a review into their behaviour.

The couple subsequently issued a statement saying there were “two sides to every story”.

Angel has now given a detailed account of her version of events while appearing on a recent episode of Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast.

She said there were several events that led to her angry rant, which included disagreements with crew members while on set.

Angel went on to clarify that she was not sorry for her rant, and that she still stands by what she said in 2023.

“I will not apologise. I stand by what I said,” she explained. “If I apologised for my bad language and said, ‘Sorry for chucking you out’ – I would just be disingenuous to me.”

“I have not listened back [to the recording], it makes me feel a little bit sick if I do. All my friends are like, I can hear you gradually getting more angry,” she said. “You know, there’s a bit I don’t remember, but I just know I’m uncontrollably shaking.”

While it was speculated that the programme ended as a result of the behaviour of the Strawbridge couple on set, Angel claimed that the real reason it concluded was because their children –  Arthur, nine, and daughter Dorothy, eight – were “getting older” and that it was time to move on.

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“It was sad because we had finished Escape to the Chateau,” said Angel. “The kids were getting older. Arthur and Dorothy were so innocent. And as they’re getting older, they’re getting more aware of themselves. And why that’s one of the main decisions why we wanted stop Escape to the Chateau.

“We had a big party, and to be honest, we’d stop making everyone loads of money,” she said.

Explaining why she decided to speak out now, over a year after the audio had been leaked, Angel explained that she wanted to get her version of the events out in the open.

“With a year on, we’ve got our integrity, we’re doing so well. We’re happy. Business is fabulous. Everything is good. I can look back and say, actually, it’s fine to say a thing or two. It’s not adding fuel to the fire – what I want to do is actually sprinkle some water on something that still irritates me,” said Angel.

She said that the “tsunami” of social media frenzy surrounding the events made her not want to go into detail about what happened at the time.

“Sometimes you don’t know why you say things, but now feels like the right time. There are instances that need to be taken into context,” she said.

The remark came after a crew member was seemingly left unimpressed by Angel talking down to him when she lost track of his whereabouts. “I wanted to know where you both were,” she can be heard saying, adding: “My husband speaks to everyone when he’s grumpy like a piece of s***.”

The anonymous crew member replies: “And I don’t like that either.”

Angel can then be heard accusing him of posting images on Instagram of a man that she says shared a likeness to her husband, Dick.

“Who is that inspired by when you’re f***ing working at the chateau? “ she says, adding: “Just tell me that and then you can f***ing leave – and this is me f***ing angry because I think you’re a f***ed up little c***.” You can read the full transcript of Angel’s angry rant here.

Following the leak, The Strawbridges said in a statement: “There are two sides to every story and from the incredible support we have received, most of you know that. We are proud of who we are, and we feel we must do what we believe to be correct, that is in fact what kept Escape to the Chateau unique, and whilst we have indeed parted ways with Channel 4, we are hugely grateful to them and their teams for their support and creativity over the years.

“The future truly could not look more exciting and we thank you for your continued love and support.”

A Channel 4 spokesperson said at the time: “Channel 4 is taking an active role in challenging unacceptable behaviour in our industry. Following a review of our processes in 2021 we have made it easier to raise complaints both formally and informally.

“We require all our production partners to follow our Supplier Code of Conduct and when concerns are raised with us, they will be taken seriously and action will happen to ensure they are investigated and addressed appropriately. There is always more to do and alongside our suppliers we are committed to building safe, inclusive and professional working environments.”