Escape to The Cheateau star Angel Strawbridge has doubled down on her expletive rant, insisting she’s not ashamed and saying she’s ‘proud’ of defending herself.
The Channel 4 star and her husband Dick were dropped from the channel after ‘bullying allegations’ emerged when the shocking audio was leaked last year, with the broadcaster ordering an independent investigation into their conduct.
The accusations came to light in May 2023 when three of Dick and Angel’s former colleagues claimed that they clashed with producers, while a further source alleged they were a ‘nightmare to work with.’
In a statement, a spokesperson for the broadcaster confirmed to Metro.co.uk at the time: ‘Following a review, we have taken the decision not to work with Dick and Angel on any new productions in the future.’
In the leaked audio recording, Angel, who bought and renovated the 19th-century Château de la Motte-Husson in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France with Dick, was caught calling a producer a ‘f***ing c**t’.
Having largely stayed out of the limelight over the last year, Angel has now spoken about the incident in a new interview, saying she’s ‘not ashamed’.
Speaking to Elizabeth Day on her How To Fail podcast, the 46-year-old claimed one of the producer working on the show ‘wasn’t particularly very nice’ and that ‘his behaviour was completely unacceptable’.
Dick & Angel
Copyright: CHANNEL FOUR
Speaking of the incident, which took place six years ago, she went on: ‘It didn’t just happen in one little moment. It happened over lots of different occasions.’
Angel went on to say that it occurred during a ‘busy’ time, where she ‘didn’t have the headspace to address his behaviour’.
She also claimed he was ‘horrible’ with their two children, Arthur and Dorothy, and claimed he broke their fishing rods.
‘And the next day, I was upstairs, and he came up in a really very out of character way for him, and was really, I don’t know, in my face, like he’d lost it in a kind of way,’ Angel said.
She added that she had not listened back to the leaked audio, and said: ‘It makes me feel a little bit sick if I do.’
Angel went on: ‘I can’t even really remember his words at the time, but he was just in my face. And then I was like, just get out of my f**king house.
‘I can’t even remember what I said. I think I said a really bad word beginning with C, I don’t even use that word, that’s how p***ed off I must have been.’
Angel said she was ‘uncontrollably shaking’ at the time, and admitted she was ‘in the wrong for losing my temper’, adding: ‘I will not apologise. He was so disrespectful in our house.
‘He was so upsetting to me, to my family, and I stand by what I did. I don’t know… if I were to apologise and say, “I am sorry for using bad language and chucking you out,” it would just be disingenuous to me.’
She said that she ‘probably did feel a little bit ashamed that the kids would listen to it,’ before doubling down and adding: ‘I stand proud for just defending myself at that moment against his behaviour. I probably wish I hadn’t said the C word.’
When asked if she regretted anything about how the incident went down, Angel added: ‘I just regret that I didn’t do it sooner and probably in a calmer way.’
Angel Strawbridge’s full Escape to the Chateau rant
In the audio, obtained by Deadline and heard by Metro.co.uk, Angel was heard saying:
Angel Strawbridge: ‘It’s not anyone’s fault, but I was up here for 15 minutes waiting and I wanted to know where you both were.’
Producer: ‘The thing is, we’re all going to get really stressed, and this next week is not –’
Angel Strawbridge: ‘My husband speaks to everyone when he’s grumpy like a piece of s***.’
Producer: ‘And I don’t like that either.’
Angel Strawbridge: ‘No, I know, but when people are stressed, which, let me tell you, shall we start by f***ing that I went onto your Instagram and have had some f***ing… and saw some of the pictures that you’ve put up. Well, let me tell you that there’s some on there that are so f***ing dark that if you can’t see that as an artist…
‘What about the one with the chef with the big moustache and the big shoulders? Who is that inspired by when you’re fing working at the chateau? Just tell me that and then you can f***ing leave! And this is me f***ing angry because I think you’re a fed up little c**t, actually.
‘Now this is me angry! I just wanted to know where you both were, OK? Now, do not work in this chateau and then post dark, weird pictures that I find quite insulting. And do not smirk. You know what? You can just f*** off.’
In 2021, sources from Escape To The Chateau’s former production company, Spark Media, claimed to The Times Dick and Angel were ‘abusive and bullying’ and had made filming an ‘an anxiety-inducing ordeal’.
The couple denied the allegations of aggressive and bullying behaviour to the publication at the time.
Escape To The Chateau was announced to be coming to an end after the ninth season in 2022, though a pre-recorded series, Secret France, is now airing on Channel 4.
In a statement released in May last year on social media, Angel and Dick said: ‘We know there are lots of stories in the press right now. It’s not worth us even trying to comment or give context, because anything can be made into a good headline. We understand. There are two sides to every story and from the incredible support we have received, most of you know that.’
They stressed that ending Escape to the Chateau was ‘a Strawbridge Family decision’.
‘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,’ they wrote.
Launched in 2016, the programme charted the ups and downs of the renovation of the ruined property located in the small market town of Martigné-sur-Mayenne.
The couple had initially paid £280,000 when they bought the dilapidated castle, which has 45 bedrooms, 78 windows, 12 acres and one moat, back in 2015.
Metro.co.uk has approached Channel 4 for comment.
Escape To The Chateau is available to watch on Channel 4.
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