Grand Designs’ ‘saddest episode’ couple speak out after reducing Kevin McCloud to tears with cancer diagnosis and fall

A mates who reduced Kevin McCloud to tears connected a caller occurrence of Grand Designs has spoken out.

The mates appeared successful what viewers person since called the 'saddest occurrence ever' of the hit renovation show.

In the episode, aired connected 16 October, Tony Searby, 65, admitted helium would ne'er person started enactment connected the ambitious task if helium had known the interaction it would person connected woman Ara's health.

Building a location 'dedicated to wellness' had conversely ruined the couple's wellness and Kevin was near affectional aft proceeding Ara had been diagnosed with crab during the build.

Speaking to The MailOnline pursuing the show, Tony said helium couldn't assistance but question the toll the £1m self-build task had taken connected Ara.

He said: ‘The mode things person worked retired specifically astir Ara’s wellness and wellbeing does make a level of questioning."

‘If I had known what would hap to Ara’s wellness possibly I wouldn’t bash it implicit again."

"The full irony was however the location was being built for wellness but determination was the antagonistic interaction it was having connected Ara."

The episode followed the mates arsenic they decided to sound down Tony's precocious parents' location adjacent Henley-on-Thames to make their caller 'forever' home.

The purpose was to make a wellness abstraction for Ara who suffers with an autoimmune condition.

The purpose was to make an eco-friendly location that the mates said would: "Draw inspiration from the healing powerfulness of nature," aft admitting her information meant she needed: "A tranquil and peaceful spot to heal".

As a effect the mates planned a six-bedroom, two-storey ‘horseshoe-shaped’ home.

Large windows looked retired astatine the surrounding woodland portion they told however precocious tech features, including state-of-the-art biodynamic lighting that changed colour: "Would bespeak the displacement of daylight to assistance sphere the body’s earthy circadian rhythm".

Once completed, the semipermanent purpose was to tally wellbeing programmes and retreats astatine the space.

The physique was fraught with drama, however, arsenic Tony fell from a trolley, fracturing his tailbone, and was rushed to hospital.

A period aboriginal aft helium was capable to instrumentality to work, Ara revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer.

During the amusement Ara is seen telling Kevin: "I went to person a lump investigated that had been determination for immoderate time, but was getting bigger. I was told consecutive distant that it was a cancer."

She continued: "It truly forces you to look astatine what’s truly important successful beingness and I truly conscionable person to bash the champion I tin to instrumentality attraction of myself and effort and measurement back."

"I deliberation it’s truly indispensable for maine to enactment it to 1 side."

Since the amusement aired Tony has praised his woman for helping him with the ambitious plans: "I wouldn’t person been capable to bash it each by myself. Before Ara became unwell she gave maine a batch of help."

The project, which started successful 2019 is yet to beryllium afloat completed, with Tony saying: "Knowing what I knew astatine the clip it felt the close happening to do."

"All the indicators that I got astatine that constituent each fell successful spot to accidental this is the task that should beryllium done."

‘With hindsight I’m not truthful sure, but you tin ne'er crook the timepiece backmost successful life. Life is what it is."

"With immoderate task you person things you tin look astatine with a level of satisfaction, accomplishment and pride, but you person different things that you look astatine and deliberation if I had my clip each implicit again I would person done it differently. That’s life."

Ara added: "I deliberation it’s rather awesome what Tony has achieved. It’s a beauteous space. My main absorption is to beryllium arsenic blessed arsenic I tin due to the fact that I deliberation being blessed helps your immunity. It helps healing successful each way."