I’ve always loved travel programmes; they fascinate me because chances are, seeing exotic places around the world on TV is as close to them as I’m likely to get. Add to that the fact that I love house hunting and a programme that shows both glorious global locations and a house hunt and you’re guaranteed my full attention!

Imagine my joy then that over the last few days on Discovery Travel & Living channel it’s been back to back episodes of A Place In The Sun and A Place In The Sun: Home Or Away. I’ve literally had this channel playing in the background for days.

And, as it’s my ambition currently to retire to Spain in the next few years, I’m glued to the TV when the show is about anywhere in Spain! It really is a useful show too; it has a lot of info about the areas it highlights and house prices as well as handy info about legalities and so on.

There are a variety of presenters on the show too. In Home Or Away – in which undecided house hunters choose whether to buy property in the UK or abroad – Jonnie Irwin cops the short straw and house hunts in the UK while Jasmine Harman always gets to look for the house abroad. Gutted for you Jonnie! You definitely got the poopy end of that particular stick.

I especially love this programme because I really enjoy Jasmine’s reaction if her house hunters don’t like the properties she’s chosen; she gets quite testy with them and quietly makes it clear they are obviously far too picky or just plain stupid. Very subtly of course!

In A Place In The Sun, Amanda Lamb is the latest presenter but before her, Bella Crane and Zilpah Hartley looked for properties overseas.

One of my favourite things about both these shows is watching the house hunters going around the houses. Much of the time, they’re shown around by the current owner and it’s brilliant to watch them saying ‘Ooo this is nice’, or ‘It’s very compact isn’t it?’ or ‘The decoration is lovely and bright isn’t it?’ when what they want to say is, ‘This place is hideous, pokey and the wallpaper looks like an hallucination’

I’ve often wondered too if the show’s producers try to get the house hunters to say things other than ‘This is nice’ or ‘This is lovely’. They probably have a researcher looking up adjectives that they can use but there are times when it’s all people say and it does get quite funny after a while.

Basically, if like me you’re nosey, love looking at other people’s houses and enjoy hearing about living abroad, then these shows are for you! Find out when they’re on next here… www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/a-place-in-the-sun-home-or-away/index.html