Escape to the Country couple's heartache over £850k budget after backlash

09 February 2024 , 11:52

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This week, BBC Escape to the Country viewers were left stunned when a young couple revealed their massive budget for their first shared home.

Civil servant Anna and consultant Jack, who are engaged and each own a flat in St Albans, confessed that they had a massive budget for their dream home in Buckinghamshire. The pair, who recently got a dog named Dexter, said they wanted to purchase a house with plenty of outdoor space, four bedrooms, a utility room, and a large kitchen.

They also shared their hopes to live near a local pub, which they described as the heart of the community. Host Briony May helped the young couple search for their first home together in the countryside. However, the couple's hefty budget sparked quite a reaction online after Anna and Jack admitted that they had a whopping of £850,000 to fork out on their first home.

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Jack and Anna faced harsh backlash after the BBC episode aired (BBC)

After BBC viewers dubbed the young couple 'privileged' and 'spoiled' to have such a whopping budget for their first home, Jack has confessed that their fortune was given to them in devastating circumstances. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, the Escape to the Country guest admitted that the staggering budget for their first home came from inheritance.

Jack also condemned property prices in the UK, insisting that it's merely impossible for first-time buyers to purchase a home in modern society without a huge budget.

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"The real story here is that a budget of £850,000 doesn’t even get you the average detached house in Buckinghamshire, which comes in at £881,368, according to the show. Property prices up and down the country are outrageous and prohibitive for many because successive governments have, for decades, failed to build enough houses. With limited supply, price increases have way outstripped wage growth for nearly fifty years," Jack shared.

"Our budget buys a small apartment in most of London, where 9m people live. This is just plain wrong," he added. After receiving harsh backlash after the BBC episode aired this week, Jack has urged those who have criticised himself and Anna to re-think and re-direct their anger.

"People are of course free to direct their anger at us, but in my mind where this anger should be directed is at the ranks of politicians who have ignored this issue for far too long. We are in election year, and yet neither Sunak nor Starmer have even a hint of a housing plan," Jack said. "If it continues to be the case that normal people with normal jobs cannot buy a normal house, we are looking at an economic and demographic time-bomb."

Escape to the Country couple's heartache over £850k budget after backlash

BBC Escape to the Country couple share devastating confession about £850k budget after backlash (BBC)

Explaining how the young couple came to have such a staggering budget for their first home, Jack shared: "There has been intense speculation about our own circumstances. While I consider this to be largely a private matter, to quell the “mummy and daddy” nonsense, I will say that we inherited in circumstances nobody would choose, and recognise that we are very fortunate to earn salaries that we can leverage."

After being left shocked by the huge figure, unimpressed viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain earlier this week. "Mums got escape to the country on and a couple younger than me have just rocked up with a budget of £850,000 for their first home and let me tell you, the deep guttural "oh f** right off" I just let out could be heard from space."

Another fumed: "Don't you hate it when 20 somethings have 850k at their disposal? Where's the life suffering before success? 800,000 average price in Buckinghamshire. UK housing prices are obscene. Half a mil for a terraced property. They need a 30% haircut. #escapetothecountry."

"A young couple probably in their 30s on escape to the country today have a budget of 800k. F*** off," someone else ranted. "OMG I literally have £8 in my bank account and these children have that much money. Honestly HOW? How do people have money like that in this day and age," another questioned.

However, it wasn't all negative comments as another BBC praised the pair, writing: "Couple on #EscapeToTheCountry are so charming. How lovely it would be if all twenty-somethings were like this. They have such an appreciation of the countryside, lifestyle and architecture. Hope they live happily ever after."

"People are so jealous and cruel. These people clearly worked hard for their money, or inherited it which isn't always easy. They seem like a lovely couple," someone else insisted.

Despite viewing several beautiful homes, the couple didn't make an offer on any. However, Jack told The Mirror that he and Anna have now bought a property in Hertfordshire and living happily with their beloved pet pooch Dexter.

"We now live in rural Hertfordshire with a very happy dog. Our village is served by two very fine country pubs, where you’ll find me sipping a pint and waiting for all this to blow over," Jack shared.