Fáilte Towers

infobox television
show_name = Fáilte Towers


caption =
format = Reality competition
runtime = 60 minutes
creator = Adare Productions
starring =
country = IRL
network = RTÉ One
first_aired = August 2 2008
last_aired = August 13 2008
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 10
related =
website =
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

"Fáilte Towers" is an RTÉ reality TV show which was broadcast in August 2008. The concept of the show involves thirteen celebrities running a hotel for sixteen days and nights in order to win money for their designated charities. The name is a play on the BBC sitcom "Fawlty Towers" [cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/faacuteilte-towers-1445331.html|title=Fáilte Towers|date=2008-08-02|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher="Irish Independent"] - "Fáilte" is the Irish language word for "welcome". [cite web|url=http://www.proz.com/kudoz/irish_to_english/art_literary/438372-cead_mile_failte.html|title="cead mile failte"|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher="ProZ"] The hotel used in the series is Bellingham Castle in Castlebellingham, County Louth. [cite web|url=http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/entertainment/castlebellingham-to-roll-out-red-carpet-for-reality-tv-stars-1447178.html|title=Castlebellingham to roll out red carpet for reality TV stars|date=2008-08-05|accessdate=2008-08-10|publisher="Drogheda Independent"]

The show is presented by BBC Sportsround's Aidan Power and Baz Ashmawy and the judges are Bibi Baskin, Dublin Restaurateur Derry Clarke and Castle Leslie hotelier Sammy Leslie. Each night the public are invited to vote for the contestant they would like to stay in the show. At the end of the show one of the contestants must "check out". The presenters tell each of the contestants individually if they are "safe" and if so are ordered "back to work". The three remaining contestants are then marched into the Oliver Plunkett Suite to face the judges, one of whom sends one of the contestants back to work before all three cast their votes on which of the remaining two must leave the show. The evicted celebrity is then interviewed by the presenters, with best bits shown as well. Created by Adare Productions, [cite web|url=http://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/mid-louth/Irelands-answer-to-Fawlty-Towers.4173388.jp|title=Ireland's answer to Fawlty Towers is coming to Bellingham Castle!|date=2008-06-11|accessdate=2008-08-10|publisher="Dundalk Democrat"] it is available to watch [http://www.rte.ie/tv/failtetowers/video.html online] for up to two weeks after being broadcast. John Creedon won on 17 August. [cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0817/failtetowers1.html|title=John is named Fáilte Towers winner|date=2008-08-17|accessdate=2008-09-12|publisher=RTÉ]

Contestants

There are [http://www.rte.ie/tv/failtetowers/contestants.html thirteen contestants] in the show. [cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0725/failtetowers.html|title=13 Fáilte Towers celebrities announced|date=2008-07-25|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher=RTÉ] Donna and Joseph McCaul were treated as one celebrity, completing the same chores and "checking out" together.

Voting

Guests

Members of the public were encouraged to apply online for an opportunity to stay in the hotel for the show's duration. [cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0701/failtetowers.html|title=RTÉ's Fáilte Towers now taking bookings|date=2008-07-01|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher=RTÉ] Free rooms would be provided but food and drink was to be paid for by the guests. Guests were encouraged by the producers to wreak havoc in their rooms, a fact that was evidenced by some of the early scenes of broken furniture, soiled mattresses and flooded bathrooms which greeted the celebrities early in the morning.

The show

The celebrities have entertained numerous functions including a hen party and a wedding, a bus of Japanese tourists and a group of nudists.

The stripper providing entertainment for the hen party upset some of the other guests. An elderly woman accosted Jennifer Maguire, the acting manager and said: "We came here for a quiet lunch. This is disgusting! They should be in another room." Jennifer gently guided her out of the room but she glided back in again roaring: "It's absolutely revolting. It might be a young person's thing, but you should take it somewhere else."

The nudists arrived at the hotel in normal enough dress and requested their rooms only to later emerge for their meal downstairs without clothes, sparking gasps of astonishment as Patricia McKenna and Joseph McCaul tried to work their way around the cramped room. Brian Dowling was seen wagging his finger at one man in an embarrassed gesture of exasperation.

Don Baker, as acting manager, was involved in a heated argument with judge Derry Clarke over the serving of lunch to a group of guests from Kerry. Liz O'Kane insisted that the celebrities had come to an agreement with the producers that lunch was not to be served that day but Clarke though otherwise and, in an attempt to further confuse the hoteliers, argued with both Baker and O'Kane. Consequentially the two were called before the judges in the Oliver Plunkett Suite that same night with O'Kane told to "check out". With tensions rising by the following day, the programme's producers offered manager, Brian Dowling the chance to nominate three of his co-workers to enjoy a day and night of pampering at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan. He was allowed to pick himself but chose not to, instead selecting Baker, Evelyn Cusack and Jennifer Maguire, who had been before the judges in the Oliver Plunkett Suite for three consecutive nights. The remaining celebrities were given the day off and embarked on a trail of antics. [cite web|url=http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/feisty-jennifers-no-ice-queen-for-don-as-failte-towers-----pair-destress-in-castle-1451048.html|title="Feisty Jennifer's no ice queen for Don as Failte Towers pair 'de-stress' in Castle"|date=2008-08-09|accessdate=2008-08-12|publisher="Evening Herald"]

The "wedding" descended into chaos when the groom was spotted in an embrace with his new wife's best friend and the bride's mother stormed out of the dining room in disgust. However it emerged that the wedding was staged and the guests were simply actors exaggerating a scenario to put further strain on the celebrities. This upset Joseph McCaul who had accidentally spilt wine on the bride's dress and upset her mother. When one of Michelle Heaton's dresses was offered as a replacement there were accusations that it would be too revealing, which upset the manager, Brian Dowling. When the set-up was discovered the celebrities reacted angrily with Evelyn Cusack sarcastically serving coffee at breakfast the next morning.

On Michelle Heaton's day as manager, Don Baker was barman. When a Dubliner named Don arrived at the hotel and offered to fix the broken kegs in the cellar, Baker led him downstairs oblivious to his intention to steal the kegs. When Baker returned upstairs and attempted to serve the customers it was discovered that the Heineken, Guinness and Budweiser was gone. Heaton had to phone a local bar and borrow three kegs to feed the thirsty guests. This was also the day that a bus of Japanese tourists turned up at Fáilte Towers. The celebrities were upset as this meant having to change their menu and adapt new recipes to suit their tastes. Joseph McCaul spent his time entertaining the guests with his Japanese language skills and was surprised to learn that one female was even voting for him. When the food didn't go down well, McCaul came up with his own concoction of sushi involving tomatoes and other food items which Michelle Heaton promptly ordered back into the kitchen before it could be served. Later Dickie Rock arrived to entertain the guests but, already fifteen minutes late, Heaton embarked on a journey to his room in search of an explanation. It emerged that he refused to leave his room until he had been fed his favoured chicken vindaloo dish. Joseph McCaul had to make a trip to the local Chinese for "a chicken curry for Dickie Rock" while his sister and Don Baker entertained the unsettled crowd. At the end of the night Michelle Heaton broke down in the kitchen and John Creedon chased the cameraman outside. However there was a CCTV camera trained on the kitchen allowing all to be seen. She was seen to be sobbing to herself, although this time her boyfriend was not present to cheer her up. He had turned up to dine at the hotel only a few days previously and upset her when he sent his dinner back to the kitchen with a request to see the chef before she realised what was really happening.

Among the more light-hearted moments were Brian Dowling dunking Joseph McCaul's head into a lobster tank with his sister's permission and Dowling later playing a game of "kiss the gay" with Sean Ó Domhnaill in the kitchen. Ó Domhnaill eventually relented off camera. Among the celebrities to break down and cry have been Michelle Heaton, Donna and Joseph McCaul, Evelyn Cusack and Liz O'Kane.

The semi-final

The semi-final took place on Saturday August 16 2008. Five celebrities remained that night; Don Baker, John Creedon, Brian Dowling, Michelle Heaton and Jennifer Maguire. Don, Jennifer and Michelle faced the judges. Michelle checked out.

The final

The final took place on Sunday August 17 2008. Four celebrities ramained on the final night; they were Don Baker, John Creedon, Brian Dowling and Jennifer Maguire. For the first time the public had exclusive say on who checked out. Jennifer was the first to check out. The remaining three were taken into the Oliver Plunkett Suite. Don finished third and exited to be interviewed by presenter Baz. Brian finished second. The winner was John.

Broadcasting schedule

* Episode 01: Saturday August 2, 9.40pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 02: Sunday August 3, 9.40pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 03: Tuesday August 5, 9.40pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 04: Wednesday August 6, 9.35pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 05: Saturday August 9, 9.40pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 06: Sunday August 10, 9.30pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 07: Tuesday August 12, 9.35pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 08: Wednesday August 13, 9.35pm, RTÉ One

* Episode 09: Saturday August 16, 9.35pm, RTÉ One

* Final Show: Sunday August 17, 9.35pm, RTÉ One

Controversy

Claire Tully was refused by two breast cancer charities who rebuffed her offer to raise money on their behalf. This was linked to her debut as Ireland's first topless model early in 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/lsquowhy-irsquom-happy-to-be-the-republicrsquos-first-page-3-girlrsquo-13926960.html|title=‘Why I’m happy to be the Republic’s first Page 3 girl’|date=2008-08-02|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher="The Belfast Telegraph"] After being turned down by the Marie Keating Foundation and Breast Cancer Ireland, Tully's donation was eventually accepted by the National Breast Cancer Research Institute at NUI Galway and she was said to bear "no hard feelings" towards the other charities. [cite web|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/cancer-charities-snub-irelandrsquos-first-page-three-model-13910713.html|title="Cancer charities snub Ireland’s first Page Three model"|date=2008-07-17|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher="The Belfast Telegraph"] Jill Clark, head of fundraising, said: "The society is delighted that Claire has kindly chosen to donate all the proceeds raised throughout the duration of her appearance on the show to Action Breast Cancer, a programme of the Irish Cancer Society." [cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/newsfeatures/2008/0802/1217368862327.html|title="Not model behaviour"|date=2008-08-02|accessdate=2008-08-12|publisher="The Irish Times"]

Presenter Baz Ashmawy has evoked much criticism for his style, "bellowing" in a manner that suggests he "seems to be addressing a completely different audience in a completely different programme on a completely different planet, somewhere inside the universe of his own head". Then reminding viewers of the voting numbers, Baz thrust his crotch so forcefully at the camera that "it nearly broke the lens - "These are the numbers you're gonna (thrust!) need (thrust!)." [cite web|url=http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/the-bitch-is-back-on-failte-towers-1447809.html|title=..."Bellowing Baz just seems to have taken off for another planet"|date=2008-08-06|accessdate=2008-08-12|publisher="Evening Herald"]

Reception

Fáilte Towers has been praised in the Irish media as being different from other reality television shows where the contestants don't do any work. The insight into how the celebrities would cope in a hard-working environment has also been praised, although the constant moaning of celebrities such as Michelle Heaton and Donna and Joseph McCaul has been criticised as being akin to "pathetic child-like blubbering". [cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/why-i-want-to-check-into-crazy-failte-towers-1451219.html|title=Why I want to check into crazy Failte Towers|date=2008-08-10|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher="Sunday Independent"]

Comparisons were made with the state of the economy as it was noted that "z-list celebrities, failed Eurovision acts, reality-tv refugees and somebody called Patricia McKenna are forced to seek work in the catering trade." Evelyn Cusack was deemed to have been included "as a punishment for all the crap weather she has been correctly predicting". [cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/time-to-flee-ireland-of-the-failte-towers-1451323.html|title="Time to flee Ireland of the Failte Towers"|date=2008-08-10|accessdate=2008-08-12|publisher="Sunday Independent"]

The format for the show has attracted interest from overseas buyers. RTÉ has said that several foreign programme distributors have expressed interest in buying the format but “no agreements will be reached until the current series has finished”. “We have had enquiries from a few distribution companies in England,” said Brian Graham, one of the series producers. “We are too busy at the moment to deal with them so we are waiting until the series is over to decide what to do. This is a format that could definitely travel. The plan is this could be done in any country.” [cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article4494192.ece|title=Failte Towers format attracts interest from foreign buyers|date=2008-08-10|accessdate=2008-08-11|publisher="The Sunday Times"]

References

External links

* [http://www.rte.ie/tv/failtetowers/ Official site]