BOUTIQUE guest house owners Paul and Lynnie Jolly have been jumping in and out of different beds, including one at a stately home and another at a naturist hotel.

The husband-and-wife team who run Higher Gitcombe at Cornworthy are featuring in a prime-time television programme in which owners compete to be named the ‘best-value bed-and-breakfast establishment’.

They are part of next week’s Channel 4 series Four in a Bed, in which B&Bs from around the country open their doors and ­owners take turns to stay at one another’s establishments – and pay what they consider a fair price.

Four sets of Brits compete for the title in the B&B equivalent of Come Dine With Me. The show will see participants do friendly battle over five nights of TV viewing starting on Monday, September 28, at 5pm, until Friday, October 2, when the ­winner will be revealed.

Paul, a classic car specialist, and Lynnie and have been running Higher Gitcombe, near Dart-mouth, since Easter.

Following a refurbishment of the bedrooms, they thought the television appearance would be a good way to put the premises on the map.

Lynnie said: ‘At first I had reservations about doing it as I didn’t want any nastiness between contestants. But the director came down to interview us and test us on camera and said it would have a humorous angle.

‘Then came a call with a date to start filming, which took two solid weeks, every day from early morning until late at night.

‘Filming took place over a ­fortnight in April this year – it was tremendous fun, with some very unexpected twists.

‘We can’t disclose any further information, but we’ll be on all week, with Thursday as our main day and Friday the results day, which was filmed at Dartmouth Golf and Country Club.’

During the programme Lynnie and Paul visited a Grade I-listed stately home in Cambridge, a naturist hotel and spa, where clothing was optional, and a pub hotel in the Wye Valley, where happy hour was actually a five-hour stint, from 3pm to 8pm.

All visiting guests enjoyed an on-site activity during their stay, which at Higher Gitcombe ­consisted of a specialist physical exercise session in the garden run by Dartmouth fitness expert Harry Fenton.

An organic supper was also enjoyed at the Venus Cafe at Blackpool Sands.

‘There were many memorable moments over the course of the filming, including a black-tie ­dinner at the stately home and ­sitting in a hot tub at the naturist hotel,’ related Lynnie. ‘Every establishment was so different that it really was too close to call who would win.’