Brighton designer Frankie Ratford set for Interior Design Masters debut
interior design masters is putting Brighton designer Frankie Ratford in the spotlight as she joins the new series of the competition. Ratford, 42, said taking part was amazing and described the experience as a whirlwind after being called back to film a week later. She is one of 10 contestants competing for the title of grand interior design master.
A south coast challenge opens the series
The new series begins with a task set on Avon Beach in Dorset, where presenter Alan Carr asks the designers to transform beach huts into their own signature styles. The episode is due to air on Tuesday evening at 20: 00 BST on One and iPlayer, with Carr saying the opening challenge is full of standout moments.
Ratford, who lives in Brighton, brings more than 20 years in design to the competition. She has worked as a graphic designer and says she has also been renovating her own properties for the last seven years. Her design platform was built to help graduates gain jobs in the industry, adding another layer to her professional background.
Inside Frankie Ratford’s style
Ratford says her style is bold and colourful, shaped by extensive travel that has taken her to 100 countries. She also spent six years on a road trip and worked with other designers, experiences she says sharpened her visual eye. In the middle of that journey, interior design masters became a real test of how far that experience could carry her under pressure.
She said the whole experience felt very outside her comfort zone because she had never wanted to be on TV before. Even so, she said the pace suited her, especially with a carpenter and painter on hand to bring ideas to life quickly. Ratford also described herself as a van enthusiast with a love of dopamine decor.
What the judges and presenter are seeing
Alan Carr said the beach huts may look simple, but they are deceiving because they are small, multi-functional spaces that force designers to think on their feet. Michelle Ogundehin, the head judge, said this series feels more confident than ever and praised the range of perspectives among the contestants. She said viewers are seeing how differently people think about space and how those decisions play out under real pressure.
Ratford said she was encouraged to apply by Banjo Beale, who won the show’s third series, while she was working with him in Australia. She said she applied without expecting much, then received the call telling her she was going on the show and flew back to start filming a week later.
What happens next
The opening episode is expected to set the tone for the rest of the series, with the cast facing tight time pressures and difficult spatial demands from the start. For Ratford, interior design masters is both a public challenge and a personal test, with her Brighton background and global experience now under scrutiny as the competition begins.
