Vickie Maye working the room with Dermot Bannon

Ever wondered what it’s like to be on Room to Improve? As the series returns, Vickie Maye takes a deep breath – and hands her house plans over to Dermot Bannon.

It’s a strange feeling handing your house plans over to Dermot Bannon. First, you feel as though you are betraying your own architect. Second, that minute or so when he pauses, starting to talk, and then stopping — as though searching for the right words, a polite way to make a suggestion that could see your drawings ripped to shreds — you feel your heart start to sink.