DIY SOS review: Inspirational Isabella shines in Ennis
The Mulvey-Sydney family in Ennis with Baz Ashmawy on DIY SOS on RTÉ One.
In DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland, Baz Ashmawy in Ennis, meeting the Mulvey-Sydney family and twins AJ and Isabella.
Isabella is a superstar in the making. She loves cooking, sewing, has a turtle called Shelly, and describes herself as "a bit wild". Standing at just over 45cm, she suffers from lumber sacral agenesis and at age 7 she made the unbelievably brave decision to have her legs amputated.
She calls Baz out on swallowing gum, and is utterly fearless, pushing herself constantly. "If I get hurt I get hurt," she says, and she is nothing short of a wonder.
Given we are in Ennis, Baz gets the word siege in the first line of his intro, and you can see how thrilled he is with this pun of puns.
As is the case with this show, Ennis rises to the challenge, and the volunteers arrive in their droves.
Jason announces himself as single, Claire brings buns and Adrian’s helmet is spelt wrong, but he soldiers on. Dave talks of a buzz, John has everything under control and utters the words "late finish" like a man who isn’t afraid of overtime.
Not to brag, but I once shared a packet of Love Hearts with Diarmuid Gavin, and my eternal love for him was sealed. He is in his element here, and the pavilion and garden he designs for Isabella is magical.
Kerry the interior designer is once again on fire in this episode and takes no prisoners when she discovers her fireplace has gone AWOL. Thankfully, all is resolved.
A volunteer confesses her main reason for taking part was to meet Baz, and honestly, we get it, we do. When he fishes chocolate out of a skip it is absolutely iconic.
Of course, no trip to Clare would be complete without Davy Fitz overseeing the breakfast rolls. The sheer work ethic exhibited by the people of Ennis will surely mean we will all be employing workmen from the Banner county going forward.
The fact that Shelley the turtle’s tank is bigger than my bedroom is the only downer, but other than that this show is a home run.
A special mention must go to AJ - the most wonderful brother, who rightfully gets the Chelsea room of his dreams (I’m not a fan of rugby, but apparently they’re a good team).
This episode easily could have focussed on the challenges that life has thrown at this lovely family, but that isn’t the style of this show. It is instead a wonderful example of how human stories can be presented in a joyful, inspiring way, and if it doesn’t make you come away believing in the power of people, you are not breathing.
