Alan Carr and Amanda Holden to front Alan and Amanda: The Italian Job

Alan Carr and Amanda Holden are to front new BBC One show ‘Alan and Amanda: The Italian Job’.

The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ judge and the Heart Breakfast presenter are teaming up for “a summer of drilling, demolition and hopefully la dolce vita” as they work together to revamp a house in Sicily - which was included in the One Euro scheme, an effort to increase development in the area - into an upmarket holiday home to flip at the end of the summer and donate the proceeds to charity.

The 45-year-old comedian said: “After presenting two series of 'Interior Design Masters' I feel now it’s time for me to pop my hard hat on, slip on my steel toe-capped boots and really get my hands dirty. Working in beautiful Sicily with one of my dearest friends is like I’ve won the jackpot. Expect a summer of drilling, demolition and hopefully la dolce vita!”

Amanda says BBC One is the “perfect home” for their particular brand of “magic”.

The 51-year-old actress said: “Alan and I came up with the idea for this show together and approached the BBC as we knew it was the perfect home.

"We are both very passionate about interior design and we'll be very hands on, injecting some much needed life into an area of Sicily that's in need of some Holden Carr magic. Although we're on the same page most of the time, I'm more practical and organised than Alan. However he's up for some shameless bargaining so that will help us keep on budget!

"We've already started filming and one thing's for sure, we're not shy of a power tool!”

The broadcaster - who is working with production company Voltage TV - is “delighted” to be working with the duo.

Catherine Catton, the Head of Commissioning, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment, said: “I’m delighted Alan and Amanda are embarking on this adventure with us. I hope this series will bring much needed joy and inspire our viewers as they follow our couple of friends in their mission to learn new skills and breathe new life into a derelict building.”

Executive producer Claire Walls added: “Many of us dream of taking on a wreck and turning it into a palace, and what better way to do it than tap into these exciting one-euro properties. It’s a genuine passion project for Alan and Amanda but it will be hard work for them to pull it off by the end of the summer in Sicily.”